Crans Montana is a truly diverse town where you can find truly enchanting places and where you can enjoy a thousand activities with the whole family. From sports to entertainment, from culture to a tour of the town's luxury shops.
But after so much pilgrimage, did you not feel like eating something in Crans Montana?
In a holiday worthy of the name, apart from the scenery, shops and entertainment, good food, even better with local products, is a must. A location as rich as Crans-Montana could not fail in this respect. Again, the beauty of this place lies in its variety, since it is possible to taste the specialities of the area both in refuges and alpine pastures, at a lower cost, and in top-class restaurants, such as Yannick Crepaux's LeMontBlanc and Franck Reynaud's l'Ours, both Michelin-starred.
It is also very easy to find exotic tastes with several ethnic restaurants.
But let's see what to eat in Crans Montana and which are the most renowned products in the area that you absolutely must try.
The altitude of Crans-Montana and its climate favour mountain pastures and, consequently, cheese-making. Among the best-known cheeses in the area are toma and raclette (from which the typical dish takes its name), but many others can be enjoyed fresh, such as goat's cheese, mozzarella, feta and ricotta, which is known here as sérac.
The cheeses of the area are also known as "ricotta".
If you want to treat yourself to an unforgettable experience, le Hameau de Colombire is the perfect place for you. Here you will have the opportunity to visit the eco-museum that shows how the first Swiss farmers lived and what tools they used, but not only; you can watch the creation of the various cheeses and then taste them in the Restaurant Colombire accompanied by local sausages and ham. To make it all the more magical, a breathtaking panorama with views of the mountains and pastures.
The next protagonist of the journey in search of the typical products of Crans-Montana is the wine. Over the years, wine tourism in this area has developed more and more, because the vineyards in this part of the Alps produce some of the world's most delicate, good and fine wines, both white and red. Every year in March, the Salone del Vino e del Territorio takes place, where winegrowers showcase some of their top products.
The most famous white wines include Petite Arvine, Fendant and Amigne, while red wines include Pinot noir, Cornalin and Gamay.
If you would also like an outing in a very atmospheric yet friendly environment in which to admire the steps of wine production and enjoy a wine tasting with friends, the Cave Le Tambourin is one of the most popular wineries with tourists precisely because of the welcome offered by owners Madeleine and Ismael and the very high quality of their wines.
Of course, wines and cheeses represent a large slice of all the delicacies to eat in Crans-Montana, but other, more underrated specialities should not be forgotten.
In the area, in fact, excellent cereals are grown, especially rye, with which the local bakers create mouth-watering bread. But then again, one cannot fail to mention the mountain herbs, roots, spices and exotic fruits that Grand-Père Cornut transforms into delicious and unique liqueurs and syrups.
Yet something still seems to be missing, doesn't it? Obviously, it was the turn of dessert, and thus of one of the products for which Switzerland is world-famous: chocolate. David Pasquet, de l'Instant Chocolat, is a true artist in this field, so much so that he has even participated in the world chocolate championships. The dedication and creativity that he and his collaborators devote to their products will impress you, and rest assured that you will never again forget the taste of their creations.
As mentioned earlier, there are two starred restaurants in Crans-Montana, but the Michelin guide itself also suggests others in the area, including:
For those who are homesick or want to experience more exotic cuisines, there are instead:
If you want to eat in Crans-Montana, know that you will be spoilt for choice even when it comes to filling your stomach, so the only thing you need to watch out for is your figure!