Eating out in Chamonix

With over 100 restaurants and eateries to choose from, there is something for everyone's taste in the Chamonix Valley. The options range from Michelin Guide-rated gourmets' delights to fast food outlets. Popular choices include La Cantina for Mexican and the atmospheric converted barn, L'Impossible. La Bergerie is good for local dishes. The restaurants owned by the resort's two best hotels - the Albert 1er and the Auberge de Bois Prin - are at the top end of the gourmet/price scale. Traditional local dishes include 'les diots' - a local sausage spiked with herbs, and 'le farcement', a 'cake' of potatoes, prunes, sultanas, diced bacon, flavoured with eau de vie and served as an accompaniment to meat dishes. Another choice is 'le berthoud', a local Abondance cheese served with local smoked ham and beef with jacket potatoes.