L'Alcide , 1 place Courtonne (tel 02.31.44.18.06). Anonymous-looking bistro-style place that serves classic French dishes cooked with great attention to detail. Menus from 82F/€12.50 up to 135F/€20.58. Closed Sat.

Le Boeuf Ferre , 10 rue des Croisiers (tel 02.31.85.36.40). Gourmet restaurant, with stone walls and timbered ceiling, serving rich and substantial meals; foie gras is the house speciality, as featured on the no-choice 135F/€20.58 menu, and there's always plenty of duck and red meat. Midday menu 75F/€11.43, dinners from 95F/€14.48. Closed Mon & Sun evening, plus the first fortnight in March and the second fortnight in July.

L'Insolite , 16 rue du Vaugueux (tel 02.31.43.87.87). Attractive half-timbered restaurant with terrace and indoor seating. A 65F/€9.91 vegetarian menu offers a " symphonie des crudites ", but the main emphasis is on seafood, with a 95F/€14.48 menu that features a trio of steamed fish, and a knock-out 250F/€38.11 Prestige menu. Closed Sun evening, plus Mon in low season.

Maitre Corbeau , 8 rue Bouquet (tel 02.31.93.93.00). Fondue is the speciality in this eccentric little place, and they won't let you forget it, festooning the whole place with cheesy iconography. A typical fondue costs around 80F/€12.20, while set menus start from 92F/€14.03. Closed Sat lunch, Sun & first 3 weeks of Aug.

La Petite Auberge , 17 rue des Equipes-d'Urgence (tel 02.31.86.43.30). Plain and simple restaurant, with a nice view of the St-Jean church, serving very good-value Norman specialities - including a daily 68F/€10.37 menu that doesn't force you to eat tripe. Closed Sun evening, Mon & first 3 weeks of Aug.

Les Quatres Epices , 25 rue Porte-au-Berger (tel 02.31.93.40.41). Lively West African restaurant, just off rue du Vaugueux. Everything is a la carte - prawns with sweet potato for 95F/€14.48, grilled fish with ginger for 76F/€11.59, plus plantains and meat galore - and African music plays non-stop.