La Vraie Vie

Our history

We are a couple of passionate chefs who decided to open a restaurant inspired by our personalities. We grew up in families that valued being authentic as much as they valued gastronomy.

Thanks to our previous experiences working in fine dining in Paris, we learned rigour, a taste for surpassing ourselves, and respect for every ingredient. We wanted to bring these values to our own restaurant.

We moved to Caen, Normandy, to be closer to family – the chef’s brother founded the famous artisan cheese shop “La Cremerie des Baratineurs” in town – and the proximity allows us to share the pleasure of a delicious meal, made with local products, together. We decided to hang our aprons at 102 rue St. Martin in the City Center of Caen.

After months of reflection and hard work, we opened on November 4, 2019, and our culinary journey began !

A few short months later, we were awarded the “graine de vainqueur et coup de cœur de l’année” (the seed of a winner and crush of the year prize) by the famous French guidebook “le petit futé”.

Our concept

Gourmet cuisine and a mutual love for French pâtisserie.

Alexandre, the head waiter, will be delighted to welcome you throughout the week. Always smiling, attentive and discreet, he will give you the “vrai” experience of “La Vraie Vie”.

Ronan, the owner of “La Cave Rouge et Blanc” and former Head Sommelier at Saquana in Honfleur, selects the best wines to pair with our dishes.

Pierre Henry, a passionate wine merchant from “Le volet qui penche” in Bayeux, also offers his wine selection for you to choose from.

Get a table with a view of our open kitchen to watch the chefs prepare your fine dishes, or enjoy an intimate meal on the other side of the restaurant. Don’t hesitate to indicate your table preference, and we will do our best to fulfill your request based on availability.

As we only seat approx. 20, we heartily recommend reserving. You can call to book at: (+33) ‪214 405 154‬

We are pleased to welcome you from Thursday to Monday included for lunch and dinner.

Our kitchen

In our small intimate restaurant, we prefer quality over quantity. We work with local producers and organic ingredients as much as we can, and always with fresh, high quality products.

Everything is homemade except the bread, which comes from “La boulangerie de l’hippodrome”, run by Olivier and Nicolas.

We offer a short menu that changes regularly and varies by season.

La Vraie Vie is where it feels good to join friends and family for a generous meal.

We make sure you feel at home and enjoy an amazing culinary experience with us.