For our last night in Annecy, I decided to pick Yoann Conte for dinner. Once we parked in the hotel lot, we descended the stairs, got our coats, umbrellas, and car keys taken care of, and were escorted to our seat. Our dinner reservation was at 7 PM, but it was definitely on the early side - the dining room was not solidly filled for another 1.5 hours or so. The staff are rather friendly, and a good number of them speak enough English to describe the dishes and make a little small talk. Although the dining room is what would be the lower floor of the overall hotel, there are (or would be, if it wasn't a rainy night) stunning views of the lake that must make this a phenomenal place to have a view while eating lunch or dinner in the summer. With a lot of wooden beams and slats overhead, as well as straws of hay sticking out, it probably feels like a barn in the summertime, but it can also double as a lodge in the colder seasons.
My perception of French food is that it tends to be heavier and lean more towards the meat, so I really enjoyed this meal, which seemed to have more of a focus on seafood and vegetables and just a couple meat dishes (though boy, were they good). The meal started off with a small slice of local whitefish that was extremely fresh with a smooth texture, topped with crispy potato bits and served in a thick herb sauce. Next up were 3 small bits of seafood and meat. The first, the 'sea effect' (go Google Translate!) was very fresh crab served under a small slice of radish - again, the quality of the seafood here was quite top-notch. The 'land effect' was three small circles of beef tartare that were delicious on their own, but even better when dipped in the quail egg-topped dip that it was served with. Egg is a common complement to meat tartares that I have had in the past, but this miniature-sized interpretation really allowed for the unique taste of the quail egg to add much more depth to a bite-sized plate. A couple more seafood dishes followed, with the next a lightly fried perch served with a heavily dill and saffron-infused curry sauce. The Indian inspiration was quite interesting - one normally associates Indian food more with the U.K. - but it worked really well, as the strength of the flavor of the curry was perfectly balanced against the fragility and delicateness of the perch. The langoustine that came next was bright and full of zest, too. Described as 'lacquered with sweet spices', its glaze reminded me of a less in-your-face version of sweet-and-sour sauce, and topped with bits of colorful peppers, this was the most colorful dish we ate.
From here, we transitioned to 'the carrot', which is apparently the restaurant's marquee dish. It's prepared a couple of different ways, from thinly-rolled slices to dab in carrot jelly, to a thick slab of carrot sauce, to a delicious thicker slice that is presented almost like a bite of fish, to carrot sorbet(!) as a palate cleanser. It is a fantastic show of versatility and a memorable dish for sure. Next up were artichokes in an herbed vinaigrette, which was a very earthy but tasty presentation of the artichoke. These were followed by the mains: first, the scallop, which was actually not as good as the previous night (at La Ciboulette). Served in an orange juice sauce and slightly spiced, the overall bite was good, but the texture was a bit rubbery. The foie gras, though - wow! I'm used to eating it as an appetizer, but this good-sized slice was so rich and full of complex flavors that it's probably the best foie that I've tasted as a dish. It certainly didn't hurt that it was served in a light sauce infused with black truffles (in the sauce, as well as with several slices of truffle on top). A fantastic way to finish the main courses for sure!
We ended up going quite light on the cheeses, as we were approaching the food limit with desserts still to come. That said, there selection is impressive, and the kind I got - a soft cheese, a gouda, and a really stinky bleu cheese - were all quite good. The first dessert was a grapefruit sorbet topped with small meringue - a nice, clean light start. Next was a little heavier, with a couple more gelatos (coconut being one of them), served atop more savory bread - to me, probably the least memorable of the desserts. Last but not least was the chocolate souffle, which was much better than the previous night - so rich in flavor, and with a scoop of ice-cold chocolate ice cream dropped in the middle, it had a great contrast of cold and hot deliciousness, but both of chocolate origins. We then finished up with tea by the fireplace, but this was the only sour note of the night - it took the wait staff a couple visits and about 20 minutes to bring us the check.
In all - a little off the beaten path in Annecy, but the food is phenomenal, and the service is great, even for out-of-towners like ourselves. I would definitely come back, and I recommend it to anyone who is looking for an exquisite meal. read more
