The story
Auberge de la Roche occupies a stone building in the hamlet of La Roche, in the Valdeblore valley between the Tinée and Vésubie. The mountains surround it, and the pace slows down. The restaurant shares the space with a small hotel: a handful of rooms and suites, plus two outdoor baths (one hot, one cold) and a sauna, all open year-round.
The kitchen works with a carte blanche menu for dinner, changing with the seasons. On Sundays, a fixed lunch menu called "cuisine du dimanche" is served. The cooking is modern, precise, and rooted in the produce of the region. The restaurant holds a Michelin Recommended distinction for 2026.
Natural wines are a central passion here. The cellar is a curated selection of bottles from some of Europe’s most dedicated vignerons: Patrick Bouju, Ruppert Leroy, Domaine Prieuré Roch, and many others. Every wine on the list is natural, chosen to complement the cooking.
For those who want to linger, the Auberge offers rooms and suites. The price includes dinner, breakfast, and access to the baths and sauna. A picnic for two can be prepared on request. It is a place to unwind, eat well, and sleep deeply.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
At the foot of Mercantour mountain passes, Louis-Philippe Riel (ex-6 Paul Bert) and Alexis Bijaoui (ex-Garance in Paris and Dan Barber in New York) have taken over the kitchens at the Auberge de la Roche, crafting a sensational menu in the process. From inside the open kitchen with a view of the stone fireplace, the duo and their accomplice Mickaëlle Chabat sent all of the following out the night we went: a slice of flash-seared sea bream with glazed leek, sprinkled with wild herbs from the garden and served with a sensational pepper brioche; amberjack crudo with locally foraged elderflowers, stuffed zucchini blossoms and diced calf’s head with béarnaise sauce, beurre blanc and roasted celery; an incredible grouper caught off the coast of Croc-de-Cagnes, paired with roasted eggplant and a tuna sauce poulette ; achingly tender veal from the nearby village in a hot satay sauce, intensified by chard and Piedmont hazelnuts; a cheese plate served with homemade sourdough bread; before an almond milk tuile served with a divine apricot sorbet, then a comforting coffee ice cream with a crumble-style cookie. Overall, nothing short of mountainous! // Laëtitia Sayre
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