184 pages Edited by Marie Baumann Text(s) by Guillaume Blot, Nora Bouazzouini, Mohamed El Khatib Photographs by Guillaume Blot Designed by Catherine Barluet 26 x 17 cm Language: French Paperback Publisher: Hoëbeke 2025
Between 2018 and 2024, photographer Guillaume Blot hit the road to document over 120 restos routiers across France; the truck stops and roadside diners that once pulsed with the country’s working-class energy. Once numbering over 4,500 in the 1970s, only around 700 remain today, holding out against highways, fast-food chains, and a new generation that prefers delivery apps to long tables and shared laughter.
From Savoie to the Somme, Blot captures this fading universe with humor, tenderness, and a bright, on-the-road flash. His images reveal the vibrant humanity that still inhabits these places: the chatter at the counter, the smell of fries, the truckers’ stories, and the warmth of a cheap, hearty meal.
More than a photo reportage, Restos Routiers is a living archive of France’s roadside culture: a tribute to those who keep the spirit of conviviality alive at the edge of the national highways.
