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.

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.