Shoukâ — Restaurant in Bonneville

Absolutely incredible spot for anyone who appreciates high-quality coffee — and I say that as a full-on coffee snob. Shoukâ isn’t just a café, it’s a proper experience. From the moment you walk in, you can tell this place takes its craft seriously. There’s a real focus on quality, from the beans they serve to the variety of equipment available to buy — grinders, brewers, filters, you name it. It’s the kind of place where you could easily spend half an hour just browsing the shelves.

The coffee itself is excellent — balanced, smooth, and brewed with care. Not a burnt bitter note in sight. You can really taste the difference here. Pair that with a solid selection of pastries, and you're sorted for a slow morning or a relaxed mid-hike recharge.

There’s also a lovely upstairs seating area that feels calm and tucked away — perfect for getting lost in a book or enjoying a chat without feeling like you’re in a busy café. Plus, the view out towards the mountains is something special, especially if you're lucky enough to catch a clear day. There’s also outdoor seating for when the weather plays nice.

Customer service has been consistently great every time I’ve visited — friendly, knowledgeable, and happy to speak English, which made things smooth for me. They also switch effortlessly between languages depending on the guest, which is impressive.

My first time here was last year, when I literally drove from the UK to Chamonix and made a point of stopping here. It was that good. And yes, I made the journey again — this time with my wife — and it absolutely lived up to the memory. No regrets. Already planning another stop next time I’m in the area.

Small heads-up: there's no public Wi-Fi, which didn’t bother me but worth knowing in advance if you’re planning to work from here. Personally, it added to the charm — more time to disconnect and enjoy the moment.

Can’t wait to return. This...

Buyer Beware.- I am in Chamonix for UTMB races with my family. I went to Shouka Chamonix for a French press (our condo only makes 1 cup at a time). I bought one with a plastic sleeve on the carafe. Walked back to the condo - 2 minutes max - opened the box and the carafe was shattered, not just cracked but falling to pieces. I immediately to the shop to return it. I was met with skepticism and blame. The box had 1 small tear - not smashed, not deformed, but a small tear that probably happened when I put the box in my back pack because it was raining. The women at the shop pointed that out as proof that I had dropped the box which was not true at all. The sales clerk said she shook the box when she sold it to me and did not hear any sounds. I think the plastic was holding it together until I unwrapped it. I did buy another one, and then was offered a 10% discount - like they believed 10% of what I said? I refused and paid full price and asked them to open the box to make sure it was in one piece. Have the clerks open any purchase of glass at this store – because if you leave and find it broken and try to return it you will be met with rudeness and blame and the implication that you are trying to pull a fast one. Lucky for me I can afford to buy another one. I’m sure the store will return the broken one to their source and collect twice on it, once from me and once from the...

Wanted to buy a nice water bottle, and of the one I liked there was only one last piece on the shelf, out of its box. It had dust around the sealing ring and full of fingerprints and some small scratches on. I asked the stuff if they had a new one in an unopened box, they said no. Then I said okay, can I get some discount on that one, as obviously it was nothing like a new one. She double checked then came back and said, the boss said ‘no’. I left without any purchase. It’s hard to understand this kind of bad service and the lack of customer appreciation. Even if I had gotten 5% off, I would have been happy with it. You know, just because of the effort. Moreover, I was considering to buy 2 extra ones for my wife and kid of another type, but I wanted to come back with them later, so they can choose what they like. Obviously, I will not do that now. Dear ‘boss’, now you can do the math on this, and decide yourself, if it was worth it: 5% off of a 30EUR water bottle with a potential 50EUR additional purchase versus a 0EUR purchase, a bad review, and the fact that one previously happy customer will definitely not go back for even a piece of croissant or a coffee - which I liked btw, to be fair. The coffee is good. But there are other good coffee places in Chamonix so I don’t mind at all. Please, try and do...