Samuel GASPAR

“My wife and I hadn’t really planned on coming to Normandy. And then… we saw the castle, we saw the sea!” The castle is Audrieu, an 18th-century building designated a historic monument, which also boasts a rich culinary history. With a succession of talented chefs, it has earned numerous awards and can boast of having hosted, in the 1980s, Normandy’s only chef to be elected to the Académie des Arts de la Table, Gilles Tournadre. After a few setbacks, the restaurant is regaining its luster and ambition, driven not only by its new director, Stéphane Hélias, but also by its chef.

From Nantes to Paris: A High-Flying Career

A remarkable career path and wise choices have led Samuel Gaspar to this challenge. “I first traveled throughout western France, starting with my first position at the Manoir de la Régate in Nantes, run by the Pérou brothers. ” The chef, of Franco-Portuguese origin, cut his teeth there, honed his technique, and went on to work at a series of prestigious Parisian restaurants: La Scène with chef Stéphanie Le Quellec, Le Burgundy with Guillaume Goupil (Meilleur Ouvrier de France and chef at the two restaurants Épisodes and Fogo), and Le Taillevent with Giuliano Sperandio.

An international clientele amid Normandy’s heritage and local flavors

It is in this other setting—also part of Relais & Châteaux—that he is now able to express his culinary vision. Drawing on his past experiences, he moves forward with caution and determination . “There’s a high proportion of English and American guests here. You have to be able to please everyone. ” Traditionally, Audrieu has been, above all, the ideal vacation spot—a chateau-style retreat from which to explore the D-Day beaches, the resorts of Cabourg and Deauville, the port of Honfleur, and a visit to Caen, just twenty minutes away. It also offers the tranquility of the Normandy countryside in a historic residence nestled in the heart of the bocage, with beautiful rooms decorated in a French style. Foreign guests appreciate this, just as they love the fine Norman products sourced by the chef: oysters from Asnelles, lobster from the Cotentin Peninsula, locally caught fish, as well as Normandy lamb and beef from nearby farms.

Two complementary dining options at the château

At Le Séran, the chef showcases the full range of his culinary skills: precise cooking techniques, ingredients treated with respect, and sauces prepared to perfection… Nothing is lacking in this regard, allowing him to craft a well-rounded and flawless seasonal menu that skillfully combines the best of land and sea—such as sumptuous turbot, ribeye with eggplant, and young pigeon from Pornic… But his playground isn’t limited to the fine-dining restaurant; Audrieu now juggles two roles with his “bistronomic bar,” La Table du 1715 (which refers not only to the year of Louis XIV’s death but also to the year the château’s construction was completed), which is also run by Samuel Gaspar. A second successful dining spot where meals are served, on nice days, on the terrace in the château’s courtyard.