Abîme - L'Auberge du Pont

74540 GRUFFY

13/20
Chef's Restaurant

Chef

Services Accomodation

Price Indicative price per person (excl. drinks)

24€ à 45€

Gault&Millau's review

13/20

Chef's Restaurant In the Bauges mountains, it's one of those little miracles we love to tell you about. The Auberge du Pont had been neglected for ten years, slumbering in this wooded landscape. But, as in "Sleeping Beauty", a young prince is about to bring it back to life. Maxime Ardin was born a few kilometers from here, after a stint in some of the best restaurants, from Régis Marcon to Philippe Augé. His aim here is to deliver a local, plant-based cuisine that's well constructed, as if on a knife-edge. His trout confit with ground ivy in beurre blanc is divinely cooked, with balanced flavors of lemon and mint. As for the ravioles, they are accompanied by fresh peas and shiitake mushrooms. The trick lies in the delicate reduced cream, a gourmet touch that is enhanced by a wild sorrel with a strong temperament. The pork sirloin (by Maxime Baud) is reassuringly classic. But here, too, a taboulé of wild herbs could topple us at any moment. The pavlova simply assembled around blackcurrants is perfect. While the lemony flavors of the cookie are not quite there, the accompanying granita awakens the palate, as does the sugar-crystallized blackcurrant leaf. Nearby the famous bridge, L'Abîme won't plunge you into hazardous adventures. On the contrary, like a tightrope walker, the chef delivers a hidden menu that's right on the money.