We arrived early for our reservation. But if you make an effort to speak some French and be polite, as we did, they will be totally helpful, so we got seated 15 minutes early at a prime table at the beach's edge. No complaints there. We chose this spot because it did come up again and again as an institution in Arcachon worth a visit. After ordering two glasses of champagne to get started (it was a really nice environment so we felt like living it up a bit), we settled in for the Formule menu. Fish with a orzo and ham was an unlikely combination but the saltiness of the ham was a perfect foil to the mild fish. Our other dishes were equally good, flavors all on point, dessert of a creme brulee perfectly burnt in the moment. With our best efforts at speaking French, our waiter warmed up to us quickly and made friendly chitchat, asking where we were from, how long we were in France for, etc. Charming and warm, this was a quintessential french dining experience as it should have been. No rush, no overbearing waiters, no clearing the tables too early. Food on point and portions just right. The institution lived up to its name, at least for us. I would give it a second chance, definitely. read more

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Great location right on the water- this restaurant actually has two sides- one that serves more casual fare which is what this review is for and the other side that is more of a brasserie. I stopped in with the rest of the "people watchers" around noon on a Saturday. While the place was busy- it wasn't packed so there were plenty of tables outside to watch the people go by. There are daily specials like steak and frites, a daily fish special, etc, and then plenty of sandwiches and salads. They even have sushi if that's your thing. I ordered a coffee and a salad Nicoise. The salad was huge and it came with some warm bread. They were out of a small bottle of sparking water so the server brought me a large one. While the coffee was good - in typical European style that tiny cup cost 3.40 euros and I needed three to satisfy my caffeine craving. At the end of the day- my coffee ended up costing me as much as my salad! But the service was quite good even though my limited French was tested. But between some good pantomiming on my part, and the few words my server and I could figure out, I ended up with exactly what I wanted to eat. If you drive- know that this area gets very congested. There is a parking lot by the carousel that will cost you 1 euro for a couple of hours but if that lot is full, you are pretty much out of luck. This place seems like the place where many of the locals go. In fact- the reason I found it was a woman who worked at my hotel suggested it for a sandwich and a glass of wine. But local or not- you'll be happy you stopped in and sat a bit to watch the people of Arcachon wander by. read more

Nice spot! If you want to have an ice cream or get some drinks this place is alright! The menu by itself isn't "impressive". Lil bit expensive, but it's ok. Good service. read more

Le Café de la Plage - Cafes Near Me - Arcachon, 33

High volume kitchen which makes the quality sink. Like the majority of the reviews we found the prices excessive. Many types of cuisine are mixed into the plates. Japanese, spanish, Indian etc. Would recommend to avoid. read more

First and foremost, I was born in Arcachon, studied there and live near by. I have known the place since I started enjoying drinks on the sea front as a teenager but last night was such a disappointment that I felt I had to write about it. 2 of my friends and I booked a table outside to enjoy the view. We were early and waited a the bar with a drink but no one came to tell us our table was ready. Once we asked, we had to wait 15 min to get the table, and 30 minutes later a waitress told us she will come back so we could order drinks to wait for the food. Really, are you kidding me!! Looking around, you could notice every waiter was constantly stressed out, in a hurry....Sadly the food we got was not any special (traditional cuisine). The atmosphere is far from cosy and relaxed, and it is a fight to get attention. If they were high end and in control, you would not even notice the waiter but they would indeed circle around and be ahead of your needs. Privacy is as well something we missed. The distance between every table of the restaurant must be 20 cm max, I could hear conversations from both our left and right neighbours. In the end, considering the bill (about 30-35 euros for a main course), the quality of the food and the overall experience, I would not come back. It s a great spot, the view is good and thats about it. If you want to eat in this restaurant, go there during the day and point at the table you want to book (i recommend the one closest to the sea of course), order only sea food (a safe choice since the products are of quality) and hope for a quiet evening with few reservations... read more