French Restaurant Review: La Bouitte, St-Martin-de-Belleville

In the ‘little house’ in Savoie, Savoyard cuisine is taken to another level by the Meilleur family.

The popularity of much-loved cheese dishes such as raclette, tartiflette and fondue, a trio associated with the Alps, can distract from the fact that the Savoie is a spectacular gastronomic destination on par with such Michelin star-studded regions as Burgundy and the Côte d’Azur. A perfect example of this high-altitude excellence is La Bouitte, a delightful hotel with two restaurants where the third generation of the family is making its mark in the kitchen.

When René Meilleur and his wife, Marie-Louise, opened La Bouitte (‘the little house’ in Savoyard slang) in 1976, their idea was to serve hearty Savoyard dishes to skiers and hikers. Then René dined at Paul Bocuse and was so bowled over by the experience that he decided he wanted to cook with the same degree of excellence and creativity. So began the evolution of this table into an exalted gastronomic destination, as René won a first Michelin star and his son, Maxime, joined him in the kitchen. Now Maxime’s sons have come on board – Oscar, 22, after working at the Michelin three-star Plénitude in Paris, and Calixte, 16, as an apprentice.

Not having been to La Bouitte for a long time, it was a pleasure to meet friends from Annecy there for lunch recently. We dined in the gastronomic restaurant there’s also a good bistro here, where they serve tasting menus of three, four, five or eight courses, as well as à la carte. We chose the three-course lunch menu for €210, and loved our first course of crozets, a Savoyard speciality of tiny squares of pasta, cooked and fried in a bouillon of diots (small, smoked, locally-made sausages) with melted cheese. The omble chevalier, a fish from the freshwater lakes of the Alps, was simply cooked to privilege its delicate, succulent flesh, and a superb soufflé flavoured with herbs and moss concluded this outstanding meal. Highly recommended for the warmth and generosity of the Meilleurs’ hospitality, as well as the excellence of the food, and as good a destination in the spring or summer as in the colder months.

La Bouitte, Hameau de Saint Marcel, Saint-Martin-de-Belleville.

Tel: (+33) 04 79 08 96 77

Average à la carte €140.

From France Today Magazine