SIX ALPINE HOTELS WITH MICHELIN-STARRED RESTAURANTS
There's nothing like a day on the pistes to help you work up an appetite, but sometimes a sloppy fondue just doesn't hit the mark.
Thankfully, some of the world's finest chefs can be found at altitude, and you can stay at a hotel where Michelin-starred dining is just a short slalom down the corridor.
Get your gourmet ski fix this season by booking one of these Michelin-approved hotels...
1910 GOURMET BY HAUSERS
Hotel Belvedere Grindelwald, Switzerland
A newcomer to the Michelin-star list this year, the Hotel Belvedere Grindelwald's 1910 restaurant is overseen by Hungarian Head Chef, Dávid Imre Rózsa. Named after the year Johann Hauser first extended the Belvedere and bought a new cooker (which still stands in the centre of the restaurant), this cosy space offers only SIX tables, meaning you're guaranteed exquisite, personalised service... if you manage to book a slot.
The Michelin guide praised Dávid Imre Rózsa for the way his "technically modern and pleasingly pared-back style conveys emotions through its flavours, and comes into its own in dishes such as dry-aged pike perch with Oscietra caviar from Frutigen" and highlighted his use of local produce.
Choose from one of two set menus (one of which is vegetarian) and bask in the glorious flavours of the Swizz mountains.
Dorfstrasse 53, Grindelwald, 3818, Switzerland, Book a stay
URSUS
La Maison Bouvier, Tignes, France
In the heart of Tignes, La Maison Bouvier is named after its family of owners - Catherine, Jean-Michel and their two children, Emma and Clément. It's been hosting guests in its 24 cosy rooms for 15 years, but in recent years, it's Clément Bouvier who has come to the fore at the helm of Ursus, a restaurant that has well and truly earnt its place amongst the finest destinations in the world for foodies.
Ursus - named after the last species of bear found in the Savoie region - is a truly one-off dining experience. Take your seat amongst the trees (yes, this restaurant has 380 trees inside!), at a table carved from walnut, and work your way through a menu created with the finest local ingredients, many of which are handpicked by Chef Bouvier on his walks through the mountains. It's this dedication to locally sourced food that has earned the restaurant a sparsely awarded Michelin Green Star.
Clement likes to combine Alpine cuisine with technical wizardry picked up from stints working in restaurants around the world including as second in command to Jean-François Piège. The result is a menu full of flavour, with generous dishes and a side-portion of sustainability.
Maison Bouvier, rue du Val-Claret, au Val-Claret, Tignes, 73320, France, Book a stay
FLOCONS DE SEL
Megeve, France
Is this a hotel with a restaurant, or a restaurant with hotel? We're not enturely sure, but given that the dining option here has been awarded THREE Michelin stars, we do know that it's a gastronomic paradise. Flocons de Sel is a love letter to the Haute-Savoie region, from the use of local, untreated wood and natural materials throughout, to the huge windows that perfectly frame the surrounding mountains.
The ingredients, too, are locally sourced, including pike, char and whitefish from Lake Geneva and mushrooms, wild herbs and mountain cheeses from the nearby peaks.
As the Michelin Guide points out, Chef Emmanuel Renaut "has fun subverting the regional cooking that is expected of him – a case in point being his superb langoustines marinated in citron, caviar with zesty grapefruit and gentian roots."
There are 10 rooms available, where you can sleep off a feast, or just sleep ready to do it all again the next day...
1775 route du Leutaz, Le Leutaz, Megève, 74120, France, Book a stay
L'OURS
Hostellerie Pas De l'Ours, Crans-Montana, Switzerland
L'Ours offers a modern, stylish setting with wonderful views for your evening meal. The Michelin Guide singles out the quality of ingredients used by Chef Franck Reynaud, calling them "superlative" and says "the slick service is as smooth as a silky béarnaise sauce without being stuffy or starched."
Two menus are offered, consiting of either 5 or 8 courses made up of classical recipes with a modern twist.
Housed in the adults-only Aïda Hotel & Spa, which also finds its way onto our Best Spa Breaks roundup - food and relaxation in one trip? Just remember to try some skiing while you're there...
Chemin du Béthania 1, Crans-Montana, 3960, Switzerland, Book a stay
LA TABLE DE L'ALPAGA
Hotel l'Alpaga, Megeve, France
From the outside, Hotel l'Alpaga looks like an unassuming wooden chalet in the shadow of the world famous Mont Blanc. But hidden within its cozy interior is La Table De L'Alpaga, a Michelin-starred restaurant by young chef, Alexandre Baule and Tess Evans-Mialet. Alexandre (above left) is in charge of all things savoury, where he brings vegetables to the fore with carefully selected Savoie produce, while Tess (above centre) takes control of all things sweet. Choose between reasonably priced six and eight course menus, with "Alps Discovery" wine pairing options also available. And when you wake from your slumber in one of the beautiful chalet-style rooms, you'll be ready for a day of skiing in the world's first ski resort.
Alpaga, 66 allée des Marmoussets, route du Prariand, Megève, 74120, France, Book a stay
LE SARKARA
Le K2 Palace, Courchevel, France
Le K2 Palace in Courchevel is a gorgeous, ski-in/ski-out hotel with a long list of on-site restaurants, bars and even a smoking room for cigar enthusiasts. But sitting atop that list is the two Michelin-starred Le Sarkara, It's headed-up by pastry chef, Sébastien Vauxion, which gives a clue to its main offering: sweet treats.
If that sounds a little too much like a visit to Kaspa's on your local high street, the Michelin Guide is here to put your mind to rest about Vaxion's menu: "His creations, based on fruit and vegetables (combined with dairy produce, chocolate and coffee), are genuinely mind blowing and infinitely tantalising. Take, for example, the potato flanked by Buddha’s hand and parsley, or celeriac with black truffle and mildly spicy citrus fruit pickles. And while the overall effect is undeniably sweet, rest assured, the coherence of each course is fully in keeping with traditional culinary codes thus ensuring that the palate remains fresh and eager for more."
Le K2 Palace, 238 rue des Clarines, Courchevel 1850, Courchevel, 73120, France
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