Restaurants in The French Alps
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L'Impossible
Impossibly irresistible, the Impossible is a barn dating back to 1754 near the Aiguille du Midi cable car that has been transformed into a rustic but modern eating space - lots of wood, wicker, warm lighting, gilded gold frames and glass chandeliers. Quail stuffed with foie gras, garlic butter-oozing snails or pineapple carpaccio with ginger and mango sorbet are quintessential French dishes cooked with a twist at this ode to Sylvain Saudan (b 1936), extreme-skiing pioneer and self-proclaimed 'skier of the impossible'.
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Contresens
The menu reads like a mathematical formula but it soon becomes clear: starters are A, mains B, sides C and desserts D. The food is as experimental as the menu – sun-dried tomato, Beaufort cheese and rocket salad burger, mussel ravioli, 'deconstructed' Snickers – and totally divine. Kid nirvana.
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Munchie
The style of this trendy Swedish-run hangout is pan-Asian fusion: sashimi, sushi, tempura and Malaysian yellow curries are authentic and creatively presented. Sittings go faster than musical chairs, so it's worth a try even if you haven't booked.
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Le Panier des Quatre Saisons
A firm favourite, the Basket of Four Seasons cooks up a veritable feast of season-driven, quintessentially French dishes. Reservations recommended.
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La Fondue
Gorge on so-smooth fondues laced with kirsch, Génépi and chartreuse or (double gorge) chocolate. An assortment of raclettes and tartiflettes completes the mountain cheese feast.
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La Crèmerie du Glacier
In 1926 Georges Ravanel started selling drinks to hikers from a little wooden hut at the foot of the Argentière's glacier. In the 1950s his son added home-made tarts and croûtes aux fromages (chunky slices of toasted bread topped with melted cheese) to the repertoire, and by the 1980s when the next son took charge of the business La Crèmerie - at a heady height of 1300m in Argentière - was known far and wide for its cheesy croûtes (around €5 to around €1050), fondue and other Savoyard staples. It still is today. Ski to it with the red Pierre à Ric piste in Les Grands Montets.
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Les Vieilles Luges
Like a scene from a snow globe in winter, this childhood dream of a 250-year-old farmhouse can only be reached by slipping on skis or taking a scenic 20-minute hike from Maison Neuve chairlift. Under low wood beams, Julie and Claude spoil you with their home cooking – dishes such as grand-mère's beef bourguignon and creamy farçon (prepared with potatoes, prunes and bacon), all washed down with vin chaud (mulled wine) warmed over a wood fire. Magic.
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Chalet la Pricaz
On its fairy-tale perch above Lake Annecy, this is prime romantic sunset material. Only locally sourced organic ingredients feature on the menu. Tangy tartiflettes (Reblochon cheese with potatoes, crème fraîche, onions and diced bacon) and farm-fresh charcuterie go brilliantly with the first-rate selection of Savoyard wines. The tucked-away restaurant is off the D42, 13km south of Annecy.
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La Cuisine des Amis
Walking into this bistro is, at times, like gatecrashing a private party. Here locals and all-comers are treated like one big jolly famille. Pull up a chair, prendre un verre (have a drink), dine well on regional fare, pat the dog and, finally, see if your snapshot ends up on the wall of merry amis (friends).
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La Calèche
One of many restaurants around place Balmat aimed squarely at undiscerning holidaymakers (a folk group sings every Tuesday evening), La Calèche appeals nonetheless. Decor is rustic, with several forests worth of wood on the walls and cheese by the dairy load. Traditional Alpine dishes like fondue and raclette are musts.
reviewed
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La Maison de Marc Veyrat
Small fortune needed aside, snagging a table is tough at Marc Veyrat's lakeside 'Maison Bleue', a powder-blue house with a handful of extraordinary hotel rooms up top, 1km east of the centre. Cuisine is highly creative and flamboyant - very much 'once-tried-never-forgotten' calibre. Come winter Veyrat moves to Megève.
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Ah! La Belle Excuse
Ah! The Beautiful Excuse is a funky, red and green wood-clad bistro with a cosy retro interior and unbeatable wooden-decking summer terrace. What's more, the ensemble sits in an attractive interior courtyard. Grilled meats, salads and parmentiers (mashed potato baked with different toppings) are menu mainstays.
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La Mère Ticket
The homely cooking at this tiny, old-style French restaurant - think red-and-white checked tablecloths, lace curtains, handwritten menu and just four mains to choose from - hasn't changed for years! The poulet aux écrevisses (chicken with crayfish) and gratin dauphinois come highly recommended.
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Le Grenier du Père Jules
Checked tablecloths, mountain-dried sausages hung up to dry and a menu heaving with diet-busting dishes like fondue, tartiflette (sliced potatoes oven-baked in cream and reblochon cheese) and other cheese-heavy Savoyard dishes create an overwhelmingly rustic atmosphere at Father Jules' busy attic.
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L'Estaminet
With its dark wood and intriguing knick-knacks, this incredibly cosy estaminet (Flemish eatery) whisks you to the backstreets of Brussels. Draught Belgian beers pair well with carbonnade flamande (rich Flemish beef stew) and moules (mussels) with unusual additions like pastis and curry.
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Le GouThé
Welcome to the sweetest of tea rooms. Philippe's smooth hot chocolates with pistachio and gingerbread infusions, startlingly bright macaroons and crumbly homemade tarts like mirabelle plum with liquorice are just the sugar fix needed for the slopes. He's a dab hand with galettes (buckwheat crêpes), too.
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Le Mal Assis
Le Mal Assis 'The Badly Seated' translates as a small but cosy, conventional, upmarket restaurant favoured by a smart, cultured crowd. Cuisine deviates little from old-school bourgeoise; think a choice of four traditional meats in the company of gratin dauphinois. Reservations recommended.
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Café de la Table Ronde
All hail this historic 1739 café, once the beloved haunt of Stendhal and Rousseau. Soak up the atmosphere on the square over regional fare like braised diots (mountain sausages) with gratin dauphinois, and nutty tarte aux noix (walnut tart).
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Les Écuries du Pré Carré
In the same charming courtyard, the Stables ooze theatre. Cuisine is imaginative, as is the décor - a mix of wood, '70s retro and glasses that don't match. Upstairs, La Suite - billowing white cloth, leather armchairs and pink lighting - is evening only; last orders are at midnight.
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La Petite Kitchen
The little kitchen is just that: a handful of tables for the lucky few who get to indulge in its locally sourced feel-good food. Filling English breakfasts, steaks with homemade frites (hot chips) and the stickiest of toffee puddings will send you rolling happily out the door.
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Annapurna
Named after the 8000m-plus Himalayan mountain first summited by French Alpine climbers in 1950, Indian Annapurna does not disappoint. Cuisine is authentic, delicious and hot. All the regulars are here - biryani, tandoori etc - as well as more unusual dishes like curried lobster tail.
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Altitude 4810
Cheap and cheerful is the trademark of this cheesy but popular fake chalet where regional specialities like tartiflette (around €11.50), fondue(around €15.50) and raclette (around €15.50) are served up to a fairly undiscerning but hungry crowd.
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L'Étage
Cheese, glorious cheese... Fromage is given pride of place in spot-on fondues and raclette (a combination of melting cheese, boiled potatoes, charcuterie and baby gherkins) at L'Étage, where a backdrop of mellow music and cheerful staff keep the ambience relaxed.
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Tigre Tigre
This hip Indian restaurant is all the rage with its slinky bar for nibbling poppadums and sipping Cobra beers before the main event. Nice and spicy tikka, tandoori and biryani dishes get your tastebuds jumping like a Bollywood film set and service comes with – hurrah! – a smile.
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Le Bistrot
Sleek and monochromatic, this is a real foodie's place. Michelin-starred chef Mickey experiments with textures and seasonal flavours to create taste sensations like pan-seared Arctic char with chestnuts, and divine warm chocolate macaroon with raspberry and red pepper coulis.
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