Auberge du Père Bise dans la Baie de Talloires

Inspiration

Jean Sulpice, reaching the peak of alpine cuisine

April 2025

6 min.

“The Saga of Michelin-Starred Restaurants Around Lake Annecy” continues with Chef Jean Sulpice, a two Michelin star chef since 2018.

Located in Talloires Bay’s sublime setting, where the lake’s crystal-clear waters and light alpine breeze offer a soothing escape, Auberge du Père Bise restaurant continues to write its own unique story, led by a chef born in the mountains, and deeply connected to the area both in mind and heart.

Jean Sulpice crafts meals infused with authenticity, meaning, and emotion rooted in the surrounding landscapes.

Sensorial wanderings

A chef’s culinary identity is deeply tied to their personality. At Auberge du Père Bise, Jean Sulpice chooses to shed the weight of the past; having earned two Michelin stars, he feels free to write his own unique story. As long as those two celestial bodies continue to shine, the meaning and emotion that drive him will keep radiating throughout his kitchen.

The restaurant creates an atmosphere and a feeling of fulfillment. The surrounding calm, the water’s vibrant energy, and the breathtaking mountain landscapes create an inspiring setting that opens your gaze to the limitless horizons. In life, just as in the kitchen, the chef sets no boundaries, pushing beyond them without hesitation. The sumptuously delicious experience mirrors a unique perspective that knows no limits, one guided by infinite possibilities, a unique culinary approach that draws upon the full depth of every flavor, subtly comforting or strikingly powerful, depending on the energy of the moment.

Working as a chef means facing new challenges every day…

“Choosing a career in high-end cuisine is a way of life, one where you pour your heart and soul into your work every minute of every day.”

Lulled to sleep as a child to the deep hum of the ovens at the hotel-restaurant in Aix-les-Bains his maternal grandparents owned and operated, inspired by his entrepreneurial parents and his high-level athlete brother whose career ended abruptly, Jean Sulpice has a taste, an innate hunger even, for a job done well and the sense of accomplishment when taking on a good challenge. After reaching the highest level of his sport, his brother’s world crumbled after suddenly losing all use of his legs. And Jean was only just starting his career as a cook. He matured twenty years almost overnight, and a career path began to take shape along the shores of Lake Bourget; the desire for fulfillment and a life with no regrets welled up inside him and took off through sheer will alone.

The path ascending

A desire has always guided him through every hour of every day, a blend of instinct and work ethic, of intuition and conviction. One day, through an introduction letter he penned his destiny, placed it in the hands of one of the greatest chefs of all time and entered the kitchen of none-other than Marc Veyrat. Starting over, holding fast to the fundamentals while breaking from tradition, he honed his dexterity and deepened his commitment. At the school of excellence, one needs to break from the chains of academia, rising above with the hope of transforming cooking into an art form. At this point he needed to find his own kitchen to lead, to become his own composer.

With the heritage and teachings of his mentors in hand, finding his own kitchen became a quest; and Jean Sulpice, who at the time also met the love of his life, Magali, a sommelier, now had the keys to success.

He was just twenty-three years old when he became a chef at the French mountain resort of Val Thorens – one season turned into two, and then more than a decade, fourteen years in all. There, at the highest Michelin-starred restaurant in Europe, located at 2300 meters elevation, water boils at a lower temperature than 100°C, requiring cooks to adapt to the specific conditions of the high mountains. Life at higher altitude can be hard as well, requiring individuals to often push beyond their limits. Not a problem, Jean Sulpice grew up in the mountains, is an athlete at heart, and at his restaurant, L’Oxalys, mountain plants, cheeses from the area’s pastures, and local products found their rightful place in his cuisine. “I humbly forged my own way, driven by a single desire: to create elegant and compelling dishes without ever placing limits on myself,” he explains with heartfelt sincerity.

Once settled along the shores of Lake Annecy at just 450 meters elevation, just down the road from Lake Bourget where he grew up, he continued his ascent, freeing himself from the inevitable constraints of the high mountains and pushing boundaries even further. Boundaries connected to the peaks he now climbs on foot or by bike as well as those he pursues by creating wonder: through a creative dish, the perfect amount of seasoning, or a powerful flavor derived from the area’s alpine soil.

Emotional cuisine

Exploring Jean Sulpice’s fine alpine cuisine is like following a hiking trail through a spruce forest, gazing at flower-filled alpine meadows as far as the eye can see, gathering wild herbs, and breathing in the many scents of the woods – and then upon reaching the summit, feeling the sense of pure joy when gazing out over the endless landscapes and infinite possibilities. In a single mouthful, taste the dense soil and the fleeting flavor of a mushroom, when licking the spoon savor the power of a fern grove with hints of licorice, and sip by sip enjoy the robust taste of spruce sauce over tender lamb chops cooked to perfection.

So many tasty morsels to remember: the herbaceous sphere that bursts in your mouth, the sumptuous flavor of escargot in its natural, plant-based environment, pike with horseradish and salty bottarga notes that simply melts on your tongue, and a springtime gathering of asparagus, radish, peas, and morel mushrooms. On this culinary voyage, stroll from alpine valley to summit, beneath the midday sun, and then descend into the forest, breathing in its damp atmosphere. With each step discover a harmonious balance of flavors. End the journey with fennel’s licorice aroma and rhubarb’s tangy acidic notes, awakening the senses for a truly magical moment.

All throughout this flavorful escapade, enjoy the Madeleine cakes every Savoyard fondly remembers from childhood, those baked by the same grandmothers who browned chard gratin in the oven, filled cakes with blackcurrant jelly made from berries grown in the garden, and who lined their pie dough with tangy rhubarb, adding less and less sugar as we grew older. Your taste buds will flutter as you are swept away by long-forgotten memories.

Shared bond

This very personal story is also about all those involved all along the way. Behind a delicious meal stand several women and men who provide their experience, expertise, and passion for food. An environment conducive to human bonding sets the tone: the simplicity of a cohesive relationship, the harmonious expression of an ingredient’s purest form, fine dining that exudes every aspect of the senses.

Philippe Héritier, the snail farmer, Florent Capretti, the fisherman, Kévin Neveau, the artisan-baker, Marc Dubouloz, the cheese specialist, Marine Couchard, who gathers flowers, Cécile Ballauri, the ceramicist, and so many others among the portrait photos on display, all sharing the same passion and values for high-end cuisine.

The dining room is filled with smiles and opens its doors to a house of treasures, one where the wine book proudly resides. With 30,000 bottles and 5,000 different types of wine, under the stewardship of head sommelier Maéva Rougeoreille, who recently received the Michelin Guide sommelier award, a whole world is unveiled. “Through wine – which I first learned about from my wife Magali – the personalities who work with the living world and an entire region express themselves together in harmony. The winemaking world works hand-in-hand with high-end cuisine and Maéva knows how to take the synergy of the culinary experience to another level,” the chef proudly explains.

Enjoy a complete, harmonious culinary experience – one to taste, savor, and feel.

Another story…

A delicious alternative, the Le 1903 restaurant serves refined cuisine inspired by Mother Nature while offering a more affordable culinary experience that showcases the chef’s instinctive cooking through a style rooted in a local culinary heritage filled with so many stories to tell.

For a fairytale-like breakfast or a snack on the go, immersed in a magical décor, Marius Bar offers another way to experience the magic of Auberge du Père Bise – the latter includes a 480 m² spa and a hotel with twenty-two rooms and suites overlooking the lake. Magali meticulously orchestrates every detail to ensure that each square millimeter fulfills the promise of immersion and total relaxation for both the body and mind.

The boutique, overflowing with treasures, from the chocolate aisle to a full menu of simple pleasures, offers delicious snacks or the ingredients for a gourmet picnic. Venture off with an appetizing basket, indulge in a sweet or two, and take the time to unwind in this dreamlike place, filled with the spirit of those who live and work here.