Restaurant in Annecy, France
Two stars, hard to book, worth the effort.
Maison Benoît Vidal holds two Michelin stars and a 4.8 Google rating across 283 reviews — the strongest case for a special occasion dinner in Annecy. The room is intimate and quiet rather than grand, which makes it work well for dates and milestone meals. Book months ahead: availability at this address is genuinely limited.
Maison Benoît Vidal holds two Michelin stars and a La Liste score of 77 points (2026), and it is genuinely difficult to book. If you are planning a special occasion dinner in Annecy, this is the reservation to pursue first — not because it is the most formal room in town, but because it delivers a level of creative cooking that sits well above what the relaxed setting implies. The trade-off is real: seats are limited, lead times are long, and you will need to plan well ahead. For diners who make the effort, the reward is a two-star meal that does not feel like an ordeal to get through.
Maison Benoît Vidal occupies a position on the Route de Thônes on the eastern edge of Annecy, away from the old town tourist circuit. That address is part of the point. The room is not doing the work of a grand brasserie or a lakeside terrace , the cooking has to carry the experience, and under chef Benoît Vidal, it does. The atmosphere is quieter and more intimate than you might expect from a two-star address, which makes it a strong choice for a date night or a business dinner where conversation matters as much as the food. If you want the visual drama of a high-ceilinged Parisian dining room, look elsewhere. If you want a room where you can hear the person across the table, this is it.
The cuisine is classified as Creative, which at this level in the French Alps means seasonal produce handled with technical precision rather than theatrical flourish. Two consecutive Michelin star years (2024 and 2025) confirm that the kitchen is consistent, not coasting. A Google rating of 4.8 across 283 reviews is a useful data point: at the two-star level, that kind of reader consensus suggests the experience lands reliably across a range of occasions and expectations, not just for guests who arrive primed to be impressed.
For context, the broader two-star category in the French Alps puts Maison Benoît Vidal in company with serious regional kitchens. Flocons de Sel in Megève operates at three stars and a significantly higher price ceiling. Within Annecy itself, Le Clos des Sens is the closest comparable in terms of creative ambition and price tier. Vidal's room is the one to choose if you want the calibre without the formality that sometimes accompanies it at this level.
Price range sits at €€€€, which is consistent with two-star dining in provincial France , expect tasting menu pricing in the range typical for this category, though exact figures should be confirmed directly with the restaurant before booking. For a special occasion where the cost is shared across a couple or a small group, this is a price-per-memory calculation that most guests in this category find justified. If €€€€ is the ceiling of what you want to spend in Annecy, this and L'Esquisse are the two addresses worth comparing before you commit.
Solo dining at a two-star creative restaurant in France is increasingly common, and Maison Benoît Vidal's intimate room makes it a more comfortable solo experience than a large, formal dining room would be. That said, the tasting menu format at this price point is a significant solo spend. If you are travelling alone and want to eat well in Annecy at a lower commitment level, Black Bass (€€€) is worth considering as an intermediate step.
Dietary restrictions are handled at this standard of kitchen , two-star French restaurants routinely accommodate vegetarian and allergen requirements with advance notice , but you must communicate needs at the time of booking, not on arrival. Specific policies are not confirmed in our data, so contact the restaurant directly to discuss.
Annecy as a dining destination is underrated relative to Lyon or the Côte d'Azur. For those building a longer trip around food, the wider region connects to three-star kitchens including Mirazur in Menton and Troisgros in Ouches. Within the town, see our full Annecy restaurants guide for the broader picture, and our Annecy hotels guide if you are staying overnight to make the most of the booking.
Booking difficulty is classified as Near Impossible. This is not hyperbole for a two-star restaurant in a city the size of Annecy: tables are scarce, demand from both locals and visiting diners is real, and the reservation window for weekend or occasion dining typically extends several months out. If you have a fixed date in mind, start the booking process as early as you can. Midweek slots are likely to be more accessible than Friday and Saturday evenings. Check the restaurant's website directly for reservation availability , no third-party booking link is confirmed in our data.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maison Benoît Vidal | La Liste Top Restaurants (2026): 77pts; Category: Remarkable; La Liste Top Restaurants (2025): 80pts; Michelin 2 Stars (2025); Michelin 2 Stars (2024) | €€€€ | — |
| L'Esquisse | Michelin 1 Star | €€€€ | — |
| Le Clos des Sens | Michelin 3 Star | €€€€ | — |
| ANTO | €€ | — | |
| Black Bass | €€€ | — | |
| Brasserie Brunet | €€ | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Maison Benoît Vidal and alternatives.
The kitchen runs a tasting menu format, so ordering à la carte is not the primary mode here. At the €€€€ price point and with two Michelin stars, the expectation is that Benoît Vidal's set menu is the experience. Go with the full tasting menu rather than any shorter option if it's offered — that is the format the kitchen is built around.
Yes, and it's one of the stronger cases for it in the region. Two Michelin stars, a La Liste score of 77 points (2026), and a location away from Annecy's tourist centre means the room is quieter and more focused than many comparable addresses. Book as far in advance as possible — tables at this level in a city of Annecy's size are scarce, and securing one is half the occasion.
Specific dietary accommodation policies are not documented in available data. That said, two-star kitchens at the €€€€ level in France routinely handle dietary requirements when flagged at the time of booking. check the venue's official channels when reserving and state restrictions clearly — do not leave it to the day of the meal.
Solo dining at a two-star tasting menu restaurant is entirely viable, but Maison Benoît Vidal's booking difficulty makes it harder to secure a single seat than a table for two. If solo dining is your plan, be explicit when booking and consider a counter or bar seat if available. The format — a structured tasting menu by Benoît Vidal — works well for solo diners who want to focus on the food.
At €€€€ with two active Michelin stars (2024 and 2025) and a La Liste ranking, the kitchen has the credentials to justify the spend. The case for booking is strongest if you are already in Annecy and want a serious creative tasting menu rather than a lakeside tourist meal. If price is the primary concern, Le Clos des Sens offers a one-star alternative at a lower price point.
Le Clos des Sens is the closest peer — one Michelin star, strong local reputation, and somewhat easier to book. L'Esquisse is a good option for creative cooking at a lower price tier. ANTO and Black Bass cover more accessible formats if you want quality without the tasting menu commitment. Brasserie Brunet is the right call for a relaxed, no-ceremony meal in the city.
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