Auberge du Père Bise — Jean Sulpice

Auberge du Père Bise sits on the bay of Talloires, a 25-minute drive from Annecy's old town along the eastern shore of the lake. The property is a century-old lake inn — the first restaurant building was built in 1901 — that was acquired by Jean and Magali Sulpice in 2017. Jean Sulpice had already earned two stars at his previous restaurant in Val Thorens, at the time the highest-altitude two-starred kitchen in France, and he brought the same team to Talloires. The restaurant was awarded two stars at Auberge du Père Bise in the 2019 Michelin Guide and a Green Star in 2020, and has retained both ratings through the 2026 edition.

The cuisine is alpine haute in Sulpice's particular register. The menu opens with a presentation of Savoyard herbs and vegetables harvested from named producers within 50km — Caroline Joguet's goat cheeses from Arêches-Beaufort, Marc Dubouloz's Tomme, Lake Annecy fera from fisherman Florent Capretti. The signature dishes are the egg with wild porcini and spruce tips, the féra with lake-weed emulsion, and a cheese course featuring aged Beaufort from a three-summer-maturation programme. The wine cellar runs to 30,000 bottles and 5,000 labels, overseen by head sommelier Maéva Rougeoreille.

The dining room seats 38 across the interior (large lake-facing windows) and the covered terrace. Service is led by maître Lionel Dhers and is the most polished on Lake Annecy — unhurried, informed, and calibrated to the pace the diner sets. The hotel rooms above are run as a five-star Relais & Châteaux property, which makes the restaurant the natural destination-dining choice for visitors staying in the property itself.

The lunch menu is €145 for four courses (the best-value two-star lunch in France). The dinner tasting is €285 for seven courses or €395 for the ten-course Grand Menu. Wine pairings are +€165. Service is included; round up 5–10% for exceptional evenings.

Auberge du Père Bise is the proposal restaurant on Lake Annecy. The terrace over the water, the Alpine peaks in the background, the evening light on the bay of Talloires, the two stars, the green star — every element is calibrated for a once-in-a-lifetime evening. Reserve the 7pm sitting in late May through mid-September to catch the sunset on the eastern peaks; the 8pm sitting is the alternative if you want the lake lights to come on during dessert.