Savour the moment

The Hôtel Royal’s wine cellar is a treasure trove that holds no secrets for Loic Chavasse-Frette, its Sommelier. 
He will introduce you to the finest vineyards and suggest some outstanding vintages for splendid food and wine pairings. The wine cellar at Les Fresques scooped an excellent second place in the Palace hotel category of the Tour des Cartes wine competition organised by Terre de Vins magazine, as well as the Trophée du Jury in 2020. 

What’s more, the Hôtel Royal’s Sommelier Loic Chavasse-Frette has marked the hotel’s reputation for excellence on the label of the wine he co-creates with local winegrowers. The “Complicité” cuvée evokes the special moments shared at the Les Fresques restaurant.

Chef Patrice Vander is a member of the Toques Blanches Lyonnaises and the Collège Culinaire de France. He calls on the best French craftspeople and sources fish from Lake Geneva, cheeses from the region, beef from Savoie, poultry from the neighbouring Bresse region and eggs from the Marin farm right next to the hotel. All of these ingredients feature in the Chef’s recipes.

"In my view, cooking should revolve around three ingredients: love, passion and respect for the product. A golden rule that I like to share in a refined cuisine showcasing outstanding local produce." - Patrice Vander, Executive Chef at the Hôtel Royal, awarded a star by the Michelin Guide once again in 2023

Back in 2003, long before the “locavore” trend, the gardeners at the Hôtel Royal Evian threw their hearts into this project. Chef Patrice Vander, awarded a Michelin star for his Les Fresques restaurant, draws his inspiration from this magnificent 3,000 m² kitchen garden to create a cuisine in harmony with nature and the seasons. When he is not sourcing produce from local craft producers, he is picking vegetables and herbs straight from the kitchen garden to grace the tables of his Michelin-starred restaurant. The garden supplies the hotel’s kitchens with 2 tonnes of produce every year. 

Heirloom tomatoes, courgettes, beans, peas, New Zealand spinach and other delightful vegetables from past and present are all grown here at the Chef’s request. It’s an astonishing place, a haven of culinary biodiversity that employs permaculture techniques and seeds compatible with organic farming.

Every evening, a veritable ballet unfolds in the kitchen and beyond into the dining room at Les Fresques. Chef Patrice Vander expertly conducts his brigades as they perform a true symphony of tastes, while the Pastry Chef’s team choreograph all the flavours of the desserts to enchant the evening’s diners. 

In the dining room, beneath Gustave Jaulmes’ frescoes of summer evening, the service staff are the Chef’s ambassadors, leading a skilfully orchestrated waltz of dishes. In addition to the exquisite cuisine that graces the tables at Les Fresques, the excellent standard of service makes gourmet evenings at the Hôtel Royal Évian extremely special. Because today, more than ever before, the human element is the prime ingredient in this renowned establishment.