Travel Series Episode 2: Top Chamonix Eats

Had a hot fling with a snowy place the past week, which means you get two newsletters this week! One covering the usual variety of topics, and this: some memorable eats shared with friends, in between me falling on the slopes of Chamonix.

I never really feel picky with my food choices overseas, unless I happen to be in a Michelin-star capital like San Sebastian, Japan, or even home (Singapore/London). I also feel like when I’m with others (shoutout to my beautiful friends Stas, Joe and Leia for being the best eating buddies and also bearing with my unbelievably dramatic skiing falls), it’s fun to explore random places together, from mass tourism hotspots to hidden local cosies. Travelling in Taiwan was fun, but it is definitely more fun to explore and share with people.

And here it is:

1. Croissants at Patisserie Richard (linking the Tripadvisor there because their website is down). Both plain and almond, specifically. Both satisfied the croissant pull with their long shiny stretches. This is your place for extra-flaky pastries with perfect lamination. Full-bodied almond paste fuses with the butter and spills over the edges to caramelise post-bake. Not to mention the almond croissant is gigantic; the most majestic pastry I’ve had in a while, second only maybe to the rice pudding miso concoction at London’s Café Kitsune.

cheese of dreams

and me being silly in the same shop

2. 18-month comte from Le Refuge Payot. I hate how much I like this, and I’m not even the biggest cheese eater. This is a Savoyard specialty chain with two shops in Chamonix, but go to the bigger one which has this comte. The 18-month variety is easy-eating and therefore scarily addictive– buttery and smooth with a distinctly (mildly) sweet aftertaste. My mum is a bigger cheese-eater than I am so I had to drag her here. She ended up buying over 400g for the plane…. not like I did any different.

the Bighorn burger

soft, fluffy, all-American pancakes

3. Brunch and burgers at Bighorn Bistro and Bakery. It’s worth switching up your saturated fat intake of cheese and chocolate for the meat and butter here. Bighorn does a mean, fat all-American burger, alongside interesting fusion sides like spicy popcorn cauliflower and mango prawns. We came here three times, one time for just the brunch, because though it was not classy local food, it was consistently delicious and good quality fare. The pancakes were fluffy and large, the burgers cooked to an easy juicy bite, layered with just the right amount of sauce and squished between fresh brioche. Even the fries were golden and shattery, just the way I like.

Moody Coffee mornings

4. Coffee and muffins at Moody Coffee. We ended up coming here every day after discovering it, for good reason. It’s hands down the best coffee in Chamonix, and I love how they celebrate the pairing of chocolate and coffee by serving their homemade fudgy brownie bites with every cup. Their homemade blueberry muffin is fluffy, tender, and not artificially sweet like how a lot of blueberry muffins are, a pleasant surprise after a few disappointing pastries around the area (*cough cough La Fournil cough*). Special mention for their supremely soft cinnamon rolls too. Made for good and quick ski fuel.