Dining

Chamonix’s excellent dining is augmented by the fact that it’s a real town, not a resort, so prices are generally very reasonable. And it has its share of excellent, top-quality restaurants. Prices listed here are all approximate and vary depending on beverage and meal.



Albert 1st et Milan (450 53 05 09; photo above) is Chamonix’s best, where the chef mixes nouvelle cuisine with local moun-tain cooking. The giant dining room features expansive views of Mont Blanc. The food is praised equally by France’s top critics and the locals, who are most pleased by the size of the portions. The menu is an exceptional value—about €60.

Le Matafan (450 53 05 64) in the Mont Blanc Hotel, is laid out around a large fireplace. Try the foie gras and the veal with figs. The wine cellar is one of the best in the region, with over 14,000 bottles priced from €3–€680. Gourmet menu is €60.

Auberge du Bois-Prin (450 53 33 51) is in an intimate, old home. Dinner is served by waitresses in local costume. The restaurant is noted for taking the normal and making it special. Meals cost €33–€43, with a gourmet menu at about €60.

Eden Restaurant (450 53 06 40), in Hôtel Eden, is a bit out of the center of Chamonix in the suburb of La Praz. The views of Mont Blanc and the Drus are spectacular. Specialties are trout amandine and lobster au gratin. The menu costs €23–€53.

La Cabana (450 53 23 27; photo right) is next to the golf course and a few minutes’ drive outside town. It is a highly rated (Michelin two forks) rustic chalet with regional meat and potatoes. Expect to pay €40 for a full dinner.

For a quaint evening in a picture-postcard setting, dine at Maison Carrier (450 53 00 03) set in a reconstructed Savoyard farm house. Meals are about €35.

Sarpé (450 53 29 31) a few kilometers out of town is a destination for many serious gourmands. A meal here is about €35–€40.

Restaurant L’Impossible (450 53 20 36) This eatery is built in an ancient barn and is as rustic as it gets. You’ll dine around an open grill and get buzzed on peach kirs. Make reservations. This is an experience you will remember. Expect to pay around €22 for a meal.

Atmosphere (450 55 97 97; photo below) is a very jazz-and-blues oriented, riverbank café-esque, Michelin two-fork rated, restaurant decorated in subdued tones. Try to get a table in the sunroom overlooking the river for a truly romantic spot. Dinner will cost about €22 without wine.

Calèche (450 55 94 68) is an elegant regional restaurant with the traditional mountain wood tastefully mixed with flowered fabrics and stuffed chairs. They serve everything from fondue and raclette to full dinners. A very reasonable €25 evening menu offers choices of nine appetizers, five main courses and six desserts.

Chaudron (450 53 40 34), on Rue des Moulins, is very rustic. A heavy, stone wall lines the small restaurant. You dine under wooden beams while farm tools and a giant wagon wheel add a country flavor. Specialties are regional dishes, grilled meats and brochettes. Fixed-price menu for dinner will run about €22.

Hotel Les Lanchers (450 53 47 19) in Praz-de-Chamonix has a fine restaurant.

Boccalatte (450 53 52 14) serves Savoyard meals in a blond wood setting. Prices are reasonable. Fondues cost €13–€15, and the Alsace Choucroute about the same.

L’M is a brasserie serving low-ticket crêpes, galletes and meals in the middle of town. In the spring a large terrace opens, which makes snacking and nursing a long drink most enjoyable. Most selections with a drink will range between €8–€15.