The Best Guide to Restaurants in Samoens

Restaurants and Dining

Samoens Mountain Restaurants

There are several dozen mountain restaurants in the Grand Massif with a great variety of establishments ranging from large cafeteria style buildings to tiny wooden chalets offering table service. High quality local establishments, closest to Samoëns, include Lou Caboëns at the top of the gondola which falls in to the latter category, serving up traditional mountain favourites. l'Epicea Tel: (+33 (0)4 50 90 83 79) on a green run of the same name also does good food including a great daily set menu. More are described in our mountain restaurant entries for Flaine and Les Carroz.

Restaurants in Samoens

Food is a forte in Samoens and the two dozen restaurants almost all have good reputations, the vast majority using locally sourced ingredients to produce traditional mountain favourites like raclette and fondues to local handed-down recipes. Le Mode a l'Envers (+33 (0)4 50 34 19 36) has an eclectic menu and La Table de Fifine (+33 (0)4 50 34 10 29; fifine.com), a little way outside the village, is also very good. It’s not all French food however, The Louisiane (+33 (0)4 50 34 42 83) does great pizza.

Grocery Shops

Samoens' traditions and ambience are reflected in its selection of a dozen or so family-run food shops. Locally made cheese is a big ingredient in the village’s food and it’s no different in the shops. All the cheese for sale at "Le Criou" (+33(0)4 50 34 94 46) is made from the milk of the owner’s herd of cattle. The Fruitière de Samoëns (+33(0)4 50 89 52 85) is another local cheese specialist. There are also several bakeries for your morning croissant and baguettes, including the Boulangerie Tiffanie (+33(0)4 50 34 42 62).

Le Grenier Savoyard (Grande rue; +33(0)4 50 34 48 22; greniersavoyard.fr) is a great deli and Le Veau Gras (imm. la Bourgeoise; +33(0)4 50 34 47 36) is the village butchers, but also provides a deli service, other fresh foods and readymade meals to take out and cook in your apartment. There are several more mountain food/deli specialists. La Feuille de vigne (Rue Cognacq-Jaÿ; +33(0)4 50 34 19 56) is one but it also makes a speciality of local wines with regular evening tastings.
Those with a sweet tooth should visit Fun Bonbons (Place du Gros Tilleul, Immeuble Le Clévieux; +33(0)4 50 93 37 15) which stocks 150 varieties or A la Jaÿsinia (+33(0)4 50 34 40 31) which specialises in chocolates and cakes and bread. It is also a tearoom.

For everything else there are two small supermarkets, a Carrefour Market (Les Sages; +33(0)4 50 34 97 77) and a Sherpa (+33(0)4 50 53 43 50).