A comfortable restaurant in the pilgrimage town of Lisieux celebrating the Pays d'Auge's most famous products — apple cider, Calvados, Pont-l'Évêque cheese, and andouille. The traditional menu and generous portions make it a good stop near the Basilica.
Le Pressoir d'Or in Lisieux celebrates the Pays d'Auge, the green and intensively orcharded region of Calvados between the Seine and the Orne whose name has become synonymous with France's most famous apple brandy. Lisieux is the main town of this region and a major Catholic pilgrimage destination, drawing visitors from across the world to the Basilica of Sainte-Thérèse — the largest basilica in France after Sacré-Cœur — and the childhood home of the saint. The restaurant on Rue aux Fèvres occupies a comfortable traditional dining room and serves the Pays d'Auge's most representative products at every course: a cheese board assembled from Pont-l'Évêque (a rich, washed-rind cheese produced in the town that bears its name nearby), Camembert de Normandie AOP, and Livarot (the pungent orange-ringed cheese nicknamed 'the Colonel') alongside local cider and Calvados to drink. Calvados-flambéed dishes appear in various forms — duck, veal, fish — creating the characteristic flame-and-cream theatrical moment that is one of the Pays d'Auge's most appealing restaurant traditions. The apple tart, made with the local variety and served with a pot of crème fraîche, provides the natural close to a menu that reads like a map of the surrounding landscape. Prices are reasonable and portions generous, suited to the pilgrimage-town economy that requires accessible, satisfying meals for visitors of varied budgets.
Location
11 Rue aux Fèvres, 14100 Lisieux
Highlights
- Pays d'Auge cheese board with Pont-l'Évêque, Camembert AOP, and Livarot — all three local giants
- Calvados-flambéed main courses — the theatrical culinary tradition of the orchard country
- Apple tart with Pays d'Auge apples and crème fraîche
- Local Calvados and cider selection from the surrounding Pays d'Auge orchards
- Convenient dinner destination near the Basilica of Sainte-Thérèse in Lisieux
Tips for visiting
- Order the cheese board as a course — Pont-l'Évêque, Camembert, and Livarot in one sitting is a rare luxury
- Ask for a Calvados from a single-domaine producer — many small Pays d'Auge distillers are represented on the list
- Combine with a morning visit to the Basilica and the Maison des Buissonnets (Thérèse's childhood home)
- Calvados is AOP-designated — ask the waiter to explain the age categories (VS, VSOP, XO) before ordering
- The apple tart is the dessert to order — this is apple country in the truest sense
Accessibility
The restaurant is on Rue aux Fèvres in central Lisieux. The town centre has generally accessible pavements. Lisieux is a major pilgrimage destination with well-developed visitor infrastructure. The restaurant should be accessible at street level.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Sainte-Thérèse?
Thérèse of Lisieux (1873–1897) was a Carmelite nun who died at 24 and was later declared a Doctor of the Church. Her autobiography, The Story of a Soul, made her one of the most popular saints of the 20th century. The basilica in Lisieux dedicated to her is the largest in France after Sacré-Cœur.
What are the three main Pays d'Auge cheeses?
Camembert de Normandie AOP (the globally famous soft white-rinded cheese), Pont-l'Évêque AOP (a square, semi-firm washed-rind cheese with a rich flavour), and Livarot AOP (an intensely aromatic washed-rind cheese wrapped in strips of sedge grass).
What is Calvados?
Calvados is apple brandy distilled from Norman cider apples in the Calvados department. It carries AOP status and is aged in oak barrels — VS (two years minimum), VSOP (four years), Réserve, and XO (six or more years). The Pays d'Auge appellation is considered the finest sub-region.
Average spend per person?
A three-course meal with cider or a glass of wine runs approximately €28–€42 per person. Adding a Calvados at the end brings the total to €35–€50.