The story
Above the winding roads of Lucinges, an old 19th-century farmhouse hugs the hillside between lake and mountain. This is Le Bonheur dans le Pré, a hotel-restaurant-wine cellar that lives up to its name: a quiet pocket of happiness in the Savoyard countryside.
The restaurant is run by Ludyvine and Cyril Marcillon. Ludyvine grew up behind the bar of her parents’ Normandie restaurant before moving into spa management at Geneva’s La Réserve and Evian’s Royal. Cyril, a graduate of the Nice hotel school, cooked in the United States and later at the Meurice in Paris, then spent a decade as a sommelier in Geneva’s finest hotels, including the Mandarin Oriental. His passion for wine and “real products” eventually drew him back to the stove.
The kitchen is open only for dinner, Tuesday through Saturday. Rather than a large à la carte, the team works with a single menu that changes with the seasons – built exclusively from fresh, local producers. The menu is priced at 48 euros for entrée, main and dessert, with a cheese supplement for 8 euros. Children are welcome with a smaller portion at 22 euros. The philosophy is simple: let the ingredients speak, and treat the guest as you would a friend at home.
Downstairs, the cave is a labour of love. Cyril selects wines that “touch us, speak to us, give us pleasure” – small producers, unusual finds, wines meant to be shared. The cellar is open daily by phone, and the wine-pairing option (20 euros) is a natural extension of the evening.
The Michelin guide has recognised this approach with a Recommended trophy, a nod to the sincerity and skill behind the stove. The dining room and terrace look out over the same pastures that supply much of the produce, and the atmosphere is one of calm, unpretentious generosity.
Le Bonheur dans le Pré is not a place for fuss. It is a place for a real meal, a good bottle, and the view of the mountains as the evening settles in.
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