Alpine Gem: Two Nights, Two Meals at Clos Des Sens* (Annecy, FR)

Clos Des Sens in Annecy. Last visited in May 2023. Still as wonderful as it was back then. Mostly vegetarian, with a few fish courses. No meat. Personally, it remains a top four meal in France, along with Troisgros, Guy Savoy, and Flocons De Sel. You typically have to book a room in their hotel to get a table at dinner. Lunch is open to non-guests.

Dined there two nights in a row last week, and were told Chef would make a completely unique meal each time. Between both nights, no dish was repeated, though two of the dishes that did appear on night #2 previously appeared in the 2023 visit. 

As with any good French restaurant, the sauces are poured table side and they provide a copper pot left on the table to add more as desired. 

I’ve included different photos from the two meals last week, offering the highlights. Overall, 3-4 amuse, 6-7 savory courses, followed by cheese and two desserts.

First photo is of their garden on the property, where chefs are found throughout the day picking herbs and vegetables for that evenings service.

Dinner starts with the amuse on their terrace, which is completely covered by two trees, offering a natural ceiling (last pic). Dinner then moves into the dining room, with no wall separating the tables from the outdoor terrace.

Amuse of first-of–the-season chanterelles. Too often, amuses at restaurants highlight the depravity of the chef: overpowering, explosions in the mouth. This was perfect, delicate. 

Cold nasturtium broth with garden flowers. Summer in a bowl. Light and refreshing. 

Raw lake fish, carved table side. A swipe of fish-bone garum and a dab of wasabi is all you need. They source all of their fish from the nearby lakes in the region. First had in 2023, though with a different lake fish.

Mushrooms, one of their signature dishes. Razor thin curls, meant to be eaten with tweezers. Stacked atop a mushroom pate of sorts. Also had in 2023.

Fried artichoke with a green herb sabayon. Quite good. 

Paper thin beet petals with minced lake fish inside. Simply prepared with just garlic and cream. 

One tomato, pressed into a steak. Roasted, with a confetti of freeze-dried raspberries on top. Incredibly rich. 

Fera, barbecued with a lacquered skin. Each night, the main course was (different) fishes simply grilled with a reduced fish bone sauce and a side of daikon-esque risotto in a kimchi-like coating. 

Finally, the wine.  Great bottles over two nights. You can drink dangerously well with their prices. They recommend at least one red as part of the meal to pair with the rich sauces towards the end of the meal. The craziest was the oxidized Savoie wine, similar to a vin jaune, from the Pope of Mondeuse, Michel Grisard. It is from 2011. Only 190 bottles were ever made. This was bottle #40. Will likely never see this one again.