There are places that smell of hot asphalt, filter coffee, and simmering blanquette. Places where time seems to stand still between two gas tanks and three honks of the horn. These are the roadside restaurants, those bastions of conviviality nestled along the national roads, that Guillaume Blot has decided to celebrate in a photographic project as tender as it is nostalgic.
From 2018 to 2024, the author crisscrossed France, camera slung over his shoulder and a healthy appetite, capturing the soul of more than 120 establishments. His book, a true visual travel diary, is a vibrant tribute to these places of life, often forgotten in the spotlight, but essential to those who live the road every day.
At a time when standardized highway rest areas are eating away at the landscape, roadside restaurants are holding their own. But their numbers are dwindling. The reasons: the proliferation of detours, the rise of trucks equipped with refrigerators and microwaves, and increasingly rushed logistics. Yet, these restaurants remain havens for truckers, locals, and the curious in search of authenticity.
Guillaume Blot didn't just photograph lavish plates or tired neon signs. He took the time to experience these places. He chatted with Johnny, a Savoyard driver with a passion for westerns, shared a homemade stew at the large table at Chez Mimi in Lot-et-Garonne, or slept in the parking lot of La Cabane Bambou, lulled by the purr of the engines.
What this tour of France reveals is a warm, working-class France, where you can eat a full meal for 16 euros, including a shower. A France where people still take the time to talk, to laugh, to share stories about the journey. These restaurants are much more than just places to eat: they are crossroads of humanity.
And they're not alone. Other initiatives, such as the "Les Routiers" label or communities of enthusiasts on social media, help keep this culture alive. Some establishments, like Le Relais de la Chalosse or Le Trucker'Land, have become true institutions, blending culinary tradition with a spirit of camaraderie.
Through his photographs, Guillaume Blot invites us to slow down. To get off the beaten track, to prefer the main road to the highway, to stop where we didn't think to stop. Because it's often in these humble places that the most beautiful encounters and the best dishes are hidden.
So, the next time you see a slightly old-fashioned sign by the roadside, don't hesitate. Push open the door. Order the daily special. And let yourself be surprised by the warmth of a place where people still eat with their heart.