The 15 best restaurants in Chamonix
Eating out in Chamonix is epic, epicurean and astonishingly international for a French region as traditional as rural Savoie. But then again, Chamonix is a real town that functions year-round.
Its location – at the foot of Europe’s mightiest peak straddling France, Switzerland and Italy – makes it a melting pot of flavours. Pair this with a mammoth alpine heritage that has drawn adventurers from all over the globe for centuries, and you have as much chance of tucking into Mexican, Indian or Japanese at the end of a ski day as cheesy Savoyard fondue or gloriously gooey puddles of melted raclette.
Michelin-starred gastronomic temple to humble roadside hut cooking up waffles with whipped or chestnut cream since 1965, Chamonix’s foodie experience is memorable. It is also refreshingly affordable for a ski resort with such a historical cache. Then there are the Mont Blanc vistas – priceless and free. Pick your pew wisely on bluebird days to double-fist on great food and views.
For further Chamonix inspiration, see our guides to the resort's best accommodation and après ski.
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In the resort
Cool Cats
It took three years of running a Scandi-chic eatery on London’s Portobello Road and later a food truck on Lake Geneva’s Swiss shore for globetrotting restauranteur Lisa Wallen to finally settle in Chamonix. When you fancy something quick and ‘fait maison’ (homemade) with the ski town’s cool cats, the Swedish chef’s artisanal hot-dog restaurant on bar-busy Rue des Moulins hits the spot. World street food inspires her sassy menu starring “build your own” hot dogs, coleslaws, vegetarian jalapeño cheese dogs, vegan hummus wraps and a dedicated fries menu. Yearning for a taste of home? Order “le anglais” (chips with bacon, fried egg, roast onions and parmesan mayonnaise).
Contact: coolcatsrestaurants.com
Price: £
Le Comptoir des Alpes
Modern locavore dining is the USP of this contemporary restaurant, with sleek gold-grey palette and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Ave du l’Aiguille du Midi. Italian chef Daniele Raimondi honed his classical French repertoire at Alain Ducasse in Monaco and the iconic French chef’s trademark love of local produce is keenly felt in Raimondi’s kitchen – proudly alpine with an Italian flourish. This is the sort of place to take your time over. Perhaps begin with pine-wood smoked trout, followed by veal with sage or hay-roasted guineafowl. At lunchtime, the plat du marché (day’s dish), cooked up with seasonal veg from the market, is exceptional value.
Contact: comptoir-des-alpes.com
Price: ££
Munchie
The line between dining and drinking venue in Chamonix is often blurred, and never more so than at this longstanding “cuisine et bar”. Munchie’s small-plates menu fuses French and Asian flavours – a hit with cheesed-out skiers seeking casual dining in a cosy, den-like space. Pickled cauliflower popcorn, steamed edamame beans and Padron chilli peppers with grilled lime accompany drinks around wooden, candle-lit tables. The succession of sharing plates that follow – be warned, chefs decide the rolling order – include sashimi, spring rolls, lobster curry noodles, cod in wasabi butter and a tasty duck teriyaki with pickled onions. Service can be variable.
Contact: munchie.fr
Price: ££
Rose du Pont
No one is quite sure if this pink riverside pavilion, with Art Deco balustrades on Chamonix’s main square, really was imported from Paris after the Universal Fair in 1900 or not. Either way, the eye-catching café-brasserie injects a brilliant dose of belle époque Paris into the alpine town. With a gold-leaf floor mosaic, sculpted balconies on a mezzanine, and a showpiece bar with a floor-to-ceiling wall of vintage green glass, it is a beautiful spot for a leisurely meal or afternoon tea. A bilingual menu caters to all tastes: boudin (blood sausage) with mash, garlicky snails, oysters, vegan curry, a classic “jambon-buerre” (ham baguette sandwich), patisserie to honestly make you weep.
Contact: rose-du-pont.com
Price: ££
Frometon
Cheese aficionados will have a field day at this speakeasy, designed to evoke a cave (cheese-ripening cellar) and dairy with its exposed brick, decorative blue-and-white tilework and rustic drying racks stacked with hefty wheels of fromage. Order a Savoyard fondue (mixing fruity Meule de Savoie, Abondance and Beaufort cheeses) for the whole table to dip into. Alternatively, pair up for raclette – notably smoked, peppered or infused with wild garlic. Or fly solo with traditional tartiflette (oven-baked potatoes, bacon, cream and gooey reblochon cheese). Many cheeses come from the Coopérative du Val d’Arly, made using milk from some 80 local farms.
Contact: restaurantfrometon.com
Price: ££
Mumma
At home in Chamonix since 2005, Stockholm-born chef David Lillieroth can do no wrong. His wildly popular néobistrot – a new-school rendition of a classic French bistro – is an exuberant ode to bon vivant living. The chefs-in-black buzz about the part-open kitchen, travelling tastebuds all over the world with their beautifully presented shared plates. The chilli-glazed chicken yakitori is memorable, as is the braised black bean gyoza with sticky orange sauce and mint-spiked red onion. Craft cocktail parings and desserts are equally adventurous (chocolate cake with sea lettuce caramel and rum-infused strawberries anyone?). Open evenings only. Reservations are essential.
Contact: mumma.fr
Price: £££
Le Matafan
Oozing a posh-chalet vibe with its log-stack walls and cherry-red chairs arranged by a striking central fireplace, this fine-dining restaurant at Hôtel Mont Blanc is a top spot for soaking up Chamonix heritage. The mythical, five-star hotel has been the place to be seen since 1849 when it opened near the village church. Longstanding chef Mickey Bourdillat casts fun twists on seasonal alpine dishes from Savoie and across the border in Italy: think creamy polenta, blueberries and popcorn with spicy homemade merguez (lamb sausage) perhaps. Towards the end of the season, on warmer days, lunch by the outdoor pool with a Mont Blanc view is a highlight.
Contact: lematafan.com
Price: £££
Auberge du Bois Prin
Tucked away in backcountry Chamonix, this gastronomic restaurant lies at the heart of a confidential boutique chalet-hotel owned by triple Michelin-starred celebrity chef Emmanuel Renaut from Megève. His Chamonix brigade has been headed by young Savoyard chef Quentin Veyrat since late 2023, with sublime results. Huge mountain views fill the minimalist dining room, and seasonal produce from the market and kitchen garden fuels multi-course tasting menus. Expect creative combos: plump ravioli cushions filled with sérac (fresh cheese) in elderflower broth, duck filet on hay, and desserts melting chocolate with alpine herbs. This isn’t a place for fussy eaters – the whole table has to order from the same menu.
Contact: boisprin.com
Price: £££
Albert 1er
Since 1903 five generations of the Carrier family have run Chamonix’s illustrious five-star hotel and Michelin-starred gastronomic jewel. In keeping with Albert 1er’s grassroots heritage, head chef Damien Leveau favours regional produce – snails from the Chamonix Valley, perch and fera fish from Lake Geneva, beets, onions and all sorts of veg from surrounding farms – to craft his flawless, seven and nine-course dinner menus. Décor is classical, with tables dressed in elegant white linens overlooking grassy meadows, and oenological dining is a thing: 19,000 bottles and more than 1000 different wines – many from the Rhône Valley and neighbouring Valle d’Aoste, Piedmont (Italy) and the Valais (Switzerland) – fill the restaurant’s prized wine cellar.
Contact: hameaualbert.fr
Price: £££
On the mountain
La Crèmerie du Glacier
This forest cabin squirrelled away between trees is always jam-packed – the storied bolthole oozes history and its cheese-fuelled Savoyard dining is excellent value. Ice cutter Georges Ravanel, who supplied hoteliers with ice from the since-retreated Argentière Glacier, opened la crèmerie (serving milky drinks and tarts, hence the name) in 1926 and it’s not difficult to imagine early skiers pouring in here, ravenous as bears after a morning in the snow. Fondues, gratins and the best croûtes (wine-soaked bread, oven-baked with different toppings) this side of Mont Blanc now fill the toasty warm chalet with cheesy aromas. Bring cash – a shaky Internet connection can rule out credit-card payments.
Contact: lacremerieduglacier.fr
Closest lift/piste: La Pierre à Ric, Grands-Montets
Price: £
Chalet Refuge de Lognan
Follow local skiers to this atmospheric, rough old mountain refuge at 2032m, two-thirds of the way down the Intégrale top-to-bottom run in Argentière. Cinematic in vibe (rustic) and location (remote), the dark-stone building is a heritage gem. In the 1880s mountaineers tackling the Argentière glacier crossing left their mules here at a wooden hut, rebuilt in granite in 1905 to accommodate skiers heading to Zermatt along the now-legendary Haute Route. Post-lunch, you’ve committed to a tough ungroomed descent but it’s worth it for the views and hearty homemade food – soups, omelettes, egg-topped croûtes (wine-soaked bread with melted cheese) and a wicked tarte aux myrtilles (blueberry tart). Reservation recommended. Cash only.
Contact: facebook.com/refugedelognan.fr
Closest lift/piste: Point de Vue or Pylônes/Blanchots pistes, Grands-Montets
Price: £–££
Refuge du Montenvers
The secret to truly appreciating the traditional Savoyard cuisine at this mythical, 19th-century restaurant – a favourite with skiers fresh off the Vallée Blanche descent – is to arrive at least 30 minutes before dining. This allows time for swooning over the wood-panelled dining room’s bold views of the oceanic Mer de Glace glacier and the spiky Aiguille du Dru peaks, preferably over a Sex on the Refuge cocktail or local craft beer. Grub-wise, take the lead from mountain guides who come here for pots of bubbling Val d’Arly cheese fondue and platters of local charcuterie. Blueberry tart and one last shot of génepi to round off the night are non-negotiable.
Contact: en.refugedumontenvers.com
Closest lift/piste: Gare du Montenvers
Price: ££
Les Vielles Luges
Regulars familiar with Chamonix’s inimitable Hibou Deli (shut since 2021) will want to hot-foot it up the mountain to this picture-postcard 18th-century farmhouse on the slopes, run with Scandinavian aplomb by Serge and Charlotta. Gingham curtains, faux fur skins, decorative vintage skis and a roaring fire fill the rustic chalet with endless charm. In the kitchen, former Hibou chef Jenny Case cooks up diots fumé (smoked pork sausages), boeuf bourguignon, polenta, rösti and her trademark veggie creations. Sunday lunch roasts, fondue and lamb-shoulder evenings – often accompanied by live music – are fabulous. Access is on skis, on foot or with snowshoes and headlamps on starry nights.
Contact: vieillesluges.com
Closest lift/piste: Télésiége Maison Neuve, Les Aillouds (piste), Les Houches
Price: ££
Le Café du Comptoir
When the high-octane Cham crowd gets too much, cruise gentler blues to this local foodie address in low-key Vallorcine. The buoyant, bon vivant crowd is almost exclusively French and brushed wood, metalwork and animal hides inject alpine chic into the otherwise traditional village chalet. Noisy lunchtimes cook up artisanal pasta, soupe des orties (nettle soup), glorious golden puddles of raclette cheese and Café Comptoir burgers dripping in truffle mayonnaise and gooey cheese from the farm down the road. Come dark, dining is hushed and candlelit. The one must-try? Farçon vallorcin, aka a feisty smoked sausage and potato cake peppered with prunes, apples and raisins.
Contact: lecafecomptoir.com
Closest lift/piste: Tête du Balme-Vallorcine
Price: ££
La Bergerie de Planpraz
Formal dining on the mountain is rare in Chamonix, making a reservation at The Sheepfold essential – on bluebird days its terrace facing Mont Blanc is prime real estate. Inside, contemporary fabrics in autumnal tones and Scandi-style light fittings bathe the traditional stone-and-wood hut in on-trend chic. Grilled meats are “au feu de bois” (wood-fired) and dishes wedding Savoie flavours with those of neighbouring Italy ooze refinement: truffle gnocchi, crispy trout soufflé with candied lemon and crayfish broth. Save space for a génépi gourmand – an alpine spin on the traditional French café gourmand (espresso with a mix of miniature desserts), switching coffee for a fiery shot of mountain-herb liqueur. No tables? Grab a gourmet sandwich to go from the takeaway counter.
Contact: maisondesdrus.com
Closest lift/piste: Télécabine de Planpraz, Planplaz-Brevent
Price: £££
How we choose
Every restaurant in this curated list has been expertly chosen by our ski expert, following years of experience on the slopes. We cover a range of budgets, from piste-side huts to Michelin-starred restaurants – to best suit every skier’s taste – and consider the food, service, best tables, atmosphere and price in our recommendations, with options both in the resort and on the mountain. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest opening and provide up to date recommendations.
