Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

Recently taken over by its owner/chef, this small restaurant has been turned into a beautiful, contemporary eatery serving tasty and light modern cuisine.

This long-established inn stands by a bridge spanning the gorge – the Chéran River flows a few hundred metres below! A native of the area, the chef likes to work with regional ingredients he sources from local producers. Even amateur mushroom foragers are welcome to offer up their pick of the day. His squash risotto, fricassee of shiitake, polypore and oyster mushrooms is a prime example of his culinary style, which is geared toward plants and vegetables and the interplay of textures. A "discovery menu" made up of several courses is available in the evening and at weekends. Appealing lunchtime set menu.

In the rapidly changing Gerland neighbourhood in the 7^th <i>arrondissement</i>, this restaurant takes you on a culinary journey. At the helm is a close-knit couple: Jennifer Palopoli on the restaurant floor and Ashwin Vijaykumar, who was born in India and trained in French pastry-making and cuisine in New Zealand. In a former neighbourhood bistro that has been turned into a bright and contemporary space, the chef creates dishes with exotic accents, drawing on spices from India and Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas. We were particularly taken with the grey prawn toast with fine herbs, with a dab of turmeric mayonnaise and gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes), one of their vibrant, generous dishes. A small courtyard to the rear completes this exotic haven.

Pieter Riedijk, ex-chef of Le Montgomerie (K2 Altitude), has left Courchevel for the valley to open this bistro serving "food for sharing". In a warm, rustic-style decor, Riedijk sources quality ingredients that he crafts into country recipes rich in hearty flavours: rillettes of black pork, veggie pickles; chuck confit beef, Mondeuse sauce; chocolate, hazelnut and caramel mousse. In a bid to make the most of the region’s treasure trove of bountiful spring and summer crops, he cherry-picks local farm produce, as well as foraging his own. A splendid addition to the valley’s culinary landscape!

This unfussy, up-to-date bistro sets the scene for instinctive, well-crafted food in the zeitgeist. Fine seasonal produce and a distinct fondness for vegetables result in dishes that combine formal elegance with flavoursome coherence. Now add lashings of generosity and a friendly vibe and you will find yourself in one of the best establishments on the Left Bank of Lyon.

This bistro with its hip Scandinavian-inspired decor specialises in seasonal, local ingredients. Examples of the deftly crafted, well-presented culinary pageant include pork chop from Breuil-sur-Couze, pressed aubergine in basil and chanterelles; apricot mousse, shiso and Auvergne honey ice cream.

Located on a pedestrian street, with an open kitchen that is already visible from outside, Agave references the plant from which tequila and mezcal are made. Raphaël and Fernanda Pillon, a French-Mexican couple and trained pastry-makers, create a brilliant fusion cuisine of French ingredients and Mexican flavours. After a stint in Mexico, the pair returned to his roots in the Ain, where they create balanced dishes, discerningly complemented by a variety of sauces and condiments: scallops and macha salsa, pastrami-style roast beef given a boost by salsa verde, veal rump elevated by an intense mole sauce. Their expertise in patisserie brings the meal to a wonderfully indulgent close.

AinTimiste

On the doorstep of the Cerdon vineyards, this picturesque medieval village in the Bugey and Revermont region is home to a great establishment! Jérôme Busset works tirelessly (in and out of the kitchen) to devise an intelligent surprise menu with a range of options. Modern, intuitive, signature cuisine, made with cherry-picked local produce: market garden asparagus and carrots, snails with wild herbs, Poncin honey and insightful wine tips. All of which is served in a pleasant airy dining room with a lightwell and a vaulted conservatory.

At the foot of the Aiguille du Midi cable car (which takes passengers up to 3 842m), this is the restaurant of Héliopic Hotel. The modern brasserie setting has a decor of untreated wood, metal and granite, along with designer furniture. The space gives onto a partially covered terrace with views of the mountains. The menu of vibrant and inspired cuisine features house-made chorizo grilled over charcoal with baba ganoush, crab ravioli with citrus fruits seasoned with a shellfish emulsion and Timut pepper, and braised pork cheek with cider, served with green spaetzle, cherries and red onions. During the UTMB race, a special menu is dedicated to the ultramarathon runners.

Albert 1er

Since it was founded in 1903, this iconic Chamonix establishment has been run by the same family. Chef Damien Leveau’s regional score (Arctic char and whitefish from Lake Geneva, snails from the Mont Blanc area, locally bred pork and lamb) underscored by produce from the herb garden, such as oxalis, lovage, citrus thyme, savory, lemon balm and sage, is served in a stylish, understated interior. The spruce hamlet is also home to Maison Carrier, which serves authentic regional fare in a former Alpine farmstead.

After training at the Paul Bocuse Institute and a number of noteworthy spells in top establishments, such as Troisgros, youthful Carla Kirsch, who hails from Veracruz in Mexico, has settled in the Croix-Rousse district. The signature here is clearly Mexican from the décor, which features old rafters with splashes of colour, to the food, which Carla joyfully crafts using top-notch seasonal ingredients (sweet corn in the starter and chili peppers in the dessert). The menu changes monthly and the beverages include a few Mexican wines as well as tequilas and mezcals.

Set beside a lake and boasting a magnificent view of Mont Blanc, this chalet has a resolutely understated decor. On the menu, traditional cuisine is given free rein, in dishes such as slow-cooked egg, lentils, smoked <i>diot</i> (pork sausages from the regional repertoire) and a bacon emulsion, or beef bourguignon. In fact, the chef won a competition with his pâté en croûte.