Skáli

Skáli is a contemporary, home-made restaurant rooted in the terroir of Saint-Wandrille in Haute-Normandie, offering instinctive, comforting and creative cuisine made entirely from fresh, in-house ingredients. The name Skáli, from the old Norse for a communal hall, evokes the convivial banquet spirit recreated daily. The team sources locally from market gardeners, pisciculturists, fishermen, breeders and farmers, draws on herbs and produce from its own garden, and emphasises environmental responsibility; Skáli is a member of the Collège Culinaire de France and has been awarded a Toque Table Gourmande by Gault & Millau. A vegetable-forward, seasonal approach shapes the menu, which embraces wood-fire and barbecue techniques with a restrained use of salt, sugar and fat, and a wine list of living, terroir-driven, often organic producers is curated by sommelier Timothée Ludot, complemented by Jars ceramics and locally made linen. The space is warm and open to the exterior with large bay windows overlooking the verdant valley; wood and green tones dominate a contemporary, timeless décor. There is a large dining room, a smaller intimate room that serves as a bar and a convivial table d’hôtes, and a terrace for outdoor service in good weather. Skáli presents modern, instinctive French cuisine that is seasonal and terroir-driven with a strong vegetal focus; dishes are prepared 100% from fresh, homemade components, favour simple product-led treatments, occasional wood-fire cooking and creative flavour pairings. Julien Durand leads the kitchen; his background spans Rouen, Paris, Milan and Luxembourg and his approach is sensitive, technical and pastry-influenced. Specialties include foie gras and pig’s trotter with shallot cream, kimchi and gribiche sauce; langoustines with lemongrass and ginger bisque; line-caught sea bass with sorrel and cider emulsion; veal noix with layered iodized leaves, red onion and tuberous parsley; and creamy cauliflower with puffed bread, vegetable tabbouleh and caraway.