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Oxalys restaurant
The Oxalys restaurant in Val Thorens is the most prestigious place to eat in the resort. The young chef, Jean Sulpice, has won two Michelin stars for his establishment. He works in partership with his wife, Magali, who is the sommelier.
Although quite pricey, the Oxalys is a good place for an extra-special lunch or dinner.
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Oxalys restaurant, Val Thorens: location
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Thorens restaurants map.
Oxalys restaurant, Val Thorens
In the Oxalys apartment complex, the Oxalys restaurant is the most prestigious in Val Thorens. The chef, Jean Sulpice, arrived in 2002, aged 24. He won his first Michelin star in 2006, and a second in 2010.
The restaurant attracts diners from throughout the Three Valleys at lunchtime. (If you arrive in ski boots, socks and slippers are provided). It offers a refined dining experience in the evening.
Jean Sulpice is from Aix-les-Bains, born into a family of hoteliers and restaurateurs. He trained with famous French chef, Marc Veyrat, and has absorbed Veyrat's passion for fresh, local produce. Sulpice uses many mountain plants in his cooking, including gentian and wild sorrel (also known as oxalys, in French).
There are three set menus:
- First Track (€74): starter, main, and dessert
- Heart & Terroir (€139): starter, fish, meat, cheese and dessert
- Full Slope (€169): the chef's six 'signature' dishes, plus two desserts
Jean's wife, Magali, is the sommelier, responsible for the wines. This is a highly respected profession in France, which requires a lot of training. In the months when the restaurant is closed, she travels in France and elsewhere, to discover vineyards, and make contacts. The Oxalys wine list has bottles from €43 (for a local Savoie wine), up to €350 (Chateau d' Issan Margaux 2005).
Jean Sulpice's books and cooking courses
As well as running the restaurant, Jean Sulpice has written five cookery books. The first four were 'Ma Cuisine de Savoie' (2005), 'Altitude 2300' (2008), 'Cuisine en Famille' (2010), and D' Un Hiver à l' Autre' (2013). These books have around sixty recipes each, and Altitude 2300 promises that twenty of them are easy, and ideal for a picnic in the mountains, or by a lake. In 2015, Sulpice has published a new book, 'L' Assiette Sauvage', which is billed as the story of a meeting of minds with Stéphane Meyer, who gathers wild plants. There are forty-five original recipes, which all include herbs and flowers.
Another of the chef's ventures is to offer cookery classes in the quieter summer season. These are brunch or dinner-aperitif classes, where you make five small dishes; and gastronomic classes, where you make a three-course meal. In either case, they are limited to eight people, and you get to eat what you produce, together with the chef and his wife.