"The relaxed table at a Relais & Chateaux address: Franck Reynaud's French-Mediterranean bistro, mountain views and a CHF 65 market menu."
About Bistrot
Le Bistrot des Ours is the relaxed restaurant at the Hostellerie du Pas de l'Ours, the Relais & Chateaux house on Rue du Pas de l'Ours in Crans-Montana. It shares a chef, Franck Reynaud, with the hotel's Michelin-starred L'Ours next door, but trades tasting-menu formality for French-Mediterranean bistro cooking, a rustic mountain room and a terrace over the valley.
The Michelin Guide lists it, without a star, and it gives visitors a way to eat Reynaud's cooking without the gastronomic-menu commitment. It is the easygoing half of one of Switzerland's best Alpine dining addresses.
The Kitchen
Reynaud, named Gault&Millau's Swiss Chef of the Year in 2018 and honoured with the Swiss Merite culinaire in 2023, brings his Provencal roots to a shorter, market-led menu. The three-course market menu is CHF 65, served at lunch except on weekends; with a two-glass wine pairing it is CHF 89. Expect French-Mediterranean bistro plates that change with what the market offers.
For the starred sibling next door see L'Ours, and for the wider resort the Crans-Montana dining guide and other French tables.
The Room
The room is a rustic, mountain-styled bistro with wood and stone, and the terrace, seating around sixty-five, commands a wide view of the valley and the surrounding peaks. The mood is relaxed rather than ceremonial, which makes it a natural choice for lunch on the slopes or an unfussy dinner. Service is polished in the Relais & Chateaux manner without the formality of the gastronomic room.
What to Order
Take the three-course market menu, the heart of what the bistro does, and add the two-glass wine pairing for CHF 89. Aim for the terrace at lunch when the valley view is at its best. For a full-dress occasion, book the starred fine-dining room L'Ours next door instead.
Best for a Relaxed Lunch or First Date
Le Bistrot des Ours suits a relaxed lunch, a first date or an unhurried solo meal: Relais & Chateaux polish and a starred chef's cooking at bistro prices, with a terrace view of the Valais. See more business-lunch tables and the Crans-Montana dining guide.
Not for
Not for a black-tie gastronomic blow-out, that is L'Ours next door, Le Bistrot des Ours is the easygoing market-menu table, and the appeal is value, view and Reynaud's cooking without the tasting-menu price.
Frequently Asked
Is Le Bistrot des Ours worth it?
Yes, as the relaxed way to eat a starred chef's cooking. Le Bistrot des Ours is the bistro at the Relais & Chateaux Hostellerie du Pas de l'Ours in Crans-Montana, run by Franck Reynaud, who also holds a Michelin star at the adjoining L'Ours. The three-course market menu is CHF 65, or CHF 89 with wine, which is strong value for the address and the mountain-view terrace. It is listed in the Michelin Guide without a star.
Where is Le Bistrot des Ours in Crans-Montana?
Le Bistrot des Ours is at the Hostellerie du Pas de l'Ours, Rue du Pas de l'Ours 41, in the Plans-Mayens area of Crans-Montana, in the Swiss canton of Valais. It is the casual restaurant of a Relais & Chateaux hotel, set beside the starred L'Ours, with a terrace that looks out over the valley and the surrounding peaks. It is an easy choice for lunch off the slopes.
What does it cost to eat at Le Bistrot des Ours?
The three-course market menu is CHF 65 per person, served at lunch except on weekends, and CHF 89 with a two-glass wine pairing. That makes it a notably affordable way to eat Franck Reynaud's cooking, given that the adjoining L'Ours runs a discovery menu from CHF 180 to CHF 240. The bistro menu changes with the market, so expect French-Mediterranean plates rather than a fixed carte.
How is Le Bistrot des Ours different from L'Ours?
They share a chef, Franck Reynaud, and an address, but play different roles. L'Ours is the gastronomic room, one Michelin star and 18 out of 20 at Gault&Millau, with a five-to-eight-course discovery menu from CHF 180. Le Bistrot des Ours is the relaxed table, a French-Mediterranean market menu from CHF 65, a rustic room and a terrace. Choose the bistro for value and view, L'Ours for a full-dress occasion.
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Reserve at Le Bistrot des Ours
Via pasdelours.ch · Crans-Montana
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Practical Information
AddressRue du Pas de l'Ours 41, Crans-Montana
CuisineFrench / Mediterranean
SignatureThree-course market menu
PriceCHF 65 (CHF 89 with wine)
ChefFranck Reynaud
Part ofHostellerie du Pas de l'Ours (Relais & Chateaux)
RecognitionMichelin Guide listed
