What to eat Channel Islands? culinary specialties and gastronomy

After a hearty breakfast, lunch is generally light and eaten on the go between 12:30 and 1:30 pm. Dinner is eaten at English time, i.e. around 7pm, after a visit to the pub. Restaurants close early and often don't serve after 9:30pm. Dinner is hearty and often includes fish or meat, starchy foods and vegetables.

The cost of living is generally equivalent to that of the UK. However, fresh produce is more expensive than on the mainland (as it is all imported). The Channel Islands aren't exactly a cheap destination when it comes to eating out. Count on £5 to £8 for a sandwich, £10 to £15 for fish and chips or a simple dish in a budget restaurant, £15 to £30 for a dish in a more upmarket restaurant or steakhouse, and £60 to £100 for a meal in one of the archipelago's luxurious restaurants.

So don't hesitate to play local and take advantage of the hearty breakfasts served in the vast majority of hotels, bed & breakfasts and guesthouses, before grabbing a bite to eat at lunchtime - a good fish and chips, for example. What's more, some inexpensive beachside restaurants offer BYOB(Bring Your Own Bottle), so you can bring your own drink. A great way to keep your bill down.

In restaurants, if service is not included (it often is, but check the bill), leave a 10% tip. In pubs, service is included, but there's nothing to stop you adding a few coins if the service was particularly pleasant... or if you'd like to be noticed so you can be served more quickly on your second round.

In the Channel Islands, breakfast is generally very hearty, in the Full English Breakfast style (eggs, bacon, sausage, white beans in tomato sauce, toast, etc.). Time is spent at the table before starting the day. Almost all hotels and restaurants offer this meal, so important to the inhabitants of the archipelago. Cream tea is also a not-to-be-missed moment on these islands, a truly sacred moment in the afternoon.

Please note that most restaurants, and especially pubs and other drinking establishments, do not accept children after 10pm. Keep this in mind when you go out for dinner.

As in France, smoking is banned in pubs and restaurants. Except on the terrace, of course.

Pubs open daily between 9 and 10 a.m. (sometimes 11 a.m. on Sundays) and generally close around 11 p.m.. Some pubs and bars close at 1am. Pubs are usually open from 4pm to 5pm for tea time, and from 6pm to 7pm for a pint of beer.

A coffee or tea will cost around £2 or £3. To enjoy a cream tea or afternoon tea worthy of the name, you'll need to budget between £10 and £20. Pints of beer cost around £5 or £6. While there are generally no " happy hours " as we know them in France, certain "beers of the month" are sometimes on special offer.

As in France and the UK, the legal age for entering an establishment serving alcohol alone is 18.

Cream tea is a moment not to be missed. As with all the British, tea time is sacred in these islands. In the middle of the afternoon, make yourself comfortable in a café with a view of the sea, or in the lounge of a grand hotel. Order a cup of tea accompanied by cakes and pastries, such as the famous scones, soft and topped with jam and butter, or a bowl of strawberries or raspberries with local crème fraîche.

Like any self-respecting Brit, as soon as you leave the office at 6pm, head for the pub for one (or more) cold beer(s).

When you're out with the kids, most pubs and drinking establishments won't accept your little ones after 10pm. Then it's time for a nightcap back at the hotel!

As in France, you have to go out or sit on a terrace to smoke a cigarette.