A well-seasoned taste of Brittany

Your skinny jeans will not cut it in Brittany this year; 2007 is the year of the gourmand and it is time for some good old-fashioned overindulgence. The ideal destination for a gourmet holiday, the region's top restaurants are rising to the occasion by serving up their finest, buoyed by exquisite local produce and France's talent for gastronomy.

The pull of Brittany's breathtaking Emerald Coast proves too much for most visitors, with many opting for a stay in the smart seaside towns of Saint-Malo, Dinard or Cancale.

Offering convenient transport links to the UK, Dinard Airport is served by Ryanair, which runs flights from East Midlands and Stansted airports.

Any one of these picturesque locations calls to mind the air of opulence long forgotten by Britain's coastal resorts, but the walled city of Saint-Malo is a must-see. Steeped in maritime history, this is the perfect place to begin tasting Brittany's traditional fish dishes, and with a cod fishing industry that dates back several generations, morue is the order of the day.

On the seafront, La Porte Saint-Pierre serves up a hearty brandade de morue (salted cod with mashed potato). This is a traditional dish from coastal France, though the salt from Brittany's marshlands makes it a particularly well-seasoned treat in this part of the country.

La Porte Saint-Pierre is part of the Escales Gourmandes grouping and joins 40 other local restaurants that have coordinated their efforts to offer top-quality stop-offs for Brittany's gourmet holidaymakers.

Other Saint-Malo favourites from the collective include the Restaurant Delaunay, which comes highly recommended for its warm atmosphere, informative hostess and excellent menu, not to mention its swish bathrooms.

Whether it is the sea air or the fine dining, there is something of a rejuvenating energy about the Emerald Coast. Visitors looking for the active holiday experience can enjoy swimming, walking or cycling, and a trip along the coastal path from Saint-Malo offers spectacular views as the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel comes into sight at Cancale. For tailor-making your own trip, the folks at BLB Tourisme are most helpful.

Those seeking unrivalled relaxation should head straight for the thalassotherapy treatments at Thermes Marins de Saint-Malo - a salt spa where experienced spa-goers rub towelled shoulders with the uninitiated for some salt-inspired energising. It is located in Le Grand Hotel des Thermes and has everything you would expect from a traditional French pampering experience, while you will also find yourself embracing the saline theme with seaweed wraps and saltwater bathing.

And if salt crystals are the diamonds of Brittany, its pearls are certainly the local oysters. Try them baked in champagne or raw with lemon juice at the Escales Gourmandes restaurant Le Continental in Cancale. Alternatively, visitors can gain an insight into the incredible amount of work that goes into farming one of these crustaceous treats with a guided tour of La Ferme Marine oyster farm.

Cancale oysters are said to have a special taste because of the salt they are farmed in and they are certainly big business in this pretty seaside town. Mussels are also grown in the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel and are farmed both in and out of the ocean to give them a sweeter flavour. So, throughout Brittany, Mother Nature, with the help of the Escales Gourmandes restaurants, offers foodies at least 40 reasons to forget the diet and embrace Brittany as one of France's gastronomy capitals.

For more information on a foodie trip to Brittany contact the Haute Bretagne tourist office.

Amy Morris