The cuisine of Chamonix

Here more than elsewhere, Savoyard cuisine proclaims its connection to Piedmontese cuisine, with which it had a shared history for centuries, until the annexation of Savoy to France on 24th March 1860.

While Piedmontese cookery books are still today crammed with French terms such as "civet", "fumet" and "cocotte", the chefs of Chamonix have never stopped using the fine produce of Piedmont, whether it be black Alba truffle, walnuts and hazelnuts, rice, garlic or the famous Castelmagno, a blue cheese (similar to Gorgonzola) produced since the 13th century in three districts of the Province of Cuneo: Castelmagno, Pradleves and Monterosso.

Two chefs have been able to perpetuate, with talent, this somewhat forgotten identity of Chamonix cuisine.

The first is Pierre Carrier, whose Hameau Albert 1er Relais & Château establishment has been a gourmet institution in Chamonix since 1935. The menu at €138* is something of a nod to the peasant origins of the Carrier family, with pumpkin, special pork fat and truffles, ravioli with local cepe mushrooms and roast pigeon with giblets, carrots and hazelnuts from Piedmont.

If you find the price prohibitive, you can always fall back on La Maison Carrier, which is a stone's throw from the gourmet restaurant. This welcoming inn, set in a farm dating back to 1794, has an authentic pork smokehouse and old furniture made of mountain wood.

We enjoyed the house specialties such as black pudding served with a fricassee of pears and potatoes in pork fat (€13), cassolette of lobster and pig's trotters with fresh peas and crisp rocket (€20), Piedmontese risotto with mushrooms from the woods (€17), and quenelles of pike with crayfish from Lake Geneva (€19).

As for wines, Charles Trosset's Mondeuse 2004 (€32) is an absolute must, a pure marvel of finesse and simplicity: without knowing what it was, this very limited yield red wine from Savoy has fooled more than one!

After training with Marc Veyrat and Pierre Carrier, Michaël Bourdillat opened his Bistrot in November 2004.

His generous cuisine spotlights some outstanding products from Italy such as culatello, which is the quintessence of Parma ham: 100% artisanal, it comes from a race of black-haired pigs and is made using only the central cut of the leg, the most precious piece. You can sample it by itself, or served with a pavé of veal and lobster, accompanied by winter vegetables with truffles. For this alone, the Bistrot is worth a visit!

The wine list, devised by sommelier Sylvain Andres (finalist in the prestigious "Master of Porto"), offers an interesting selection of international wines from €6 to €200 a bottle, also available by the glass. Menu at €34.

Hôtel Alpina   The Hotel Alpina offers comfortable rooms in the centre of Chamonix, next to the Mont Blanc and the Aiguille du Midi. There is a private shuttle service to the slopes. Rooms are spacious and comfortable. You have the choice between a room facing either the rugged slopes of the Brévent, or the snow-covered slopes of Mont Blanc. Come and enjoy the Alpina’s restaurant Le Vista, situated on the 7th floor of the hotel. The Surf and Turf all-you-can-eat buffet is not to be missed. Every Saturday there is a welcome gathering organised to introduce you to the group and familiarise you with the ski resort. An information desk is available on site 7 days a week. You can collect meal vouchers and organise skiing lessons and excursions there.

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