Restaurant in Annecy, France
Three stars, serious vegetable focus, book early.
Le Clos des Sens holds 3 Michelin Stars and a La Liste score of 95 points, making it the clear first choice for serious creative dining in Annecy — but booking is near impossible without two to three months of lead time. The kitchen's produce-led approach peaks in summer and early autumn when Alpine and lakeside ingredients are at their best. At €€€€, it is worth it for the right diner on the right occasion.
Le Clos des Sens holds 3 Michelin Stars, a 95-point score from La Liste (2025 and 2026), membership in Les Grandes Tables du Monde, and a rank of #44 on Opinionated About Dining's Classical Europe list for 2025. If you are weighing whether this reservation is worth the effort, the short answer is yes — but only if you plan ahead by several months and understand what the kitchen is doing right now.
Getting a table here is close to impossible on short notice. This is not a venue where you call two weeks out and find availability. Demand is high year-round, and the dining room is small. Budget at least two to three months of lead time for a weekend booking, and consider midweek if your schedule allows. The restaurant's email address is clos-des-sens@relaischateaux.com and the phone number is +33 (0)4 50 23 07 90 , direct contact is your most reliable route, alongside any reservations platform the hotel uses. If you are visiting Annecy specifically for this meal, confirm your booking before arranging transport or accommodation. See our full Annecy restaurants guide for context on the broader dining scene.
Le Clos des Sens is part of the Relais & Châteaux network, which means the physical environment carries the weight of that affiliation , unhurried service, a considered room, and a sense that the meal is the entire point of the evening. The atmosphere is calm, not theatrical. This is not a loud tasting-menu experience designed around spectacle. First-timers should expect a formal but not stiff dining room, a pace that extends across several hours, and a team that takes the experience seriously without making you feel managed.
The kitchen passed through a significant transition at the end of 2022. Laurent Petit, who built the three-star reputation here over many years, stepped back, and Thomas Lorival and chef Franck Derouet took over. That handover was notable enough to prompt a period of watchful observation from the wider fine dining world. The 3-star retention into 2025 and the continued La Liste score of 95 points in both 2025 and 2026 suggest the kitchen has held its position. Chef Thomas Schanz is also connected to the current team per our records. The creative direction, grounded in the produce of the Alps and the nearby lakes, continues to define what arrives on the plate.
The editorial angle that matters most here is timing. Le Clos des Sens is deeply tied to its regional environment , the gardens, the nearby lakes, the farms and suppliers of the Haute-Savoie , and that connection shapes the menu in a way that makes the season of your visit genuinely consequential.
Summer and early autumn are the periods when the kitchen's produce-led approach is most fully expressed. Lake fish from Lac d'Annecy, late-season vegetables from the surrounding farms, and herbs from the garden are all at their peak during these months. If you are visiting Annecy in July or August, this is the window where the kitchen's local sourcing commitment aligns most completely with what is actually growing nearby. The experience will be different in February, not worse necessarily, but the seasonal vocabulary narrows. Winter visits lean more heavily on root vegetables, preserved ingredients, and the kind of cooking that draws warmth from Alpine produce rather than freshness.
The post-Petit transition also placed greater emphasis on vegetables and ecological coherence across the entire property, not just the plate. If that direction appeals to you, the spring and early summer months, when the kitchen is working with the first growth of the year, represent the most interesting window. For those visiting Annecy in the colder months, cross-reference with Flocons de Sel in Megève as an alternative that leans more naturally into Alpine winter cooking.
For broader context on creative French tasting menus at this level, it is worth knowing how Le Clos des Sens sits relative to other three-star tables in the region. Mirazur in Menton shares a similar commitment to garden-led sourcing. Bras in Laguiole pioneered the vegetable-forward fine dining approach in France. Arpège in Paris is the reference point for anyone comparing plant-centric three-star cooking in a French context. Le Clos des Sens occupies similar philosophical territory but with a specifically Alpine register that none of those restaurants replicate.
At €€€€ pricing, you are in the upper tier of what French fine dining charges. The question of value at this level is always relative. The 3 Michelin Stars, the OAD ranking of #44 in Classical Europe, and the La Liste score of 95 points all indicate that the kitchen is performing at a level that justifies the price for diners who are investing in a technically serious, produce-led tasting menu experience. If you want creative French cooking at three-star level in the Alps without travelling to Troisgros in Ouches or Alléno Paris, this is the table. For first-timers who want to test a tasting menu format before committing to €€€€ spend, L'Esquisse in Annecy is the logical step-down option. Compare also with Cocina Hermanos Torres in Barcelona if you are benchmarking creative tasting menus across Southern Europe.
Expect a multi-hour tasting menu in a calm, formally run dining room within a Relais & Châteaux property. The kitchen is creative and produce-led, with strong ties to Alpine and lakeside sourcing. The pace is deliberate, the service professional. This is not a casual drop-in venue , it rewards diners who arrive with some knowledge of the format. Book directly by email or phone, confirm well in advance, and consider visiting in summer or early autumn when the seasonal menu is at its most expressive. At €€€€ pricing, factor in wine pairing, which will add significantly to the final bill.
Given the kitchen's vegetable-forward creative approach and Relais & Châteaux service standards, dietary accommodations are almost certainly available , but always communicate requirements at the time of booking, not on arrival. Contact the team directly at clos-des-sens@relaischateaux.com or +33 (0)4 50 23 07 90 to confirm specific needs. The menu's emphasis on produce and vegetables means plant-based or pescatarian diners may find the kitchen's natural instincts align well with their requirements, but do not assume this without prior confirmation.
A solo visit is entirely feasible here , tasting menus at this level are designed around the individual experience, and a counter or single seat can often be easier to secure than a table for two. That said, at €€€€ pricing the solo bill is significant, and the multi-hour format works leading when you are genuinely interested in the kitchen's direction rather than treating it as a quick meal. If solo dining in Annecy and not ready to commit to €€€€, Black Bass at €€€ is a more comfortable entry point. For solo dining at this prestige tier across France, Le Clos des Sens compares well in terms of the considered, unhurried pace that makes solo fine dining feel worthwhile.
If Le Clos des Sens is fully booked or the price is a constraint, L'Esquisse is the most direct alternative for serious modern cuisine in Annecy at €€€€. Maison Benoît Vidal offers creative cooking at the same price tier. For a step down in spend without abandoning quality, Black Bass at €€€ and ANTO at €€ cover modern cuisine at more accessible price points. La Rotonde des Trésoms is worth considering for a lakeside modern cuisine experience in a hotel setting.
Yes , provided the occasion calls for a long, serious meal rather than a convivial group dinner. The Relais & Châteaux setting, the 3-star credentials, and the calm, attentive service make this a strong choice for milestone celebrations where the meal itself is the event. It is better suited to two or a small group who appreciate the tasting menu format than to large parties looking for a celebratory atmosphere. If the occasion demands something with more energy in the room, consider whether the formal register here matches the mood you want.
At €€€€ and with 3 Michelin Stars, a La Liste score of 95 points, and a ranking of #44 in OAD's Classical Europe list, the kitchen is objectively performing at a level consistent with its pricing. Worth it for diners who are investing in a technically serious, regionally rooted tasting menu and who time their visit to align with the seasonal peaks , summer and early autumn, when the Alpine produce narrative is strongest. Not worth it if you are looking for a lively evening out rather than a considered meal, or if you have not eaten at this level before and are uncertain whether the format suits you. In that case, start with L'Esquisse or Maison Benoît Vidal to test the format at a lower commitment level.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Le Clos des Sens | €€€€ | — |
| L'Esquisse | €€€€ | — |
| Maison Benoît Vidal | €€€€ | — |
| ANTO | €€ | — |
| Black Bass | €€€ | — |
| Brasserie Brunet | €€ | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Le Clos des Sens and alternatives.
Go in knowing this is a full-commitment evening: 3 Michelin Stars, a 95-point La Liste score, and membership in Les Grandes Tables du Monde signal a long, multi-course format. The kitchen under chefs Thomas Lorival and Franck Derouet has a strong regional and vegetable-forward identity, shaped by the gardens, lakes, and producers of Haute-Savoie. Book well in advance via closdessens.com or by calling +33 (0)4 50 23 07 90, and expect the Relais & Châteaux environment to set the pace throughout the meal.
The kitchen's documented focus on vegetables and regional produce suggests flexibility with plant-forward adjustments, but you should communicate any dietary requirements directly when booking at clos-des-sens@relaischateaux.com. At the 3-Michelin-Star level, kitchens of this calibre routinely accommodate restrictions with advance notice. Contact the restaurant before arrival rather than raising it on the day.
Technically yes, but the format favours pairs or small groups more naturally. As part of the Relais & Châteaux network, the service environment is polished enough that solo guests are handled with care, but a long tasting menu at €€€€ pricing is a significant solo spend. If solo fine dining in Annecy is the goal, it is worth calling ahead to confirm counter or bar seating availability.
L'Esquisse is the most direct Annecy comparison at a lower price point, offering serious cooking without the 3-star commitment. Maison Benoît Vidal suits guests who want a chef-driven tasting menu in a less formal register. ANTO and Black Bass work better for those who want quality without a full fine-dining evening. Brasserie Brunet is the right call if you want Annecy atmosphere and local dishes rather than a destination meal.
Yes, and it is one of the stronger cases for it in the region. Three Michelin Stars, a top-50 Opinionated About Dining ranking for Europe, and the Relais & Châteaux setting provide the full occasion infrastructure. The vegetable-led, regionally rooted menu gives the meal a specific identity rather than generic prestige. Reserve as early as possible and note the occasion when booking.
At €€€€, it sits at the top of what French regional fine dining charges, and the credentials back it: 3 Michelin Stars (2025), 95 points from La Liste across two consecutive years, and a #44 ranking on Opinionated About Dining's European list in 2025. The value case is strongest if you want cooking that is rooted in a specific place and season rather than a generic luxury tasting menu. If you are comparing against Parisian three-star pricing, Annecy actually represents reasonable value for the tier.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
