Travel & Leisure

Les Barmes de l’Ours: under the stars

This luxury refuge of Val d'Isère was recently rewarded with its 5th star and therefore difficult to imagine without a star rewarded restaurant. Since his arrival in 2008, chef Anthony Maubert has succeeded to maintain the star-status and the two chef hats from Gault Millau. To do so, this 29 year old from Brittany, ex Lasserre,Les Airelles and Maison Marc Veyrat, has been working tirelessly on the culinary traditions. La Table de l’Ours invites us to succumb to the temptation of a truffle Tartiflette, a delicious Foie gras de canard and a whole range of spectacular desserts. Refined cuisine in a chic setting: it makes you melt!

Price: Starter-main course-dessert €85, Menu à Face €140, Menu randonnée de l’ours €175

When le Savoie adds its Grain of salt...

Another 5 star hotel in Val d'Isère, Le Savoie, also asked a young chef, Alexandre Fabris, to add his grain of salt to the local gastronomy. He was raised in the kitchens of his father in Burgundy and therefore an adept of the finest traditional recipes that are part of Burgundy’s culinary history. He studied under Marc Menaud and Vincent David (3 Michelin stars), then under Jacques Lameloise (3 stars) before becoming the second in command at Chez Bérard. He has succeeded in ennobling these traditional recipes from another era and has managed to surprise us. He works in his own pace, inaccordance with the season. In winter, for exemple, he works with parsley roots, rutabaga, salsifras and Vitelotte potatoes. He particularly loves recipes with long preparation times, such as beef bourguignon, oeuf en meurette served with a crisp oxtail (cooking time 8.5 hours!), saddle of hay-fed lamb cooked in white wheat bread, foie gras pot au feu served with duck bouillon and crosnes with truffle sauce. Le Savoie’s chef has found the magic recipe for successfully pairing the exceptional with the traditional.

A terrible address!

From Cocteau - to whom the restaurant owes its name – to Roger Vadim, Brigitte Bardot, Fernandel there is not one of these mythical figures who didn’t party at the restaurant of l’Hôtel Mont Blanc in Megève: Les Enfants Terribles. Present in our memories for over 60 years and considered as the "21st arrondissement of Paris" by Jean Cocteau himself, the restaurant has been offered a relifting in 2007 and shares its secerts with its guests with its open kitchen led by Thierry Guinot. A la carte, all flavors of a good rôtisserie, including the inevitable pepper steak, spearhead of the restaurant. The gourmets amongst us will be tempted by its legendary Baba au rum or profiteroles. Classic, efficient and historical, what more to ask for?

Price: €60 à la carte

Restaurant "La Bouitte" in Les Menuires

We have already mentiond it before in our magazine that La Bouitte is one of our favourite addresses on the slopes. Difficult to put words on the  culinary adventure on which "les Meilleur", father and son and their crew, embark you. So that each meal becomes a memorable experience, the Meilleur family have created, since 2008, the concept of a Carte Blanche Menu. After having given details of their particular wishes and number of courses, guests have the surprise to discover 3 to 8 compositions altenating between great classic and new creations. It’s absolute freshness which dictates the rules. Gustatory and olfactory experiences follow eachother and form a harmonius total. A Carte Blanche menu is similar to the composition of a great musical work, with themes and transitions and a main thread. The desserts are light and floating to finish the meal with lightness. Living in osmosis with its environment, La Bouitte’s cuisine is an hommage to the mountains and the local Savoyard products. The warm atmosphere in the restaurant feels like  a cocoon, you are happy to snuggle up and enjoy the culinary delights.