What are the specialities of Aix-les-Bains? Our culinary guide
Wondering what the culinary specialities are in Aix-les-Bains? The thermal town is full of restaurants offering regional specialities based on cheese and fish. Here is a non-exhaustive list of specialities to discover in and around Aix-les-Bains.
Enjoy dishes based on freshly caught fish from the lake
Fish is one of the local specialities. It plays an important part in the menus of the restaurateurs, who are constantly dreaming up new recipes so that you can enjoy dishes concocted with the catch of the day.
Arctic char fished in Savoie lakes
This is quite simply the lord of the Savoyard lakes. Highly prized by gourmets for the finesse of its flesh, it has evolved in Alpine lakes since the Ice Age. You can enjoy it in a meunière, with white Crépy or even in the oven, sitting on the terrace of a typical Savoyard restaurant.
Féra
Another culinary speciality of Aix-les-Bains is the Féra. Also known as Lavaret in Lac du Bourget, this fish, like the Omble Chevalier, has lived in Alpine lakes since the Jurassic period. It can be enjoyed pan-fried or baked. Take time out for a good lunch break and indulge in a tasting of this fish, a speciality of Aix-les-Bains.
Fried perch
This is the culinary speciality of Lac du Bourget. This dish consists of frying young perch (between 5 and 7cm), which have been cleaned and floured beforehand, and then passing them through an oil bath. Serve this dish with a tartar sauce and enjoy it as an aperitif with friends by the lake.
Lake trout
This Aix-les-Bains speciality lies in the size of the fish, because although trout are widespread in the Rhône-Alpes region, Savoy trout are particularly imposing, measuring over 1m and weighing up to 12kg! It has a different mouthfeel to its cousin from the Savoyard rivers, and is a delicacy that can be cooked in the same way as Char or Féra. Some people, however, prefer it smoked or raw.
Cheese specialities: sample the best cheeses from Savoie
Cheese is inextricably linked with Savoie. There are countless cheese-based specialities on restaurant menus. While some recipes are more ancient than others, others are more recent than they seem.
Matouille
Matouille is a rustic dish typical of the Savoyard valley. Enjoy it by dipping potato cubes in Tome des Bauges cheese baked with garlic and white wine. You can accompany your dish with local charcuterie or simply a green salad.
Tartiflette
This potato gratin (with bacon, onions, wine and crème fraîche) dates back, against all expectations, to the 1980s. Created to promote Reblochon cheese, it was inspired by the traditional dish “Péla”. Enjoy the taste of this mouth-watering cheese, also typical of the Savoyard valley.
Savoyard fondue
This unmissable Savoyard speciality is an ode to the 3 cheeses typical of the region: Beaufort, Reblochon and Comté. It is enjoyed by dipping pieces of bread into a fondue pot. Let your taste buds enjoy the blend of flavours.
Savoyard omelette
This typically Savoyard dish is made with Beaufort cheese. What makes it special is that it is cooked in a frying pan but finished in the oven, which requires speed and a certain amount of know-how. Its fragrant flavour will delight your taste buds.
The must-try desserts of Aix-les-Bains and the surrounding area
Savoie is not just about cheese and fish. Sweets and other desserts are also very popular in the region, and have been for generations.
La Main de Sainte Agathe
This hand-shaped saffron brioche is made by the bakers of Saint Pierre d’Albigny, at the foot of the Bauges mountains, in honour of Saint Agathe (one of the most revered women in Savoie). Take a relaxing break in the spa’s floral park and enjoy your coffee or tea with a Hand of Saint Agathe.
The Pogne of Saint Genix
Another reference to Saint Agathe: the pogne de Saint Genix, where the cake made its name. Its creator added pralines to this orange blossom brioche to protect his recipe and limit the number of copies. Although imitations are now widespread throughout France, make the most of your stay in Savoie to savour a genuine Pogne de Saint Genix with its incomparable taste.
Rissole
This is a speciality of Savoie and Geneva, also known as “rézule”. It’s a small pastry turnover filled with dried fruit, compote and jam, then fried or baked. While this tasty pastry takes pride of place in bakeries’ shop windows at Christmas time, you can still succumb to its sweetness as you stroll through the pedestrianised streets of the city centre.
Savoy cake
This dessert was created in the 14th century at the court of the House of Savoy. It has since been reworked, but remains one of the region’s most emblematic cakes. Very light thanks to the white eggs beaten into snow, it can be cut up and used as a base for a number of desserts. Enjoy a new experience by dipping your cake into your coffee or tea at breakfast, to get the day off to a good start.
Liqueurs and spirits from Aix-les-Bains and the Savoie region
You can’t talk about Savoyard specialities without mentioning liqueurs. The various plants growing in the mountains are used as the basis for these famous mountain elixirs.
Génépi
A great classic: génépi! This digestive liqueur is typical of the region. Made from aromatic plants, brandy and sugar syrup, this alcohol is said to have various virtues, and is drunk as a digestive and in the preparation of certain pastries. After a meal rich in Savoyard specialities, order a glass of génépi to round off your culinary journey to the heart of Savoie.
Chartreuse
Chartreuse is a liqueur made at the Aiguenoire distillery in Entre-deux-Guiers in Isère, right in the heart of the Chartreuse massif. Made by the Carthusian monks since 1840 to the same recipe, it has been known the world over since the 19ᵉ century and has made the reputation of Chartreuse over the centuries. This is a liqueur with digestive virtues.
Vermouth from Chambéry
This drink is inspired by the Piedmontese tradition. Some fifty plants, spices and herbs from the Alps are added to the white wine. The recipe is kept secret. Although Chambéry vermouth is drunk chilled, some restaurateurs have incorporated it into their fish or meat dishes. To discover the full flavour of this traditional spirit, we recommend that you sit down with your friends on a restaurant terrace and order it as an aperitif. Then choose a tasty dish from the menu, accompanied by Chambéry Vermouth: your taste buds will love it.
Discover the selection of local products offered by Savoie Mont Blanc, the official website of the Savoie and Haute-Savoie départements.
If you also want to know where to go out in Aix-les-Bains, read our guide!