10 of the best restaurants in the Alps

Just because you’re skiing this January doesn’t mean you should compromise on cuisine. And while food within the Alps’ mountain resorts can vary quite widely – from overpriced oysters to tasteless trout – there are still plenty of restaurants there that have a pedigree of gastronomic quality which can match most cities’ culinary repertoire.

So, if you’re looking for a lunch that’s out of the ordinary, or a delicious dinner to refuel your engine, these are the finest Alpine offerings that will undoubtedly satisfy your tastebuds.

At this cabin-style restaurant in the Swiss mountain resort of Zermatt, Chef Max Menning cooks up fresh seafood for over 120 covers in a bijou-sized kitchen that’s the size of a tiny wardrobe, while his wife, Greti, delivers dishes to diners alongside a fantastic selection of wines from the well-curated cellar. Also on offer is an unrivalled terrace view of the gargantuan Matterhorn mountain.

When you’re warmly welcomed into Albert 1er by the humble serving staff, you instantly know you’re about to venture into one of the finest (and most relaxing) epicurean journeys of your life. The food that’s sizzled up by Pierre Maillet at this two-star restaurant is, put simply, an absolute palate-pleaser. Inspired by the Chamonix commune, Albert 1er celebrates the produce from the terroir, while the clean and classic interior gives all diners a genuine feel of mountain living.

With the legendary Pierre Gagnier behind this two-star restaurant, you know that you’re in for a true gastronomic treat – and with an inventive menu that boasts delights such as carob-rubbed red mullet and crystallised quince syrup and coconut milk lassi (otherwise known as Indian Jelly), expectations are exceeded. Diners can spend up to €600 at this eatery, so make sure you arrive famished and ready to sample alternative haute-cuisine dishes.

Accented by beautiful wood panelling and furnished with ruby red velvet chairs, Le P’tit Polyte is a stripped-back and fuss-free joint that’s helming the Alps’ innovative fine-dining scene, despite the fact that it’s been run by the same family since 1879. Expect the likes of beetroot cooked with charcoal, pickled lobster with radishes cooked in celery juice and a dessert of plantain banana done two ways.

Sitting 3,500 metres above ground on the Metteallalin, Restaurant Allalin boasts the feat of being the world’s highest revolving restaurant, and famished gourmands who venture here will be given an unrivalled 360-degree panorama of the surrounding snowy-capped landscape, including the Saas Mischabel range. Although the food is basic (cheese and dried meat platters, barley soup and other Swiss classics), it’s really the experience that you come here for.

Converted from an old Savoyarde farm building, La Bouitte is renowned as one of the greatest restaurants that France has ever seen. Run by a father and son double act (Rene and Maxime Meilleur), it was recently awarded its third Michelin star and has gained a reputation for using ingredients found within the local mountains in the Three Valleys. The chalet building’s large open fireplace and stone walls also create a welcoming mountain atmosphere.

Elegant and refined, this gourmet mecca, which was awarded a Michelin star four years ago, is located in the opulent Hotel Alpaga in the village of Megève. Available here is an innovative cuisine that shines a light on the surrounding terrain, and highlights include the crawfish Red Paws and the pig of the Month du Cantal.

There’s little doubt that Flocons de Sel, a beautiful chalet perched on a mountain side, is at the height of Alpine living. But although the setting is traditional and classic, the food is anything but that, as Emmanuel Renaut boldly injects colour, bitterness or acidity into dishes where they were not found before – by doing so, he pays homage to the local scenery, with its flowing, undulating parts that are interrupted by sharp summits. Unconventional and engaging, this is a place not to be missed.

Originally a teahouse during the 1850s, Blatten is perhaps the most endearing restaurant you’ll ever visit, thanks mainly to its exemplary baroque chapel and Ricola herb garden where visitors are encouraged to touch, smell and taste the plants. In terms of cuisine, fewer things can be more filling after a long day of skiing than the soul-soothing bowl of porcini mushroom soup that’s on offer.

Located in the decadent Alpine hotel in the Dolomites, the Restaurant St Hubertus is often billed as the reason why the village of San Cassiano has welcomed an influx of tourists in recent years – and it’s easy to see why. Whether its the view of the surrounding mountain farms, the sumptuous and immaculately-presented food or the fact that diners can retreat into a luxurious suite post-dinner, everything at this Italian hotspot is of the highest order.

Need some travel plans after your skiing holiday? These are the best destination for January sun

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