Au Vieux Nendaz

In what was once a family home, then a village grocery store before becoming a restaurant, Clara Laurent and Adrien Lopez decided to take the plunge. It was a bold move: succeeding Édith, a local institution who had run this little inn for 36 years, serving fondue, raclette, rösti and cheese-crusted specialities. Neither Clara nor Adrien is from the region. She grew up in Besançon, he comes from Bourg-en-Bresse, and they met in Paris while working at Ladurée. Adrien was overseeing the brand's international openings, while Clara was completing a degree in culinary design. Yet the mountains were already familiar territory for Adrien. Having worked in restaurants since the age of 15, determined to make it his profession, he also trained as a ski technician and moved to Switzerland at 20. Winters on the slopes, summers in the kitchen. He later joined chef Loris Lathion at Le Mont-Rouge in Nendaz before returning to France and Ladurée, then heading back to Switzerland to work at the Abbaye de Montheron. Clara, meanwhile, joined the Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne. Keen to stay in Switzerland and finally have a place of their own, they posted a small ad on a local website—and came across Édith's restaurant. The deal was struck within hours, but winning over the locals took much longer. Gone were the hearty mountain classics; in their place came a clear gastronomic ambition. Some regulars were unconvinced, while others were immediately drawn to the new approach, which quickly caught the attention of the media. In their tiny chalet, with just three rooms and around fifteen seats, there are only the two of them: Clara runs the dining room while Adrien is in the kitchen. Guests choose between four-, five-, six- or seven-course tasting menus built around regional produce. In season, asparagus, apricots, strawberries and raspberries come from the fertile farms of the Rhône Valley in Valais. Autumn brings game, while for everything else Adrien refuses to impose limits or follow dogma. Japanese wagyu, otoro tuna or caviar all have their place if they serve the dish. He alone sets the course for a cuisine that clearly has its sights set on a Michelin star, impressing with its precision, finesse and remarkable clarity. The same philosophy applies to the wine list: although regional wines are well represented, he places no restrictions on himself, choosing above all to work with winemakers with whom he shares genuine affinities.