L’Estaminet — Restaurant in Annecy

I came here because of popular reviews and left disappointed. It’s more a tourist boite (box) in a popular location with ok food. Of course I ordered the Belgian mussels which was my first mistake. Belgians do the dish in so many ways and so much better. The sauce which was white onions celery and cream tasted more like diluted milk with onions. Mussels were very small although the pot was full. When the best part of the meal was the Belgian bottled beer (Leffe) you know you are in trouble! Place was lively and full of people in a very good place for outdoor dining! On another matter which bothered me, the host spoke English to me when I spoke French to him. My French was a bit rusty but his English was broken and poorly pronounced. Not sure why the waiters, who once only spoke French to Americans, now want to prove...

Mediocre muscles in a pretty atmosphere. We stopped in for a quick lunch, and like most of the restaurants in the touristy area, they serve similar fare. We were looking forward to having some muscles and then just had a Caesar salad. I have to remind myself not to order things that I know how to make myself. Muscles are so easy to make: fresh mussels, garlic, a little white wine, maybe a touch a butter parsley and that’s it. That’s why I was disappointing because it just seem like the whole dish was found in. And then for €17 I was like…come on people. Caesar salad was fine. Service was very friendly and the atmosphere...

We ordered the perche meuniere. It was not a single fish, but lots of smaller fish, all of which had been fried to within an inch of existence, and left in a pool of oil as opposed to butter. Somehow they’d even managed to ruin the chips as well, which is a feat in itself.

When we were leaving the staff asked how it was and we mentioned it wasn’t the nicest meal we’d ever had. He assured us that the food was how it was meant to be, when the french cook it. Either he was trying to pull wool over our eyes or generations of french gastronomie are an utter sham. I’d highly recommend avoiding...