L'Esquisse

Rating: 15
Author: Gault&Millau

74000 ANNECY

15/20
Remarkable Restaurant

BOOK

8 PHOTOS

Chef: Stéphane Dattrino
Services: Pets allowed

Budget (€)

Indicative price per person (excl. drinks)

55 to 130

Gault&Millau's review 2026

Just a stone's throw from Annecy's old town, in the discreet setting of a small cottage, L'Esquisse hides its game well. Stéphane Dattrino and his wife run a seemingly modest restaurant, but with all the attention to detail of a top address: a warm welcome, an attentive eye, and that sincere desire to do well that sets them apart. There's no staging for social networking sites here, just simplicity at the service of what's essential. The menus bear slightly old-fashioned names: "Inspiration, Expression gourmande, Intégrale". But behind this kitschy touch, the intention is clear: to offer, at a fair price, a cuisine of local products, often patiently selected, sometimes picked from the chef's own garden. A table of appetizers, quickly swallowed and quickly forgotten, opens the ball. But right from the start, the score rises. The tomato, without paste but with real aromatic depth, surprises with its precision. The mushroom tart, with its textured texture, seduces with the elegance of its salted pastry with hazelnut butter, the creaminess of its emulsion and, above all, a sauce that's tasty right down to the last spoonful. The monkfish, seared with precision, is accompanied by a skilfully worked butternut; only the jus, a little too relaxed, lacks the relief and concentration that would have lifted the whole higher. The finale, on the other hand, sweeps everything away: a chocolate opus where cake with a hint of salt, ganache and gianduja intertwine, escorted by a cocoa nib sorbet and an airy tuile, as light as it is addictive. The cellar is not to be outdone, revealing some fine finds, with magnums priced from €69 to €123. An idea that's both generous and convivial - or selfishly tempting. In short, L'Esquisse is anything but a pale copy: it's a colorful, sincere and diligent establishment, where the cuisine is intense and precise, served with an energy that doesn't cheat. An address that proves that in Annecy, elegance can sometimes be found in simplicity, and that generosity needs no artifice to shine.