The best grocery stores Calvados

A local Normandy shop that smells of apples, Camembert and teurgoule... A nice little store with a warm welcome and great local products! Ideally located at the start of the busy Rue Saint-Pierre, whether you're just passing through or a full-time resident, you won't want to miss out. Inside, you'll find an anthology of products made in Normandy: cookies, honeys, tripe, rillettes, all washed down with cider, perry, pommeau, wine, whisky (from Breuil-en-Auge), beer and the traditional Calvados. Enjoy!

Founded in 1981, Maison Asselot is the most famous ambassador of the genuine andouille de Vire, regularly awarded laurels of excellence in regional and national competitions. The best andouille from Vire, or almost! Handmade from pork belly, smoked in traditional beechwood fireplaces for three weeks, then simmered in a broth, Vire andouille can be enjoyed hot or cold, as an aperitif or at the table. An ancestral know-how, dating back to the ^18th century, to discover on our guided tours.

If you cook with seasonal produce, this Pré en Ville has a good chance of being the least expensive, according to the smart fox! Masterfully run by Didier and Fred, it's a great place to do your everyday shopping or enjoy a lunchtime treat. On the grocery side, quality merchandise direct from the producer! Fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products, cosmetics... In the restaurant, you'll find fresh produce, cooked daily with ingredients from the store. Delicious dishes, mouth-watering salads, killer burgers... everything you need to enjoy your meal, from basket to plate!

A wonderful family story that began with Chantal and Dominique, whose farm in Orbec is devoted to dairy production, cereal growing, and cattle breeding. Then comes son Pierre, who has created a free-range poultry farm and, in 2019, opened a pretty boutique dedicated to local produce in an old cider press on the edge of the D579. Here you'll also find the whole family's superb farm produce for direct sale. A counter that works wonders!

What an extraordinary storefront! Designed by the same artist as Maison du Biscuit, it plays on the convenience store's old-fashioned charm. And when you get a little closer, you'll notice owner Florian Lajoye's tribute to his parents, who were cream-makers by trade, and whose (delicious!) Manche butter he sells. From Sablés d'Asnelles to caramels d'Isigny, Florian makes a point of promoting more and more delicious local products on his shelves! And you can be sure he's doing the same at his 2nd store in Carpiquet! Hats off to Florian!

In the family of small, independent and friendly shops on Rue Froide, I'd like to mention Les Cousins! Come and visit Alice and Brice (real cousins, yes, yes!), who have opened this pretty grocery store. All smiles, it's a pleasure to chat with them and discover their superb selection of local and seasonal products. Fruits and vegetables, skinless sausages, cheeses, flours, beers and even herbal teas. Normandy is favoured, otherwise it's always from France, or at least organic and sustainable. A great place!

Do you dream of a dozen oysters, mussels, langoustines or a handful of shrimps? Go to Le Vivier. You will fill up with iodine, all year round, even on Sundays, morning and afternoon. Since 1958 and three generations, the Colleville family has been treating you to shellfish and seafood straight from their water. Take the time to walk around the basins in the basement of the house. Le Vivier also has a tasting room, "La Cabane du Vivier", installed on the same level facing the sea...

Nicolas and Rita opened their Épicerie du Coing in Pont d'Ouilly in 2019, in a former ballroom, followed by an annex in Clécy in 2023. Today, and since the start of this beautiful new adventure, they have been working with producers of organic fruit and vegetables, dairy products, cheeses, honey, cookies, nougat, craft beers, medicinal plants... With a sewing "quince" for your alterations and confections, this is a great address to take note of for your next shopping trip!

L'Olivérade delights our taste buds. The shop is charming and tempting, with its stalls of homemade pasta, cold meats, preserves, bottles of wine (from the small "vino della casa" to the finest vintages) and olive oils from all the regions of the Botte. The grocery store also offers a fresh section with antipasti, pesto, homemade tapenades, cooked dishes, sweet treats... And as the house doubles as a restaurant, you can opt for the lunch formula in the heart of the shop or on the terrace in the summer.

A real must in Trouville, and always ready to help out! A local grocery store that sells (almost) everything, and is open (almost) all hours of the day and night, which we must defend, as it plays a fundamental role in the liveliness of the neighbourhood. But also, and above all, because its owner, Ahmed, is an exceptional shopkeeper who has been on the job six or even seven days a week, with a smile, for over fifteen years. Everyone knows Ahmed on Rue des Bains! Come and meet him at his place, where you can catch up on old times and do a bit of shopping!

A nice little shop, right next to the Initiative Union, where Corinne welcomes you all smiles. On the one hand, wines and the other, greedy products. A woman merchant, it's rare enough to deserve to be interested! His selection is well felt: all regions are represented, mainly with relatively affordable tariffs. Side cheese, than good! From the local (the main Norman actors are present) and at least local (goat, feta, mozzarella, roquefort, Cantal…). A nice collection of sausages from Spain and sausage, just next to the Cidricoles products (Clos d'Orval). To complete the table, the paint jelly, the (original) jams, the gingerbread bread, the farmers'eggs… are what to fill your basket and even make it profitable for your return. You can even order, Corinne sends you the package by copying (in this case, forget the eggs!).

Luxurious, the boutique flatters eyes like papillae. The keyword is here 'quality' and necessarily, it has a price… Products are sorted on the component: teas of Kusmi Tea or Dammann Frères, preserved of fish La Belle Iloise, olive oils of the Baux de Provence, Dolfin and Cluizel chocolates, caviar Kaspia, products based on algae. In short, the top of the basket of French gastronomy (and elsewhere), together for fine palaces (and well-filled wallet!). A word on the cellar, which we don't see right now but which is immense and worth its weight of bottles. It is a separate world, where all regions of France are represented. It is possible to find pearls, especially in Languedoc wines or to offer a Vosne-Romanée, in piosing in his piggyback… Added to this is a whiskies radius and a beautiful Norman selection where the vintage calvados occupy a privileged place.

Gourmet friends, once upon a time, the best tripe in France and Navarre! At the end of the Vire, near the keep, the Ruault House has been producing tripe from father to son since 1955. In Calvados or Caen style, tripe can be found in this small shop. Many restaurants have made Ruault tripe one of their emblematic ingredients. And if tripe doesn't make you tripper, the house also concocts excellent terrines and country rillettes.

L'Épicurien is a gourmet restaurant with an Italian accent and a delicatessen. When the weather's fine, lunch is served on the terrace. Indoors, the back room and its uncluttered decor promise a lovely moment. For the main course, pasta is served fresh in half-moons, tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms (like risotto) or ravioli. For an aperitif, it's a good idea to gather around a platter of fine charcuterie or cheeses, washed down with a glass of wine.

A welcoming boutique where you'll find a wealth of local products (with an s), finds from Normandy and beyond. Loose teas and spices, ground and granulated coffees, blended rums, Italian pasta of every color, apple juice, ciders and calvados from the Loterie de Clécy cellars, Normandy beers from the Odon (awarded a medal in Paris). Gift baskets, jams, boxes of chocolate: you'll find your arms full. In summer, try artisanal ice creams from the Haizerie farm in Vaux-sur-Aure. In winter, warm up with mulled wine!