Salle des Gardes

The atmosphere was lovely, and the restaurant is perfectly located for a summer evening. The waitress, Malou (sorry if I misspelled her name 🥲), was incredibly friendly and always smiling. She did an excellent job, and her service was top-notch. I ordered a sirloin steak. It was cooked well, but I found it a little bland.

The restaurant is very well located; we enjoyed a delicious raclette for €29.90 with a large platter of charcuterie. They accept holiday vouchers.

Passing through Annecy after more than 10 years (it's crazy how crowded it is now!), I stopped for a snack, like any self-respecting tourist. Ideal spot, on the terrace, by the water, and depending on your chair, a view of the bridge and old buildings. I would have preferred to deduct only 0.5 stars for the service, of course, because the power outage cutting off access to the card machine could have been very inconvenient (if you didn't have any cash). Obviously, this is based on my experience, so don't take this information into account for yours 😉

We came on Friday the 27th to share a raclette. Despite arriving shortly before 10 pm, the waitresses were very kind and served us without any problem. We enjoyed our first meal so much that we decided to return less than 48 hours later, on Sunday. Unfortunately, this second experience was very different. Upon arrival, the same hostess asked us to wait for the manager to seat us, even though the terrace wasn't full. We immediately sensed a more tense atmosphere than during our first visit. We ordered two tartiflettes. Mine was excellent, but my friend found a black, straight hair (nothing like our hair texture) embedded in her gratin. We simply informed the waitress, and the manager came to explain that no one in the kitchen had that type of hair. She also mentioned a similar incident that had occurred a few days earlier with a cheeseburger. It was during the conversation that we realized she was simply mistaking us for other Black customers, which explained a lot: the wait upon our arrival, the tone she used, and the way the situation was handled in front of the other customers. Realizing her mistake, she offered us a gesture of goodwill, which we appreciated. But that wasn't really what we were looking for: we simply wanted to experience the same quality of service that had made us want to return so soon. I work in the restaurant industry in Paris myself, so I know how difficult this job is, especially during peak season. Nevertheless, I think there are two areas for improvement: stricter hygiene in the kitchen, and above all, treating all customers equally. It's normal to mistake people for each other during peak season. But being mistaken for other customers simply because we are Black remains an unfortunately common experience, which clearly influenced our experience. I am leaving this review not to obtain a goodwill gesture, but in the hope of preventing other customers from experiencing the same thing.

A very pleasant restaurant, right on the banks of the Thiou River. The service is excellent and the food superb. I highly recommend the Savoyard fondue to share, which was absolutely delicious. The owners are very attentive to their customers and their dogs, providing a bowl of water and even a little treat because it's their holiday too. Looking forward to returning! 😁