La Caleche Restaurant Review

Spread over 3 floors and seating 350 people whilst retaining an intimate character, La Caleche is worth a visit for the interior décor and ambiance alone. It is full of so many beautiful and original artefacts that reflect the regions farming and skiing origins that the proprietors would be well within their rights to charge an entry fee to simply look around! The fact that you can take it all in at your leisure whilst enjoying some of the best local cuisine in Chamonix makes it a “must” to visit.

Negotiating the menu is a tricky affair; there are just so many delicious dishes to choose from that an aperitif is the only way to settle in properly and really peruse your choices. As Caleche regulars, our most recent soiree began with a homemade terrine (€8.50) served with onion compote and crusty bread and duck fois gras with tomato chutney (€18.50). The onion soup (€7.50) is also a worthy starter for less rich beginnings even though it comes garnished with lashings of Beaufort cheese, a regional speciality.

When it comes to choosing a main dish, for several of us there is no choice; it has to be the filet of beef(€24) prepared “bleu” (blue) and served on its own pierre chaud (hot stone) – the stone continues cooking the steak at the table so to avoid it ending up over-done, we recommend you ask for it to be prepared one level less than you normally would. Served with gratinée potatoes it has been pronounced “the best steak in town” on more than one occasion, only to be bettered on a recent visit by the cote de boeuf (900g rib of beef) on a rock to be shared between a minimum of two – fantastically good cow!

Alternative favourites include roasted St Jacques scallops (€23) served with fresh pasta and a balsamic reduction was our second main course choice and was devoured with as much gusto as the steak. If you’re after something cheesier then the fondue savoyarde with cepe mushrooms(€20 per person) is hard to beat, as is the raclette and assortment of charcuterie (€22 per person) which comprises an entire half moon of raclette cheese! Both of these dishes are meant for sharing and require a minimum of two people to order.

If you can possibly manage it then they also have an excellent cheese board (€6) (remember – always served before dessert in France!) with an assortment of some of the best cheeses from the area. Otherwise, if you prefer to round your meal off with something sweet the unspeakably decadent moelleux au chocolat (chocolate fondant) (€7.50) cannot be recommended highly enough, as can the apple tart with cinnamon ice cream. If you are reaching bursting point then there is also an array of ice creams and sorbets to choose from (around €8) and a deliciously unusualstrawberry soup with fresh mint (€8.50) for a lighter finish.

The wine list will keep even the greatest wine connoisseur content and we often find ourselves accompanying our meal with something from the cellars of E Guigal; a wine producer from the Rhone Valley who has an array of highly quaffable, reasonably priced wines (around €30) including; Gigondas, Chateauneuf du Pape and Crozes-Hermitage.

Due to its size, La Caleche is an ideal choice for groups but there are so many nooks and crannies that it also suits if you are after a more intimate evening with that “special someone”. Whether you go en masse or on your own, booking is recommended as the restaurant fills up quickly. And if you’re there on a Tuesday then you’re in for an extra special treat as a local folk group come to play and perform traditional dances for diners – costumes, accordions and all!