Top 10 culinary specialities in Grenoble

In the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of south-eastern France lies a city called Grenoble. Like any French town worthy of the name, Grenoble has its own culinary specialities that you’ll have to discover sooner or later, because there’s a lot more to our beloved France than croissants, baguette and wine! There are other types of dishes, each more succulent than the last, that you need to discover in the city’s restaurants and streets.

In this article, find out more about some of the dishes that have become emblematic for the people of Grenoble, and that have gradually become celebrities in today’s world. This little overview is sure to whet your appetite!

What to eat in Grenoble

1. Gratin Dauphinois

Here’s a dish that will make your heart skip a beat and your stomach tingle! Beneath its golden potato crust lies a smooth, succulent liquid cream that has made it famous the world over. Gratin dauphinois is a must in Grenoble: it’s a dish that goes with everything, from salads to fish and meat cooked any way you like… It’s best eaten hot, so that the taste of the potatoes gradually melts in your mouth.

2. Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage

This is a rather original cheese. Made from cow’s milk, it comes mainly from mountain farming, which is very respectful of nature and the environment, so the milk comes from selected breeds of cow. The cheese is very soft, but not creamy like other cheeses. The marbling, or blue veins, which also distinguish it from other dairy products, give it its character and unique taste.

3. Ravioles de Royans

If you think they’re going to be anything like the traditional ravioli you can eat out of a tin in the supermarket… Not at all! Royans ravioli are known for being thinner and more delicate. Their filling contains cheese and fresh herbs, which explains their green colour. Many people like to fry or pan-fry these little pieces, barely bigger than your little finger. It’s a meal that both young and old love!

4. Murçon de la Matheysine

This cooked process sausage is very popular in Grenoble. Perfect as a snack, it goes perfectly with a few slices of fresh bread. It owes its flavour to a unique blend of meat and caraway, which also gives it its distinctive aromatic smell. As a dish, Murçon de la Matheysine is usually served with a few vegetables, but especially potatoes, which are very popular in the south of France. A very old sausage, the first traces of it date back to the 17th century, but it could go back much further.

5. Chartreuse

This is undoubtedly Grenoble’s cult drink, and you’ll find it in every bar and bistro in the city! The liqueur comes in yellow and green forms, and was produced in ancient times by monks under the aegis of two Carthusian monks (from whom it takes its name). Each bottle is unique, so it’s quite impossible for you to taste the same nectar twice from two bottles of chartreuse. A dish to try!

6. Bonnat Chocolate

Life is better with chocolate! Bonnat chocolate is a variety of chocolate whose taste and colour will take your taste buds on a journey. This local pride comes directly from the Bonnat family, who have been making this confectionery for centuries. With beans of pure origin, you’ll find these little chocolate bars all over France, but it’s in Grenoble that they’re best sold, in absolutely every small grocery shop, and on every restaurant menu in the gourmet dessert section!

7. Saint Marcellin cheese

When it comes to cheeses, Grenoble has more than one trick up its sleeve! It’s a small square barely bigger than your palm made from raw cow’s milk, with an exquisite soft cheese and a bloomy rind. It’s 80 grams of indulgence in a single dish! On fresh bread or crunchy rusks, it’s an excellent snack, perfect as an aperitif. You’re sure to be won over – cheese holds no secrets for the people of Grenoble, and it shows!

8. Grenoble walnuts

Grenoble is famous for its walnut production. Awarded the AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) in 1938, there are now three varieties: Franquette, Parisienne and Mayette. These walnuts are particularly precious, because the walnut trees that produce them start to produce at around 8 to 10 years of age, and it takes at least 25 years for them to be in full production. In other words, this nut, rich in vegetable protein and omega-3, should be enjoyed slowly.

9. Chicken with crayfish

In many French towns and regions, chicken with crayfish is a tasty must-try dish. With two very different types of meat, one a white meat and the other a crustacean, this dish has made a name for itself and become one of the city’s benchmarks. Tasted slowly, enjoying every mouthful, chicken with crayfish is essentially made up of carrots, tomatoes, leeks, a dash of white wine, onions and a few herbs and spices to spice up the flavour of the meat. A divine meal!

10. Grenoble wines

Let’s finish this little overview by mentioning a few of Grenoble’s most popular wines. These include “Chardonnay”, “Persan”, “Jacquère” and “Isère blanc”. In Isère, there are a few harvests that are the pride of the region and the people of Grenoble. These white and red wines are quality products that will invigorate your palate and awaken all your senses.