Ursus

The story

Ursus Tignes – Alpine Michelin-Starred Dining in a Forest Setting

A dining room that feels like a forest

At Ursus, the first thing you notice is the trees. Nearly four hundred of them stand inside the restaurant, arranged in a way that mimics a mountain clearing. Only twelve tables sit under soft, filtered light. Chef Clément Bouvier wanted to bring the forest indoors—his way of sharing the pleasure of foraging without taking guests out into the cold. The result is intimate, quiet, and unmistakably alpine.

Chef Clément Bouvier’s path

Bouvier grew up around cooking, first with his grandparents, then his parents. He worked abroad in New York and Shanghai, and spent years alongside celebrated chefs such as René and Maxime Meilleur and Jean-François Piège. In November 2017, he opened Ursus in Tignes, joining the family hotel business. The restaurant earned a Michelin star in 2019 and, the following year, a Michelin Green Star for its commitment to sustainable gastronomy.

Cuisine rooted in the Tarentaise valley

Eighty percent of the ingredients come from the Savoie department. Bouvier builds his menu around what is local and seasonal: fish from mountain lakes, meats from the surrounding pastures, dairy from nearby farms. He works closely with regional producers, letting their products dictate the direction of each dish. The cooking is generous and straightforward, an expression of the alpine terroir rather than a display of technique for its own sake.

The name Ursus refers to the last brown bear species in Savoie, the Ursus arctos—a reminder of the wild landscape that shapes everything on the plate.