Gastronomy on board liners
Welcome to the table of giants!
For almost a century, the famous Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, often nicknamed the ‘Transat’ or ‘French Line’, used every art to win over a cosmopolitan clientele in search of exceptional surroundings.
Creating a world worthy of the most prestigious continental palaces, it helped to forge a model of French luxury and elegance on the Atlantic, a model that lives on today in the collective imagination.
The exhibition offers visitors a glimpse into the very special world of maritime travel between the Old and New Worlds, where the art of cooking occupies the minds and satisfies the appetites, making the crossing an unforgettable experience.
Thanks to an exceptional collaboration with the EPCC French Lines & Compagnies (Le Havre) and the Écomusée de Saint-Nazaire – Escal’Atlantic, the Musée portuaire invites you to discover the fascinating history of gastronomy at sea.
An immersive exhibition in an extraordinary and sumptuous universe!
After an introduction to the world of the Transat liners, symbols of the golden age of sea crossings before the success of airlines, you’ll discover the luxurious dining rooms dedicated to catering for passengers, like the one on the liner Normandie, which is longer than the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles!
Then take a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges of food provisioning, the daily culinary prowess of an army of peerless cooks, the high traditions of service at sea and the preparation of exceptional menus.
More than 400 exceptional items on loan (tableware created by the greatest French manufacturers, posters, models, menus, uniforms, furniture, etc.), as well as period photographs and films relating to the liners La Provence (1906), France (1912), Paris (1921), Île-de-France (1927), Normandie (1935) and France (1962), will complete the evocation of this extraordinary world, where the dining room is transformed into a veritable ‘gastronomic theatre’.
Welcome aboard!
