Top 10 culinary specialities in Chambéry

Chambéry’s terroir is a credit to the Savoyard region. You’ll find a range of old recipes, combining local charcuterie, PDO cheese and natural mountain products. So, apart from a few sweet exceptions, you won’t be surprised to see large hot pots arriving to share with friends!

Savoie specialities have conquered France thanks to their great generosity and rustic terroir! Many of them are undoubtedly winter favourites.

In Chambéry, you can smell the tempting aroma of freshly sliced charcuterie, Savoy cheeses and, sometimes, the delicate flesh of grilling freshwater lake fish as you wander past a restaurant or open a window.

The fabulous and magnificently varied nature of the Savoie region is the prime supplier of Chambéry’s cuisine. Chambéry’s culinary specialities have made a major contribution to the town’s development as a tourist destination. As a visiting traveller, it won’t take you long to see why!

What to eat in Chambéry Our selection of 10 Chambéry specialities

If you love mushrooms (whether picked or eaten), Chambéry is a little corner of paradise. The surrounding mountains and lush valleys are teeming with them! Depending on the season, the town’s restaurants have fun preparing them from every angle. Even making them the centrepiece of the dish. Don’t hesitate to improvise a pick as you stroll through the countryside. Your targets are ceps, boletus, chanterelles, morels and meadow roses.

1 The Savoyard fondue

The emblematic fondue of Savoie is eaten all year round. This is an opportunity for all travellers, eager to enjoy this renowned dish in its region of origin! Savoyard fondue is so hearty that we recommend it in winter. It’s made up of different cheeses, in generous portions, melted together with garlic and white wine. For the same reason, it comes at a fairly high price. Fondue is served in a nice, hot pot, in which to dip pieces of bread.

2. Crozets

Pasta lovers, this is for you. If you’re passing through Chambéry, treat yourself to a plate of crozets. This is a tiny square pasta made from wheat, barley or buckwheat flour. The same small flat pasta is used to make the famous “croziflette”. Another must-try speciality, made with onions, bacon and a generous layer of Reblochon cheese au gratin.

3. Fried fish

Savoie’s many lakes offer more than just unforgettable walks. Their waters are full of life and teeming with delicious little fish. Among them are pike, trout and burbot, which the people of Chambéry love to cook in many different ways. However, it’s the perch that will be sublimely fried and served in a dish to share. Good news for fans of fried dishes: all the good local restaurants have them on their menus!

4. Tartiflette

Another unique dish that will satisfy even the biggest stomachs! Tartiflette is a cheese, bacon and potato gratin that’s a must in winter. The cheese used here is Reblochon, cut into thick slices to cover the rest of the dish. It’s a generous speciality, with a strong, recognisable smell that will grab you from afar.

5. Savoyard soup

This is another regional speciality to try in Chambéry. Savoyard soup is made with bacon, Reblochon cheese, vegetables and herbs. The whole mixture is cooked in a large saucepan with plenty of onions. This traditional recipe is particularly recommended on chilly winter evenings. Just the thing to comfort you before the next few days.

6. Raclette

Treat yourself to this much-loved French speciality! The first raclette dates back to the Middle Ages. It’s made with melted cheese, topped with hot potatoes, cold meats, pickled onions and gherkins. This essentially convivial dish is best served with a white regional wine. In Chambéry, you’ll enjoy a completely different raclette experience, far from the mini-poêlons. The cheese is melted straight from the cheese wheel, then scraped over your filling.

7. Savoy cheeses

Reblochon, Beaufort, Tomme, Emmental de Savoie… Some of the finest cheeses are produced in the surrounding mountain pastures! In Chambéry, as throughout the region, see how proud the locals are of their cheeses! You’ll have the chance to taste them one by one, all over the town. You might even taste them without realising it, as so many are incorporated into traditional recipes.

8. Blueberry tart

The dessert that delighted everyone present: the legendary Savoy blueberry tart. In fine weather, fruit is everywhere in the gardens and surrounding countryside. The climate and vegetation favour the growth of large quantities of blueberries. The climate and vegetation favour the growth of blueberries, which are plentiful and make a delicious and essential dessert, prepared with fruit freshly picked from the heights. To eat them all year round, Chambériens don’t hesitate to freeze whole bags. Hence the presence of (some) tarts as a dessert in certain restaurants.

9. Rissoles

According to tradition, this little stuffed turnover is eaten at the end of the year. Recognisable by its rectangular shape and beautifully golden puff pastry, the turnover is filled with jam, pear, apple or quince compote. In the run-up to Christmas, rissoles are a common sight in the windows of local bakeries. Although they are best eaten hot and crisp just after baking, they are just as delicious eaten cold for a snack, alongside a hot drink.

10. Génépi liqueur

Discover the cult liqueur of the Savoie region: génépi (yes, génépi). Served at the end of a meal as a digestive, the name “génépi” refers to the aromatic high mountain plants used in its preparation. For the same reason, some people claim that it has digestive properties or can cure ‘altitude sickness’. In any case, génépi is by far the most popular alcoholic drink in Savoie. Locals like to add it to various culinary preparations. In particular, sweet pasta, pastries and crêpes…