Owner/chef Olivier Roellinger and his wife, Jane, preside over their collection of maisons (Relais & Châteaux) in and around this picturesque fishing port renowned for its oysters. They provide ‘extreme comfort, superb food and exciting views across the bay’, says a fan. Roellinger earned three Michelin stars for his inventive cooking but retired in 2009; the restaurant (Le Coquillage) now offers simpler, but still excellent, fare, and he concentrates on his spice importing and blending business as well managing a pastry shop, Grain de Vanille. There are four ‘rustic’ bedrooms in the cottage-style Les Rimains in Cancale: ‘Its small garden with chairs extends to the cliff-top.’ Château Richeux, ‘a lovely little 1920s villa’, is in a lush park, at St-Méloir-des-Ondes, six kilometres away. It has its own bistrot marin, Le Coquillage. ‘Our room, Anise Etoilée, was superb, mosaics around the walls, a lovely bathroom tiled to match. Art Deco furniture, super bed, stunning sunrise view across to Mont-St-Michel.’ The Gîtes Marins are holiday cottages located in the vegetable garden that sleep 2–8 people. ‘Children of all ages are welcome.’