Le Petit Hibou — Restaurant in Albertville

What can I add after all the great reviews of Petit Hibou? Caz and Dave are true professionals and really know what they’re doing? Their little restaurant and chalet are they best in the valley, but having stayed in the flat above the restaurant for two weeks, eaten at the restaurant multiple times, and have begun to know them personally, I find most of the reviews are accurate, if understated. “Amazing, excellent, lovely and friendly” are all perfectly descriptive but don’t really give a feel for the place. For those of you have seen the Byzantine chapels in Ravenna, (search for the Basilica of San Vitale) the Petit Hibou reminds me of those marvels of the 5th to the 10th C. The whole idea of those chapels is the exterior is rather plain and give no clue to the wonders inside, just as the human condition should be. The chapels are deceptively simple. Upon entering, your perception adjusts slowly to the light, and the marvelously intricate mosaics gently flicker as they become apparent to you. Such is the case with the Petit Hibou. My first meal there was “yeah this is good!” and I compared it to some of my favorite haunts back home. As I stayed there though, I began to appreciate the rhythms and the quality of the place. The bread deliveries in the morning, the hard work to accommodate the lunch crowd, people from all over the world making the trip and free samples of microbrew (Try Dave’s Mango IPA) all made me contemplate what Dave and Caz are trying to do in this high alpine valley. It’s nice to see what real people can do with understated quality. We were at a fancy hotel in the Dolomites a couple of years ago, and the polyglot liveried and beautiful staff was clueless, tried to sell us extravagant bottles of wine, and serving average food (salads with supermarket clamshell lettuce). I am certain they felt superior and thought all Americans are easily impressed by the starched grey uniforms with white piping and silver gilt table settings. It’s not like that here. Dave, Caz and their staff like Phoebe show up in normal clothes and treat you like a human being in the Petit Hibou’s simply decorated dining room, letting the food and drink impress. I worked through the entire menu which has about 6 mains and desserts, and slowly began to appreciate the glory on the plate (just the like mosaics). The proteins are straightforward (beef lamb and fish), but Caz is a master of garnish. Their small garden is quite productive in the summer, and she puts away all manner of vegetable like pepper, beets, radish, plum & etc. These all wind up on the plate in unusual and delish combinations, even at the end of winter when we were there. What’s also nice about the food that is that temperature is almost an ingredient. The stuff that supposed to be hot, like the fish, is hot. Temperature mastery is evidenced by the rabbit terrine. It is room temperature- it’s not pulled from the fridge at the last minute. The kitchen takes care not to over tweezer the plate with elegant scatterings of mache and chervil while the food gets cold. None the less the servings are elegant. Also their wine selection is extremely considered, and if not downright cheap for the quality. Local producers who they know and trust. The quality come through in the drinking and pairing.

I highly recommend this place without equivocation...

Our family of five stayed at Le Petit Hibou over Christmas. We had had doubts about whether to travel because of the pandemic, but took a leap of faith and booked the chalet for a week.

Even though reviews had been positive and pictures we had seen seemed flattering, our expectations were exceeded. The living space is tastefully decorated and everything was spotlessly clean. We especially appreciated the comfortable beds, big towels, warm showers and eco-friendly toiletries.

There is a private dining room where we were served breakfast, after ski refreshments and dinner. All of the food was fantastic and our dietary preferences were accommodated for. It shows our children's gratitude for the treatment they received, that they at one point asked us if they could chip in their own money for the stay.

The location of the chalet is picturesque in the quiet, forested surroundings of the Nordic skiing centre. Getting to the slopes was convenient with the provided transport and there is a regular bus service. All communication with the owners was efficient and effortless.

We were uncertain about writing a review here, as we selfishly would like to keep this gem to ourselves. But that would not be in the spirit of Le Petit Hibou where we got the strong sense that Dave and Caz went above and beyond to make our stay...

A very special place in the Alps. Le Petit Hibou is nestled in the beautiful Vanoise National Park at the end of the valley. It really is one of the most beautiful places to stay and eat. Caz is an amazing chef, she bakes her own sourdough bread everyday, the lunch and dinner menus are made up of exciting seasonal plates. Dave is the man with the knowledge of the local mountains and brews a damn good beer, actually quite a few beers from The Mt Houblon Micro Brewery which is on draught in the bar! The decor is beautifully designed, bright airy rooms with rustic chic. Every detail has been thought of for your stay here. You have the nordic ski centre on your doorstep if you fancy a cross country ski or you can walk/snowshoe for hours in he beautiful Vanoise National Park and maybe see the famous bearded vultures circuling High above the tall mountain peaks. There is a frequent bus service that runs right outside the chalet to the lifts and to Peisey Vallandry. There is a boot drying room and ski locker outside and a warm cosy fire to come back to. I really can't recommend staying and eating at Le Petit...