Savoie Mont Blanc Promotes Gastronomy

• The Table de la Traye in Méribel, the restaurant of the new Refuge de la Traye, has a panoramic dining room opening on a large terrace with wonderful views of the surrounding snowy summits. The menu includes local dishes like raclette and fondue. Guests can also taste Savoie wines – as well as international wines – with local cheeses and charcuteries in the Refuge’s cellar, Le Comptoir du Refuge. www.refugedelatraye.com
• Mademoiselle, Val d’Isère’ s new 5-star hotel, has a gourmet restaurant, le VI, offering a refined French cuisine. Don’t miss the delicious desert buffet! With its large terrace on the slopes, le VI is a great place to stop for lunch.
• In the evening, the Carnotzet serves cheese specialties in a cosy atmosphere and Le Fumoir has a long wine list of Grands Crus and spirits. https://valdisere.airelles.com/home-en/
• Méribel’s new 5-star hotel, Le Coucou, has an Italian restaurant serving Tuscan specialties and excellent pizzas. Le Coucou also has a BeefBar, a restaurant concept created by Riccardo Giraudi in 2005, which serves exceptional meat. https://www.maisonspariente.com/en/hotel-coucou
• The Manali Lodge in Courchevel Moriond has hired Antony Trezy, a chef who has worked with Michelin starred chefs Yoan Conte and Eric Fréchon. Antony Trezy will add a modern and sophisticated touch to traditional dishes made with local produces. He will also include vegan dishes as well as gluten free options to the menu.
• The Speakeasy Alpin in Les Gets has the atmosphere of a New York café with a French touch. The menu includes a dish of lamb cooked for 7 hours and deserts like the pecan pie and cheesecake.
• La Folie Douce opens its 7th bar in Savoie Mont Blanc, in Arc 1800. Accessible by cable-car, by skis or foot, Folie Douce Arc 1800 will have a funky décor and outstanding entertainments, including shows for families. https://www.lafoliedouce.com/en/
• Ecrin Blanc, the new 4-star hotel in Courchevel, serves food all day. Try traditional produce from local producers at the Cellier at any time of the day. French restaurant The Grill, located at the bottom of the slopes, opens for lunch and dinner and is very family friendly. There is also an oyster bar and a pizzeria, as well as the Bar for after-ski or late drinks. https://ecrin-blanc.com
• Swedish chef David Lillieroth will open MUMMA in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc. His cuisine is inspired by his trips in Asia and South America.

Stars and festivals

Savoie Mont Blanc has 34 Michelin-starred restaurants and 52 stars, including four three-star restaurants

• Flocons de Sel (Megève) – Chef Emmanuel Renaut
• La Bouitte (Saint-Martin de Belleville) – Chefs René and Maxime Meilleur
• Le 1947 – Hôtel Cheval Blanc (Courchevel) – Chef Yannick Alléno
• Le Clos des Sens (Annecy-le-Vieux) – Chef Laurent Petit

Foodies looking for an authentic experience will enjoy those festivals:

Gourmet Week in Val d’Arly: Fête de la St-Vincent at Notre Dame de Bellecombe and Bacchus in the Snow, at Crest-Voland / Cohennoz, from 19 to 24 January, is the perfect week to taste many Savoyard specialities.  
On the menu: traditional Savoie Croessets soup, rissoles competitions, presentation and initiation on the auto-sleigh lift (first chairlift in the resort). The Bacchus in the Snow Festival offers a full range of activities, including wine-producer challenges and wine fairs.

Eskilibre & Gourmandise is a food festival in Brides-les-Bains from 1st to 8 February. 13 chefs from the resort will share their tips and organise workshops to learn how to cook healthy but tasty food.