We’re in Rouen at the moment where we are thoroughly spoilt for two of my favourite enthusiasms: delicious food and medievela history.
At Cafe Hamlet you get both (even the Shakespeare reference if you like that kind of thing). Cafe Hamlet, is a bespoke gem of exceptional cuisine in a unique setting.
Part of its charm is the location. It sits in a remarkable timber-framed building, with striped black-and-white façade, dormer windows and long medieval frontage opening on to a courtyard terrace. There are tables spread beneath parasols and under the shade of the trees, enthusiast young servers weaving in and out, and a eager sense of behind the scenes theatre to the whole place. It’s not just somewhere to eat; it feels like somewhere to immerse yourself.
The setting is extraordinary too: the corner of a 14th-century ossuary and former cemetery, which gives the whole experience an added sense of history and distinctiveness.
This was our first meal on arriving in Rouen, and we were lucky even to get a place. I suspect the fact that there were only two of us helped, and not being fussed about sitting inside during a heat wave probably helped as well. Outside, there was a throng of family activity this Saints Day Weekend on the terrace, with people eating, chatting and watching the evening settle over the courtyard. It felt busy in the best possible way — lively, confident, and clearly popular. Girls doing cartwheels over the dust is an odd image to combine with the cemetery for the dead of the Black Death.
As for ordering, our French is excellent enough to get by very well, and where there were any doubts about the menu there was always Google, plus the very capable staff, who were brisk, friendly and entirely at ease.
We both started with a cold avocado soup, topped with crispy croutons and fine little herbs. It was exactly right for the weather: cool, elegant and refreshing.
Then I treated myself to something I first dared to try thirty years ago and would only ever choose in France: steak tartare. It arrived with a dense green salad and looked, at first glance, like a deconstructed beefburger – before it had been cooked. But it was everything I had hoped for — beautiful meat, carefully seasoned, with the blend of herbs and spices doing just enough, and of course that glorious raw egg bringing the whole thing together. It felt both simple and daring, which is exactly what steak tartare ought to be.
My wife chose a fish dish, which she adored. I tried some of hers and could see why. She, however, did not fancy my steak tartare in the least, which seemed perfectly reasonable.
Then came dessert, which in France so often goes to another level. Not huge, not vulgar, just wonderfully indulgent. What appeared to be a green apple served with vanilla ice cream turned out to be a little chocolate masterpiece. Crack it open and it revealed its filling — playful, elegant and thoroughly satisfying.
So yes, Rouen has many good places to eat, but Le Hamlet deserves a special mention. It combines exceptional food with an unforgettable setting and that happy sense of a place that knows exactly what it is.
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