Maison Benoît Vidal - Sur les Bois

Rating: 15
Author: Gault&Millau

74940 ANNECY-LE-VIEUX

15/20
Remarkable Restaurant

BOOK

7 PHOTOS

Chef: Benoît Vidal
Cooking: French | Gastronomic
Services: Cooking lessons
Style: Romantic

Budget (€)

Indicative price per person (excl. drinks)

74 to 215

Gault&Millau's review 2026

After 12 years at the top of the gourmet chairlift in Val d'Isère, Benoît Vidal has dismounted. Heading for the hills above Annecy, between deciduous trees and clearings. At 50, the chef has changed altitude, but not his standards. He's at home at last. And above all, he does everything: he pays, he hires, he cooks, he gardens. A true boss-aubergist in a sober but carefully thought-out house. Here, you don't choose your dishes, just a theme: lakes, gardens, terroirs. The rest is up to you. The lake? He knows it like the back of his hand. The fish glide delicately through his hands. Vegetables? Stars. Tomatoes dance with cucumbers, like a popular ball. Carrots and zucchini play the balancing act under a reduced carrot and passion fruit juice. And that celery apple, melting, almost caramelized like a candy cane... an unexpected sweetness. The whole thing is escorted by a cider vinegar and hazelnut butter sauce, a simple yet redoubtable gourmet delight. And if you'd like to try the frogs' legs, they're escorted by mousserons and hazelnuts. The cheese platter features 12 references and lacks a little gourmandise. But you'll be able to plunge with delight between Alpine Beaufort, Manigodine, or well-matured tommes. The desserts follow the same path, keeping to a taut, alpine line: rhubarb and strawberries keep warm, while the farm's milk plays matchmaker between chartreuse and cassis. They have so much to talk about... And what about the cellar? Savoie is no longer the forgotten belle: it's on display, it's self-assured, it's enchanting. And if you do a little digging, you'll find a few fine wines for under €100. Enough to toast without trembling. So what can we learn from this address? Good food, yes. But above all, you'll have the assurance of having been useful, by supporting an independent establishment in full mutation, and a chef who has never been happier... than here, "in the woods" of Annecy.