Maison Benoît Vidal

Benoît Vidal owns this restaurant with a slick contemporary decor. The Catalan chef, who hails from Perpignan and has worked with Michel Trama and Michel Guérard, has created a light, poetic brand of cuisine that is rooted in the culinary traditions of Savoie, his adopted home. He brings a sense of precision and his own personal style to bear on the rigorously sourced ingredients, elevating them with sound technical skill and elaborate presentations. The strength of this chef may well lie in his pared-down, apparently simple creations: a crayfish starter cleverly combining a slightly bitter coffee and pine bud sabayon with a powerful, concentrated jus made from the crayfish heads; semi-smoked pigeon seasoned with citrus and hazelnut – an understated and elegant dish. Appealing vegetarian set menu (Sentier à fleur d'eau) and attractively priced lunch menu.

What makes it distinctive

• A contemporary dining room on the heights of Annecy, cooking rooted in Savoie with a light, precise hand
• A clear freshwater thread, dishes built around pike, trout and crayfish rather than showpiece luxury
• Menu structure that splits the experience by idea, including a fish-only menu and a six-course vegetable version

Signature Ingredients

• Lake fish and freshwater produce, pike and trout
• Crayfish
• Seasonal vegetables, including a dedicated six-course plant-forward menu
• Alpine, Savoie sourcing, handled with restrained, precise technique