Pascaline, in Rouen, is an excellent bistro serving authentic local cuisine!

For this third and final dinner in Rouen I was looking for something simple and authentic, and after some investigation Pascaline seemed to check all the boxes.

You’ll find all the articles about this weekend in Rouen at the bottom of the page.

The concept of the restaurant

Pascaline is a restaurant that celebrates local Normandy produce through simple, authentic cuisine.

It’s something of an institution in Rouen, since the property has been around since 1880!

The setting

The setting is the warm, no-fuss atmosphere of a traditional bistro or brasserie.

Checked tablecloths, moleskin banquettes, brass ornaments…. a reassuring air of déjà vu.

….

The menu

All authentic and traditional, highlighting Normandy products and specialties.

The restaurant has been awarded the Maitre Restaurateur label, guaranteeing entirely homemade dishes.

The meal

I booked online and arrived at the restaurant on time.

I am immediately taken care of and seated at my table.

Quickly, a waiter brings me the menu and asks if I’d like an aperitif. Seeing that the americano is on the menu, I figure they must be able to make a Negroni.

“Ah no sir…we only serve what’s on the menu”.

“Do you know what a Negroni is?”

“Non…”

“It’s an americano without soda water but with gin instead…”

“It doesn’t matter, we only make things that are on the menu”.

I almost asked him for an americano without soda water and a glass of gin to make the mix myself.

Stubborn people who don’t want to make the slightest effort really tend to get on my nerves.

Anyway, I’ll settle for an americano and order my food.

Olives served with aperitifs are a real treat.

But just as I’ve started drinking, the waiter brings me the oysters I ordered! The wine, on the other hand, doesn’t arrive.

So I finish my aperitif in a hurry…. it lacks a little intelligence in the timing of the service.

Oysters grand cru from St Vaast La Hougue n°3.

Well, now that he’s made me finish my aperitif almost bottoms up, it’d be nice if the wine arrived so I could start to eat my oysters. After 10 minutes, still nothing. I then call the waiter.

“I thought you’d have the wine after the oysters since you still had your aperitif”.

Of course I was going to eat my oysters with the aperitif! This waiter may be very nice but he lacks a bit of gumption and is frankly starting to exasperate me.

I tackle the first oyster in which I find…a piece of shell. Well, that’ll be the only one and these oysters will be excellent.

He also brought me butter, but no rye bread. Do they eat oysters with baguette here?

After this appetizer, we can move on to the starter…

Shrimp fricassee & spicy chorizo

If you can’t figure it out from the photo, the quantities are really quite small… I’m thinking that in addition to the oysters I could even have had a second starter.

It’s very tasty, a little smoky…really very good. I didn’t leave a drop of sauce.

Next comes my dish.

Stir-fried pork & merguez, Brussels sprouts with rosemary

Then it’s the other way around, really hearty. And once on the plate, it’s very appetizing. There will be enough for two or three refills.

The pork is melting, the cabbage and merguez very good. Both spicy and smoky, it tastes great and is a real treat!

A dessert to finish…

Green apple sorbet “Glace des Alpes” & Calvados

Good, fresh and fruity.

The service

After two bugs at the start of the service (the aperitif and the timing of the oyster service), it went very well. But let’s just say there’s room for improvement, with a waiter who’s certainly nice but a little stubborn and not very smart.

The atmosphere

Lively and friendly.

Bottom line

Apart from a few minor service issues, an excellent meal. It’s simple, affordable, authentic, good, everything you’d expect from this kind of restaurant for a good evening out.

The articles about this weekend in Rouen

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