Entertainment In Cherbourg

Cherbourg is not the place to head for a wild and crazy night out, and an evenings entertainment is more likely to consist of a leisurely meal at one of the towns many restaurants followed perhaps by a few beers or glasses of wine in a pub or caf-bar. Nightclubs can be difficult to seek out, but there are venues available; try asking at your hotel if you feel like a spot of dancing.

Eating out

Its hard to find a large town in France where restaurants and eateries are not abundant, on account of the French peoples love relationship with food. Cherbourg is no exception to the rule and is full of many excellent places where you can sample some of the delights of the local cuisine.

The city centre offers plenty of traditional Norman-style restaurants, while a selection of international establishments cater to the large number of visitors and holidaymakers who pass through en route to other French destinations. For traditional food, wander into the towns maze of winding streets where youll find the restaurants that the locals favour; here, great food at highly economical prices awaits.

Local cuisine

Cherbourgs local cuisine is typical of that found throughout Normandy and is based heavily around ingredients that are abundant in this location. Proximity to the ocean sees local dishes incorporating plenty of seafood, while the dairy cows living on the lush green countryside close by provide the raw ingredients for the cream and cheese that is popular in many dishes. Apple orchards are another common rural feature and provide the basic ingredient of the ciders and apple brandy that the town is famous for. Cherbourg cuisine is not especially complicated and relies much on the richness of its ingredients for its flavours. Meat and seafood in cream sauces, cheeses and pastries are all popular aspects of the local food.

Theatre and music

Besides being an interesting historic structure (built 1880 and 1882), the Cherbourg Theatre is the towns chief venue for the performing arts, offering traditional theatre and music-based performances. The live music scene is not especially exciting and the best you can hope for is to catch a local performer showcasing his or her talents at one of the towns pubs or caf bars.

Shopping

Cherbourg is a shoppers paradise for those looking for cheap alcohol and cigarettes, with a fine selection of hypermarkets offering items at prices that are often half of what you might expect to pay in the UK. If its more traditional Norman goods youre looking for then you might take a trip to La Vielle Ville, the market situated in the old part of town; however, steer clear if youre not fond of the smell of fish!