Annecy
in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Tucked into Passage de la Cathédrale, Baïda is the breakfast room locals queue for on a Saturday. The menu is short and unfussy: Turkish eggs with a proper hit of garlic, breakfast buns with veggie bacon, chocolate brioche to ask for double-toasted. All gluten-free, vegan or vegetarian, none of it tastes like compromise. The flat whites are excellent, the homemade lemonades better. The room is intimate enough to feel like a secret, which makes it ill-suited to large groups but ideal for two over the morning paper. Pair with a wander through the old town.

A celebration of the region's best producers, Halles du Haras brings together independent traders under one roof. Browse butchers, fishmongers, cheesemongers and greengrocers championing local, seasonal produce, then pull up a seat at the traiteur counter for regional dishes to eat in or take away.

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. 

With one of the prettiest terraces on the lake, Bora Bora is an easy choice for a leisurely lunch or dinner. Order the house burger – generously smothered in melted cheddar – and enjoy it with uninterrupted views across Annecy's shimmering waters.

The best bakery in town, hands down. Part organic bakery, part neighbourhood épicerie, La Source turns out exceptional sourdough, flaky pastries and proper savoury tarts, alongside daily lunch specials that are well worth joining the queue for.

Run by a Vietnamese family on Rue Vaugelas, Mamie Anh draws a lunchtime queue for its bò bún, soft bánh bao, and a vegetarian bánh mì served on a baguette baked in-house. The portions are generous and the seasoning straightforward (bring your own hot sauce if you like things properly Vietnamese-spicy). Take it away for a picnic on the Pâquier lawns or squeeze into one of the few indoor seats. This is a small, unfussy address that locals tend to get protective about and visitors often stumble upon by accident.

Perched high above Talloires, the Col de la Forclaz is one of the most beautiful viewpoints around Lake Annecy. The panorama is remarkable, with the lake stretching below and the surrounding Alpine peaks rising in every direction. It’s also one of Europe’s most famous paragliding spots, so chances are you’ll see colourful wings floating overhead while you take it all in. Come for the view, stay for a leisurely lunch on a terrace or linger until sunset, when the mountains catch the last of the light.

Just two minutes from the station, Dialog has become the post-run, post-ride, pre-train coffee for Annecy's sportier crew. The beans are sharp and the kit is smart, but it is the cinnamon rolls that have built the local following. Vegan sandwiches at lunch, friendly baristas, room enough to settle for ten minutes or an hour. A much sweeter way to wait for a train than the platform.

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. 

The only specialty coffee shop in Annecy pouring beans from the cult Paris roaster TANAT Coffee Roasters, Drip is where the city’s baristas tend to end up on their day off. The espresso is the headline, the flat white smooth and well judged, but the affogato with peanut topping is the one to know about. It’s worth crossing town for if you care about what’s in your cup, and a good caffeine-kick wakeup. 

Set directly on the shores of Lake Annecy, La Maison Bleue is an intimate 11-room retreat with uninterrupted lake views and Yoann Conte's celebrated restaurants at its heart. Come for lunch at the two-Michelin-starred Table de Yoann Conte or stay for the breathtaking mountain walks, swims in the lake, and long meals showcasing the local Alpine flavours.

Lakefront restaurants are hardly in short supply, but finding one that's genuinely worth your time is another story. The terrace at Le Bel Abri looks straight onto Annecy's turquoise waters, with a menu that pairs seasonal French cooking with flavours borrowed from further afield – roasted potatoes with melted local Reblochon, delicate charcuterie, fragrant curries and Moroccan-inspired lamb bastilla – all backed by an excellent selection of wines from Savoie, Burgundy and the Rhône.

Tucked away in the charming streets of la vieille ville (the old town), Jasmin has been serving Annecy’s most mouth-watering dim sum in steaming bamboo baskets. Book ahead –  as it gets full pretty quickly – and wash down homemade baos with some piping hot jasmine tea.

Climb the stairs above Rue du Pâquier and the wood-panelled dining room of L'Étage is exactly the kind of Savoyard institution every Alpine town should have. The fondue is properly aged and generous, the cheese-stuffed feuilleté a quiet standout, and the omelette norvégienne the right way to finish a heavy meal. Order the grilled lake-caught trout for a slightly lighter option. We'd recommend booking the upstairs room for atmosphere. 

An hour away from Megève, tucked away on the shores of Lake Annecy is the Auberge du Père Bise. Charming and ever-so idyllic; sleep, dine and relax at this dreamy spot. To say the setting is incomparable is an understatement... 

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.

Just fifteen minutes from Annecy, in Menthon-Saint-Bernard, you can dine directly above a working dairy farm that produces all of its cheese on site. The menu is unapologetically Savoyard: fondue, raclette, or tartiflette, served with cured charcuterie, salad, potatoes, pickles, and bread, followed by ice cream and coffee. The smell is intense, the tables are family-sized, and the laughter grows louder as the evening unfolds. Book at least a week in advance.

Le Brazé pairs one of the area's postcard-worthy terraces with refined, ingredient-led cooking. The menu changes with the seasons, showcasing local produce in generous dishes elevated by rich, deeply flavoured sauces. And whatever you do, save room for dessert – the pastry chef Clément Le Sieur is the restaurant's secret weapon, turning out some of Annecy's finest sweet creations.

If you're after good vibes rather than white tablecloths, head to Cabanon. This lively lakeside spot starts the day with coffee and continues with cocktails by evening, while food trucks, DJ sets and a terrace packed with families and friends make it one of Annecy's most convivial places to spend a summer evening.

Forget foie gras and caviar – at Clos des Sens, the real stars are lake fish, garden vegetables, wild herbs, and whatever happens to be at its seasonal peak. Set within a small hotel overlooking Lake Annecy, this three-Michelin-starred restaurant has become a benchmark for terroir-driven dining, with menus rooted entirely in the surrounding Alpine landscape.

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.

Just steps from the old town, the Jardin de l’Europe offers a peaceful stretch of greenery along the shores of Lake Annecy. Shaded pathways wind beneath centuries-old trees, opening onto beautiful views of the lake, the Pont des Amours and the mountains beyond. Keep an eye out for the wooden sculptures and seasonal artworks that often appear throughout the park, adding an extra layer of character to the walk. Whether you’re passing through or lingering on a bench, it’s one of Annecy’s loveliest spots to slow down and enjoy the scenery.