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Above all, Normandy is probably famed for its dairy products (the use made of butter and cream in Norman kitchens is almos legendary!). Camembert is probably the most famous French cheese in the world, while the reputation of butter (buerre) and cream (creme) from Isigny-sur-Mer is also protected by European law (a dish cooked a la Normande or Vallée d’Auge generally means an addition of cream and butter, and sometimes includes mushrooms).

The Normans are also big meat eaters. One of the most famed delicacies is the 'pre-salted' lamb (l’agneau de pré-salé) which grazes on the saline flora of the Bay of Mont St Michel and the Cotentin peninsular - this method gives the meat a subtle iodine flavour. The sausage from Vire (andouille de Vire) is made from coarse-grained beechwood smoked pork and chitterlings, flavoured with pepper, onions, wine, and seasonings. Tripe is also very popular in Normandy - the most famous version from Caen (tripe a la mode de Caen) consists of ox trotters put in a clay pot with tripe, onions, leeks, herbs and cider or Calvados. The dish is then cooked very slowly. Finally, the local speciality is pork (cochon de Bayeux) - one of the last six breeds of French pig whose origins date back to the late nineteenth century. It is a cross between a Normand breed and the English Berkshire. There is a festival every October to celebrate this pig.

Normandy supplies much of France's shellfish - for example one in three oysters (huitres) eaten in France comes from the region's ports. A great location to have a plate (with a cold glass of muscadet) is Isigny-sur-Mer, north-west of Bayeux. Mussels and chips (moules frites) are also a classic - as are scallops (Coquilles St. Jacques), a highly valued shellfish landed in fishing ports such as Port-en-Bessin (where they have a festival every November at the start of the scallop fishing season).

The most famous Norman dessert is the teurgoule - a rice and cinnamon dish which dates from the seventeenth century when corsairs (private bucanners) brought back a form of the dessert from their Spanish adventures.

Normandy is the largest French region to not have vineyards - but what the Normans lack in grapes they make up for in apples! Calvados, the famous apple brandy is often taken between courses to aid digestion and cleanse the pallet (this is called a trou Normand). Modern restaurants sometimes serve this dish as a sorbet. Cider is made in most parts of Normandy and is rich in color and taste - some are sweet (doux), but most are rather dry (brut). The crémant version is produced like champagne and is one for the connoisseurs! A large commercial cider brewery called Ciderie Viard is 3 miles from the Clos des Fleurs. It takes apples from 120 hectares of orchards in the Bayeux region and offers guided tours from May to September. Finally, pommeau is a popular drink made from a mix of two-thirds apple cider must and one-third 3-year old Calvados.

Local restaurants & bars

Le Pommier (Bayeux, 9km) - According to Frommers: "One of the most appealing restaurants in Bayeux's historic zone occupies an 18th-century building. You can usually expect dishes such as foie gras of duckling; rabbit stew braised in cider; and a platter that contains two kinds of fish served with chitterling sausage and a sauce of cream and chitterling drippings." Visit website.

Le P'tit Bistro (Bayeux, 9km) - Imaginative dishes at this little restaurant next to the cathedral. I have eaten there a couple of times and can recommend it. Very friendly & attentive staff too.

Bistro de Paris (Bayeux, 9km) - Furniture, mirrors and brasses create the decor and the atmosphere of an old bistro. Dishes depend on the season; daily specials are written on the board.

La Coline d'Enzo (Bayeux, 9km) - Stone walls, beams and turquoise frames, co-ordinated fabrics, wrought-iron furniture, modern lighting and a pavement terrace at this restaurant in the town centre. Modern cuisine.

Chateau de Sully (Sully, 12km) - In the words of one professional reviewer: "Cuisine is surprisingly impressive with plenty of creativity in both menu and presentation. Guests enjoy inventive creations such as wild sea bass accented with Indian curries, and rack of veal roasted with grains and sauteed onions." Visit website.

Chateau Audrieu (Audrieu, 8km) - According to Relais & Chateaux: "Gaiety and elegance are the two words which automatically spring to mind to describe this magnificent XVIIIth century chateau. Superb, innovative cuisine enhanced by an excellent wine list." Visit website.

L'Ecailler (Port-en-Bessin, 18km) - Previous winner of a Michelin star ... this restaurant specialises in seafood (e.g. scallops) and has a terrace on which you can take in all the activity of this major fishing port.

La Rapière (Bayeux, 9km) - According to a review in The Telegraph it is "a tiny restaurant hidden up a cobbled medieval alley and run by a delightful couple. The room is wonderful - log fire, exposed beams, stone walls, and so on. I love the timbale du pêcheur, a sort of fish stew, but there is plenty for carnivores, too.". I have eaten there with my wife and can vouch for this review ...

La Table du Terroir (Bayeux, 9km) - Part of a butchers shop! According to Eyewitness Travel guide a restaurant "run with great panache by master butcher Louis Bisson.

Manoir de la Drome (Balleroy, 13km) - Michelin-starred dining by the river in this little village famous for its castle and hot air balloon museum. Serves great quality local produce. Visit website.