A truly French restaurant – with all its pros and cons: Restaurant Le P’tit Zinc (31. May 2026)
The Le P’tit Zinc is – to me – what I really mean when I mention ‘French restaurant’. When we sat down, 50 minutes before they close, they were already not too amused. However, they played nicely and friendly with a smile. The menu arrived 10 minutes after we had been seated, and it took them another 10 minutes until they finally managed to walk up to our table again to take the order. The info that they wouldn’t do any starters anymore because it was already 2:30pm (we arrived 2:08pm) was not that surprising, but luckily, we managed to turn it around (pointing out that we had been waiting for 20 minutes) and they adjusted.
I started with the “roasted bone marrow and toasted bread” (EUR 12.90), which was a great dish. The fact that one other party member got three bones instead of two (for the same price) shall not make one think (no point in that)! The bone marrow was delicious, though, so, definitely to have gotten that as a starter.
The “boudin noir poêlé (pan-seared black pudding with apple chutney and homemade mash)” (EUR 19.00) is something typically French, and I must say, something I enjoyed quite a bit. The boudin noir was great, and the potato mash was – frankly – delicious. So, nothing to complain when it comes to the food.
The place has these typical small bistro tables – which weren’t very clean either (although we were told to wait that they’d prepare the table and get it clean for us (which never happened)), so, you can’t really put anything down, which is a bit annoying. That being said, the whole experience is a combination of waiting, annoyed faces by the waitresses, and tasty dishes. So, if you want a truly French experience, this is a good place in Rouen.
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Contact Details:
Restaurant Le P’tit Zinc
Pl. du Vieux Marché 20
76000 Rouen (F)
Tel.: +33 2 35 89 39 69
Homepage: https://www.leptitzinc.com
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
