Anthony Renaud

Set just outside the old town in Annecy-le-Vieux, this small Italian table earns its booking-only reputation through a short menu and proper execution. The plates are part of the welcome (Italian cocktails painted across the dishware), the buffalo mozzarella braid arrives before you have decided, and the deconstructed tiramisu is the kind of finish you remember weeks later. Try the parsnip purée with espresso, an unexpected side that has converted regulars. Worth crossing town for, and worth the walk back through the lake gardens after.

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.

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. 

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. 

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. 

Behind an unmarked door off Passage du Pré Carré, is a playful cocktail bar. Framed paintings along the wall fold down into tables for two, each coming with a small red light to summon a waiter. The menu is largely gin-focused though the bartenders are willing to mix the menu and concoct a new creation. A Saturday DJ  welcomes crowds until midnight with  weeknights feeling more  like an intimate hangout. 

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.

Gracefully spanning the canal between Lake Annecy and the old town, the Pont des Amours is one of the city’s most photographed spots. The name may promise romance, but it’s the setting that steals the show: crystal-clear water, swaying boats and mountain peaks rising in the distance. Pause for a moment as you wander between the lakeside gardens and the historic centre, or linger at sunset when the light softens across the lake. A simple stop, perhaps, but one that captures the charm of Annecy perfectly.

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.