Lake fish, wild herbs, local livestock breeds and everything from hyper-local bistros to MICHELIN-Starred restaurants: This culinary itinerary through the French Alps explores the vibrant dining scene of Savoie, Haute-Savoie and Isère, as highlighted in the 2026 edition of The MICHELIN Guide France.
1. Jura And Revermont: A Tribute To Mexico and a MICHELIN-Starred Vineyard Restaurant
As you leave the Saône plain behind, the first undulations of the Revermont herald the Jura plateaux. Between Lons-le-Saunier, Arbois and Poligny, vineyards cling to the hillsides and forests cover the rising slopes. This borderland between Burgundy and Franche-Comté is a historical crossroads of trade, centered on the Jura’s wines, Comté cheese and mountain charcuterie.
Bourg-en-Bresse, at the gateway to the Revermont, where the first foothills of the Jura begin to rise, is home to Agave, the restaurant of Fernanda and Raphaël Pillon, a French-Mexican couple trained in pastry-making. They marry French produce and Mexican flavors with precision, be that scallops and salsa macha or rump of veal with an intense mole.
In a wine-growing village of 250 inhabitants, opposite the town hall and the village creamery — which doubles as a bar — La Table du Grapiot in Pupillin represents a bold rural wager by Noémie Paris and Vivien Sonzogni. The young couple, both veterans of prestigious establishments in France and abroad, took over this restaurant in 2024. Their fine cuisine is steeped in the Jura, while maintaining a global outlook. It is rare to find a place that exudes such sincerity. In summer, a pop-up bistro with a terrace hosts concerts, in keeping with the spirit of the place.
Dishes of the restaurants Agave and La Table du Grapiot in France’s Jura and Revermont. © Fernanda Pillon/Agave, © Bellard Nicolas/La Table du Grapiot
2. Chablais: From Lakes to Mountain Pastures, Restaurants are Keeping it Hyper-Local
Between Lake Geneva and the first foothills of the Alps, the Chablais region unfurls across verdant valleys and picturesque villages, stretching from Thonon-les-Bains to the high-altitude grazing pastures of Abondance. A land of livestock farming and cheese-making — Abondance and Chevrotin cheeses are renowned here — this pre-Alpine massif has long been in step with summer grazing and cross-border trade with neighboring Switzerland.
L’Auberge du Moulin de Léré is the bistro of Chef Frédéric Molina (holder of a MICHELIN Star at his fine-dining restaurant Frédéric Molina à Forêt Ivre) and for our MICHELIN Guide Inspectors, it was love at first bite. Committed to local sourcing and boasting an enchanting setting, it is the ideal place to unwind.
Next, we pull up in Abondance, lured by the smoky, fruity and zesty aromas drifting from the kitchens of Chalet Flachaire. In this converted residential chalet in the upper reaches of the village, Thomas Flachaire and his wife play host to diners keen to tuck into a culinary repertoire that is deeply anchored in the surrounding terroir.
Dishes from the Auberge du Moulin de Léré and the exterior of the Chalet Flachaire at the foothills of the French Alps. © ENOGAT BACHMANN/Auberge du Moulin de Léré, © Morgane Brasier/Chalet Flachaire
3. Gateway to Savoie: Home to a New Three-Star Restaurant
Continuing toward the Alps, the terrain begins to rise and the valleys tighten around Chambéry, the former capital of the Dukes of Savoy.
The Savoie foothills form a transition zone, where the final ridges of the Jura meet the first Alpine peaks. Around Lake Aiguebelette and the vineyards of Jongieux, a rolling landscape of grazing pastures, vine-clad hillsides and small hamlets already begins to lean towards the high mountains.
Just a stone’s throw from the Ain département and a little over 12 miles (20 km) from Chambéry, Jongieux is no longer merely a little-known, albeit charming, winegrowing village. It has a new claim to fame as the home of Les Morainières, Michaël and Ingrid Arnoult’s restaurant, which was crowned with Three MICHELIN Stars in 2026. They also opened a bistro, La Table 1625, in the Château de la Mar, just downhill from their flagship restaurant. The menu there features fish plucked from the lakes, wild mushrooms, Angus steak and frites, pork rib and a veal shank that’s been braised for 10 hours.
Continuing the descent, you can stop on the western shores of Lake Aiguebelette at the hotel-restaurant Les Quatre Saisons. Under the direction of Antonio Gérard Quintanilla — originally from Peru — the establishment prides itself on its resolutely French culinary repertoire.
The exterior of Les Morainières restaurant, The MICHELIN Guide’s latest Three-Star restaurant in France, and a dish from La Table 1625. © Matthieu Cellard/Les Morainières, © Midmad/La Table 1625
4. Bornes Massif: Where Village Vibes Go Bistro
In Naves-Parmelan, Le Café de la Poste does exactly what it says on the tin. But more than just a post office, it is a true village hub — a place for everything from picking up a loaf of bread to having a full meal. For the bistro’s young chef, fostering “human connection” was a priority, and the result is the epitome of mountain conviviality. The ingredient-led cuisine celebrates the seasons with simplicity, with sharing cuts and generous platters of nibbles.
The terrace and a main course at Le Café de la Poste restaurant in France’s Savoie region. © Clément Sirieys/Le Café de la Poste, © Noémie Arnaud – Noépic/Le Café de la Poste
5. Mont-Blanc Massif: Tournedos Rossini or Reblochon Crêpe?
The road climbs towards the high valleys dominated by Mont Blanc. The history of these valleys has been shaped by mountain farming, the rise of mountaineering in the late 18th century and the dawn of winter tourism at the turn of the 20th century. Renowned resorts like Megève began drawing their first holidaymakers in the interwar period — and the backdrop is still as spectacular today.
At the pioneering resort of Megève, grab a table at the elegant Brasserie Benjamin, which operates year-round, serving classics such as sole meunière and beef fillet Rossini, alongside a handful of vegetarian options. And a surprise awaits us, because Bertrand Larcher has brought Brittany to the Alps, opening an offshoot of the famed crêpes (or galettes) restaurant Breizh Café, in the heart of Megève. His famous wheat-flour galettes are elevated with meticulously sourced ingredients and local touches — from Reblochon in the “Breizh Roll” to raw-milk raclette in buckwheat batter. All of these culinary creations find their perfect pairing in the carefully curated selection of ciders and wines.
Dishes from Brasserie Benjamin and Breizh Café Megève. © Sylvain Terret/Brasserie Benjamin, © Labo N°3 Photographie/Breizh Café Megève
6. Tarentaise and Beaufortain: Two Sides of the Same Coin
Pushing deeper into the heart of the French Alps, the road reaches the Tarentaise and the rugged heights of the Beaufortain. From Albertville to Beaufort and Courchevel beyond, these valleys have been closely tied to the rhythm of livestock and high-altitude grazing for centuries. This is the birthplace of Beaufort, one of the giants of mountain cheese, produced in the Alpine pastures in the summertime. The proliferation of ski resorts such as Courchevel, Les Arcs and La Plagne profoundly transformed the valley, without fully erasing its pastoral identity.
Perched above Beaufort, facing the village of Achères, where Benoît Chauchaix was born, Les 9 Névés is a chalet turned guesthouse. The chef delights his guests with a single set menu, in which seasonal, local ingredients and mountain herbs (hogweed, yarrow and meadowsweet) take on a decidedly modern character. Meanwhile, in the world-renowned resort of Courchevel, L’Altitude (part of K2 Altitude hotel) joyfully embraces a contemporary “cuisine bourgeoise” that remains classic in form. This exclusive restaurant offers premium ingredients and meticulously reduced sauces, brought to the table in a saucier that is left for diners to pour at their own discretion.
The interior and a dish from Les 9 Névés restaurant up in the French Alps. © sigrid pelisset/Les 9 névés, © enjoytrip/Les 9 névés
7. Dauphiné — Matheysine: A Bold, Botanical Venture
Just 19 miles (30 km) south of Grenoble, nestled between two lakes, Lac de Laffrey and Lac de Petichet, on the Matheysine plateau, Maltacina promises a one-of-a-kind dining experience. The three chefs at the helm, Kevin Mangione, Lunis Chaïb and Théo Doumecq, earned their stripes in MICHELIN-Starred kitchens. With strong ties to southern Isère, their “mystery menu” champions plant-based ingredients and minimalist plating, for a rustic yet contemporary take on the local terroir.
A zucchini dish and the terrace with mountain views at Maltacina. © Maltacina
8. Haute-Maurienne: The Feat of Creating a Daily Menu
At the family-run hotel-restaurant L’Artémisia in Val-Cenis, located in the heart of the Haute-Maurienne, Chef Victor Heiries crafts a daily menu featuring exceptionally fresh ingredients, such as Arctic char, Wagyu beef and Bleu de Termignon, which he elevates by using wild herbs and mountain plants. It is an essential port of call for any hiker hungry for creative, plant-forward cuisine that is deeply connected to its terroir.
Hero Image: The view from the restaurant La Café de la Poste in the French Savoie region, where you’ll find new MICHELIN-Star Mountain Restaurants in France in 2026 that are worth the climb. © Clément Sirieys/Le Café de la Poste
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the MICHELIN Guide
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