Small, stylish and brilliantly located, La Cour du 6 sits just minutes from the lake, the old town and the station. Its 21 thoughtfully designed rooms showcase the work of local artisans through marble, ceramics and handcrafted ironwork, while the lively brasserie downstairs is reason enough to drop by, whether you're staying overnight or not.

Les Baigneurs is a local go-to café, known for serving one of the best lattes in town. The morning pastries arrive fresh-baked daily in time for breakfast, while the tartine of tomato and balsamic on properly toasted house bread is the standout lunchtime choice – though the croque-monsieur earns an honourable mention. Two small but notable advantages in an otherwise busy town: proper air conditioning, and an interior calm that feels genuinely local rather than touristic. Pair it with a swim at Plage d'Albigny for an easy, well-paced afternoon.

On Rue Sommeiller, Bloomer serves some of Annecy’s most quietly inventive cooking from its open kitchen. The menu is built around seasonal small plates: delicate pastry puffs filled with trout tarama and candied lemon, rösti potatoes worth ordering twice, celery root ravioli and fresh sashimi. The wine list is longer than the menu, and the owner knows it inside out. 

Five minutes from Annecy station on Rue de la Gare, Dip is the all-day hangout that works as a Lebanese-leaning small-plates restaurant and a serious coffee shop. The cult order is the purple yam latte, but the kitchen is the real draw: vegetable-forward shared plates that feel fresh and generous, built for long tables and longer evenings. The mocktails are properly considered, the wine list short and sensibly priced.