Les Quatre Saisons

The story

Les Quatre Saisons in Kruth, France – Modern Cuisine in the Vosges Mountains

A Mountain Restaurant with a Michelin Recommendation

In the small village of Kruth, deep within the Ballon des Vosges nature reserve, Les Quatre Saisons is a chalet hotel and restaurant that feels worlds away from the ordinary. This is a place rooted in its surroundings—forest, mountain views, and the quiet of the Vosges—but the kitchen tells a different story. Here, Christelle Mentzinger-Lang, the chef and owner alongside Frédéric Mentzinger, crafts a precise, modern cuisine that has earned the restaurant a Michelin recommendation. It is a recognition that matches the ambition of a dining room set in a landscape of “heimlich” comfort and alpine calm.

Christelle Mentzinger-Lang’s Menu

The menu at Les Quatre Saisons changes with the seasons and the chef’s inspiration. A three-course meal (starter, main, dessert) is priced at €41, and the dishes reveal a kitchen that balances technique with a clear, personal voice. Starters might include barbecued salmon with chilled broccoli mousseline, pickled celery, and yuzu drops, or a savory tomato panna cotta with cherry tomatoes, white Munster cheese, and basil pesto. There is also a homemade duck foie gras with apricot confit and a hint of vanilla, served with toasted brioche.

Main courses show the same range: pan-fried veal steak with creamy verbena sauce and crushed potatoes with green asparagus; beef tataki served cold with carrot mousseline flavored with cumin seeds and coriander mayo; or a panko-breaded black cod fillet with creamy semolina, thin slices of chorizo, and smoked paprika sauce. A “summer bowl” of cereals, shredded white cabbage, beets, roasted peanuts, and baby spinach offers a lighter, plant-forward option.

Desserts are ordered at the start of the meal, a small ritual that signals the kitchen’s attention to pacing. Choices include apricot-rosemary crumble with apricot sorbet, crème brûlée with blueberry puree, or an iced Kougelhopf with Gewurztraminer Marc, streusel, and raspberry coulis. There are also homemade ice creams and sorbets in seasonal flavors.

A Setting That Grounds the Meal

The restaurant is part of a boutique chalet hotel, and the atmosphere carries that same warmth. The dining room opens onto a terrace with mountain views, and the interior is built for quiet, unhurried meals. The “kalerla” relaxation area, a bar, and a lounge are part of the same property, but the restaurant itself remains the focus—a place where the modern cuisine of Christelle Mentzinger-Lang meets the deep, forested calm of the Vosges.