Bistro de Solliet Review
Friendly Family-Run Restaurant Serving Regional Cuisine
The day that we (me and my hungry little friend) had booked to go to the Bistro de Solliet we knew the weather would be bad, but we didn’t know that it would be awful! I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face which was a real shame because I was looking forward to the renowned view from the terrace at the newly named Bistro de Solliet (formerly the Chalet de Solliet). So, alas, no valley gazing/sun-tanning lunch for us but a large feast in warm, cozy surroundings.
The Thoral family are the adventurous group that have taken over this enormity of a chalet, moving from the neighbouring Maurienne valley to Les Arcs in hope of turning this forgotten restaurant into a reputed brasserie on the slopes. They are open as soon as the lifts are to welcome you into their fire-warmed interior or sun drenched exterior with a view of the Mont Blanc for drinks and food. And not only in the winter season can you experience their excellent hospitality; they are open during the summer months of July and August as well. They can cater for large groups, with various private alcoves and a first floor mezzanine that can be hired for functions as well.
The restaurant is situated in Villaroger and despite the horrific visibility we managed to find it with minimal problems. There was a very warm welcome waiting for us when we entered the large wooden chalet. We were seated quickly next to a large window, which I’m sure, would have been a spectacular view if we weren’t completely surrounded by thick clouds and were bombarded with incredibly attentive cheerful wait staff.
The food is (unsurprisingly) French style cuisine with some Savoyarde specialities. The meat is all sourced from France and Germany and everything is cooked to order. The patisserie is homemade as well. They have a decent selection of alcohol with a more than adequate treasure chest of wines.
We ordered a standard starter and more unusual main courses. Luckily my companion is even more adventurous with her food than Bear Grylls so we knew we were going to taste some of the more uncommon local dishes. We opted for a sharing Savoyarde platter of a mixture of cured meats, cheeses and bread. We ordered raspberry kirs and carafe of house red. We followed our sharing platter with a Rossini burger (duck breast and foie gras) and an andouillette sausage (andouillette sausage is an offal fuelled Savoyarde sausage that has an incredibly strong flavour that is not to everyone’s taste). They were accompanied by chips.
We then put in an order for dessert, we had to - it was all part of the job, crème caramel and chocolate mousse. We also had a good look at the tartiflette which was presented in a copper skillet that was exceptionally impressive. The portions are very generous and their prices reflect that. The food was excellent and so was the service but my only qualm was the pricing. The cheapest starter was 14 euros. This obviously is not the kind of place to come for lunch everyday but it is definitely worth a visit.
