GASTRONOMY

Hôtel Le Comte Rouge

In the heart of Thonon-les-Bains

The local Savoyard gastronomy is a treasure on its own. It should obviously be part of your travel and discoveries. Childish arguments between the French and the Swiss as to who originated specific meals or which recipes are the best will always be a source for endless debates. In any case we all love our regional cuisine.
 
You are given the chance to taste our delicious cheeses. Is there anything better than directly going to the farm, see where it is done and being given a choice of cheeses that far exceeds what you could find in any supermarket? Abondance, Tomme de Montagnes, Beaufort, Emmental, the delicate Chevrotin, the irresistible Reblochon and the famous Raclette which has always made the heart of the Savoyards melt. You can feel the strong taste of the mountains and the tenderness of our pastures. These little ambassadors will make your taste buds dance.
 
Numerous delicious dishes provide the assurance for convivial and unforgettable meals. Roe deer fillet with lingonberries, "Savoyard Potée", Diots sausages with Polenta, Savoyard Fondue, Raclette, Tartiflette and their variants are always a delight. Alpine food is generally served with some cold meat. Where will you find the best one? Probably by asking the neighbour as many Savoyards are producing their own raw ham, sausages, meat and even dried fish in their cellar.
 
Desserts are also shining the light on our local products: The Matafan with local apples, pears Rissoles, the St-Genix, blueberries pie and soft Savoy cake will bring you over the moon.
 
At aperitif time, Savoyard kir and local beers are available to toast with friends or family. The most surprising beverage remains the ''chèvre". You can barely find it in any supermarket. This foamy beverage made with apple wort and rum or kirsch, is a pure pleasure. A treasure hidden in cellars that you should savour should the opportunity present itself.
Then wines associated with cheese plates are forming a magnificent alchemy. You should not miss the opportunity to try the white wines of Marin or the Comte Rouge cuvée de Ripaille. After such a feast, tradition demands to order a ''trou Savoyard" instead of a ''trou Normand''. Other well-known local specialities are: Genepi, Gentiane, fruit schnapps and pine liquor. Most of them are homemade. Do not forget to drink moderately.
 
In short distances from the hotel, excellent restaurants are waiting for you in the city centre or on the banks of the lake. Chefs in labelled restaurants, specialized in regional cuisine, will make the most of local products and ancestral recipes. Among the classic choices: the filet of perch and féra (fish), game meat, cheese and fruit or vegetables of our countryside.
 
Our craftsmen and growers open their doors to share their know-how with you: Master-butcher, cheese refiner, goat farms, wine estate, and brewery. Take away a piece of the Chablais region! Be lead into temptation by the flavours of our culinary heritage.