Chalet 1703

This village on the road to the Alps has long benefited from the generosity of the Carthusian monks, after whom the restaurant is named. The menu features well-executed modern cuisine that makes the most of seasonal (and often local) ingredients. The ever-popular 64°C egg is beautifully paired with a tempting medley of mushrooms; the classic beef chuck is slowly simmered in Mondeuse and gentian as well as cervelle de canut (a herby cheese spread); the craquelin chou pastry is served with Grenoble walnut praline, hazelnut ice cream and melted chocolate – comfort food that uplifts the spirits! V

Benoît Vidal is the Catalan chef behind this restaurant done out in a slick contemporary style in the Annecy area. Having completed stints with Michel Trama and Michel Guérard, he has created a light, poetic brand of cuisine that is rooted in the culinary traditions of Savoie, his adopted home. He brings a sense of precision and his own personal style to bear on the rigorously sourced ingredients, elevating them with sound technical skill and elaborate presentations. The strength of this chef may well lie in his pared-down, apparently simple creations showcasing pike, trout and crayfish with u

The house speciality is a delicious muscat-flavoured foie gras soup with a confit of red onions and ‘cromesquis’. The chefs pay tribute to the region whilst respecting the seasons, illustrated by a velvety soup of green peas and an ice cream of fresh cow’s cheese flavoured with wild garlic. Other highlights include pork cheeks braised in a local red wine or free-range chicken wings stuffed with morels and flanked by “pressed” potatoes (finely sliced and stacked before being roasted). The terrace is glorious in the sunshine.

Home to the post office, bread shop and bistro, this regional-style building embodies the convivial spirit and hospitality of this mountain village. In the morning, locals stop by to pick up their bread while it's still warm or post a letter at the counter decorated with vintage postcards. The wood-panelled interior, Baumann chairs and Badonviller plates may exude the warmth of a traditional inn, but the cuisine cooked up by the young chef-owner is contemporary: butternut squash soup, pattypan squash and hazelnut cazette salad, pork belly cooked in beer, local-style affogato with meadowsweet a

On the road to the mountain resorts of the Aravis range, between La Clusaz and Le Grand Bornand, this small mountain chalet needs to be marked with a pile of stones, like a cairn! In the small, inviting space done out in mountain style, there is no doubt about it: chef Adrien and maître d' Charline (all smiles) know how to delight their faithful guests. Adrien creates astonishing dishes that are full of flavour and beautifully fresh: the cold lettuce soup with cream of country bacon is a tasty sensation; tender medallions of farm-reared lamb served rare...

The boss here is Mattéo Mosse, a youthful chef from Haute Savoie who decided to settle in this village to be as close as possible to the countryside and to small local producers. Fish and meat from sustainable breeders, as local as possible and a vegetarian score depict the ethos of this eco-responsible eatery. The chef’s modern repertory unsurprisingly revolves around seasonal produce, with a distinct weakness for organic veggies. A simple, no-fuss bistro interior in a colourful village house that is flanked by a refreshingly shady terrace.

The terrace overlooking the Aravis range is so mesmerising, it is difficult to tear oneself away. Marie-Ange aims to serve fine regional dishes oozing with authentic flavour: pan-seared cèpes, fillets of wild perch from Lake Geneva, fillet of beef simmered in mushrooms and grandma’s potato gratin, without forgetting the wickedly lavish dessert trolley. The interior sports old wood and farming tools – charming welcome.