Culinary signature & Producers
La Bouitte: Michelin-starred restaurant in Savoie
A pair of Savoyards,
father and son
"We do this job to transform the ephemeral into the unforgettable."
René and Maxime
Two self-taught chefs and individuals at the top of their game.
Hailing from a rural family and son of a cabinetmaker and farmer, René never studied cooking but rather has an instinctive connection to the land and nature of Savoie.
A contemplative poet at heart, he sees beauty in simplicity and has the sensitivity and compassion of a true proponent of generosity.
As a former biathlete in the French junior team and with conviction shining in his azure-blue eyes, Maxime is a man who has forged his reputation by pushing himself to the limit. Cooking is his form of expression, a language from the heart to be shared.
Excellence is a driving force that constantly pushes this duo to aim higher. Tireless workers and descendants of hard-working mountain settlers, this father and son team have fashioned their own culinary world, in the same way they built their house, stone by stone, with their own hands.
The cuisine at La Bouitte Gourmet Restaurant in Savoie is a whole that is so much more than the sum of its parts.
One senses the precision of a biathlete and the tenderness of a poet, and their desire to honour, with a contemporary twist, the history, culture and traditions of Savoie.
Entwined together at the height of their culinary art, happiness is only ever a reality when shared. Together, everything is "Meilleur".
A playful and ever-evolving cuisine
The cuisine of René and Maxime Meilleur captures Savoie with sensitivity.
Neither bound by any preconceived notions, nor students of any mentor, René and Maxime Meilleur are free from all constraints.
Free to create in their own inimitable style, to the point of inventing their very own culinary language.
At La Bouitte Gourmet Restaurant in Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, the signature is utterly individual, and the chefs behind it, free from inhibition.
And it is as much the terrain as the richness of the Savoie landscapes that naturally punctuate their style.
A style as clear as the water in the torrents when the melting snows swell the rivers, as authentic as the mountains that stretch forever skywards, and as delicate as the wild flowers in the hillside pastures.
Instinct, common sense and an intimate knowledge of the land in which they were born are the driving forces behind a cuisine that is as precise as it is pure, and with no unnecessary frills.
Silken, sensual and subtle, the Meilleur signature brings to life the mountains, lakes and alpine pastures of Savoie. Like a tightrope walker, it skips along the ridges, striking the perfect balance of Savoyard poetry straight from the heart. Playful, generous and multi-dimensional, this is a cuisine that reveals itself in successive layers, while captivating with its apparent simplicity and clarity.
Savoie, the region and its produce
The produce of Savoie is an aromatic whirlwind, spanning a cornucopia of flavours and giving full expression to the terroir without in any way overpowering it.
Infused with all the finesse and sensitivity of Savoie, the Meilleur culinary signature is like the gentle summer breeze that refreshes at altitude, or the delicate winter snowflakes that tumble through the frosty air. Fullness and subtlety combined.
Here, the lakes, Alpine pastures and mountains are wonderfully generous providers of goosefoot, sorrel, gentian, juniper, rose hip and bilberry.
The torrents home to lively trout and the lakes of Geneva, Annecy and Le Bourget to pollan, whitefish, arctic char, crayfish and pike. While the high mountain pastures are the inspiration behind sumptuous cheeses such as the much sought-after Beaufort d’été, Reblochon, Tomme and Raclette.
René and Maxime Meilleur transform the milk produced on the neighbouring farms into all its myriad forms, as well as the beef, pork and lamb selected by Chambéry-based butcher, Stéphane Milleret.
Mushrooms from La Motte-Servolex, fruit and vegetables from the MOF Botti family in Chambéry, snails from Savoie, mountain charcuterie, butter from the Moûtiers dairy cooperative, Bonneval mineral water: the region can be savoured in the moment, its flavours at their very peak.
And when they hail from further afield, like the superb oysters of the Gillardeau family in Charente-Maritime or the vegetables from Eric Roy in Saint-Genouph, the produce is always the fruit of a sincere collaboration.
At La Bouitte, a heartfelt approach and an intensity of flavour are the keys to understanding.
Our trustworthy producers
Pride in a job well done and a deep-felt respect for the produce.
Over the years, the chefs of La Bouitte and its partner producers have forged lasting relationships based on trust.
Each attentive to the other's needs and respectful of their savoir-faire.
