Restaurant
Winter and varied desires…… or the meeting of rabbit and octopus! In the heart of the Vosges, between the Col de la Schlucht and Gérardmer, Olivier Lappelle delights and surprises the taste buds of his guests with his revamped local cuisine.
Latest edition : 26 April 2020
“Up on the mountain”…. Sorry, but this song comes to mind of those who push the door of this magnificent chalet lost at the Col du Collet.
Especially in winter. In the entrance, small sticks of impeccably stacked wood. Not one sticking out. Do we really use it to light the fire in the stoves that heats the small living room and the dining room?
A room reminiscent of our grandmothers' kitchens with an old stove and utensils from another time. The eyes eagerly embrace this warm setting.
It is here that the team around Olivier Lappelle welcomes guests in search of good food.
If there is space, having an aperitif in the small lounge is a privilege. The wood stove gives off a comforting warmth, the walls indicate that the master of the place is a passionate collector, and the deer antlers that he counts among his friends a certain Olivier Nasti, a passionate hunter - and starred cook. We would almost forget to join the table!
In such a mountain setting reminiscent of fine Savoyard establishments, one expects a rather rustic cuisine. It is misunderstanding the chef, who has worked in prestigious establishments and who has forged his own philosophy: to offer a mix between overly ceremonious gastronomic cuisine, the trendy restaurant which often does not know how to maintain a constant quality and the traditional provincial inn that does not know how to innovate.
Olivier Laposte likes to work with simple products. “In the big houses, it was caviar, morels; at Le Collet I prefer to cook simpler, local products, but in such a way as to enhance their taste and surprise the customers”.
And customers are often surprised although warned by this sentence from Yves Courrier which appears on the menu card: "Cooking is an art which, in order not to become bastardized, needs fantasy, a little grain madness. »
It is with a slightly mischievous happiness that Olivier Lapothele offers his “winter zapping” dishes: foie gras drunk with mulled wine. Cubes of smoked salmon with sauerkraut maki or even saddle of rabbit and octopus in duo with a creamy butternut squash.
As for the “varied winter cravings”, they warm up skiers and hikers with grumbeerekiechle with melted munster cheese or hot Mont d'Or with potatoes and charcuterie.
Oh yes, and it's open for lunch and dinner, 365 days a year….
Hotel-restaurant Le Collet
Route de Colmar
88 400 Xonrupt-Longemer,
Tel. 03 29 60 09 57
www.chalethotel-lecollet.com