Le Routard - Les Andelys

Very popular with truck drivers, this hidden gem offers a 3 course lunch for 13 Euro, including beer or wine and coffee. The appetiser is a very decent salad bar, just load up! For the main course you choose among 6 dishes. Le routard is situated below the rock on which the Chateau Gaillard overlooks the valley. (See picture). Not a fancy place, but packed with guest (both locals and truck drivers) as from 12h00 !!

The restaurant/hotel is called Auberge du Pont, who's website is hotel-restaurant-27.com was only one of four establishments open on a Tuesday evening in either Petit or Grand Andelys in October. Though described as cheap and rustic, it became our preferred choice as it was in walking distance and was described as Cuisine Traditionnelle within the town's fact sheet. The other establishments required using the car and offered Pizza, couscous or a curry. So we arrived at 7pm to discover that service was about to start and the bar/restaurant was surprisingly busy with ten additional covers all middle aged single men, some wearing their slippers, apart from a mother and daughter occupying one table. The most significant observation that I have not observed before in any restaurant anywhere was that no one spoke to each other at any point in time apart from giving their order or when two went outside, carafe in hand to smoke a cigarette during the meal. The only available meal was 12 euros and consisted of a selection of mixed starters including eggs, tomato and mayonnaise based mixed salads. Mains consisted of a large Andouille type sausage which contained much liver and some toughest chitterling I have ever experienced with fine frites, which whilst frozen were good. Otherwise a ducks leg was available with plain macaroni with the addition of a little butter. Service was excellent, but none were able to speak a word of English, which I did not expect, but our rather poor french was appreciated with a smile. In truth an experience.

We were looking for a place to have dinner on the last day of our vacation in France but most restaurants were closed, it being a tuesday. This restaurant is just outside the Ile de Trois Rois camping, opposite the bridge. The kind waitress explained the dishes. The adults took the 13 euro formula, which includes a starter from the salad bar, main dish (we had nice pork roast with chips), cheese and a desert. The kids just had a main dish and desert. Lots of choice and good food for amazing little money.

Je viens dans ce "restaurant" (au secours) a midi avec un amis... nous prenons le buffet et des pâtes cabonara..... le buffet d'entrée est quasiment vide et lorsque la serveuse nous apporte les pâtes c'est le comble... des "carbos" avec une sauce rose et des dés de jambon... je demande des explications à notre serveuse qui m'explique qu'il y a du jambon parce que beaucoup de leurs clients sont musulman et ne mange pas de lardons.... j'aurais rigolé au éclats si ce n'était pas aussi dramatique.....nous nous levons sans manger puisque refus de nous changer les plats, nous réglons l'addition en promettant au patron de ne jamais revenir .... son indifférence laisse sans voix....

Alors voilas lors d'un déplacement professionnel je m'arrête dans ce petit restaurant situé juste en dessous du chateau. L'accueil fut fort agréable ainsi que mon plat du jour .. Je pense enfin j'en suis presque sur que la cuisine sont fait maison pas de chichi très bon et la note plus que raisonnable 13,50 entrée plat fromage dessert 1/4 de vin . Je recommande ..