Written by Nadège · Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
At Franck Derouet and Thomas Lorival’s table, who took over Le Clos des Sens from Laurent Petit, the cooking rests on two pillars: vegetables from the garden and lake fish from Lake Annecy, visible right from the dining room. We had already eaten at other three-star tables before this meal. None of them had given us quite the same emotion. We chose the fully plant-based menu, as we always do when the house offers it, and we would gladly have stayed at that table until closing.
A house above the lake, a smooth handover
Le Clos des Sens sits at 13 rue Jean Mermoz, on the hills of Annecy-le-Vieux, a few minutes from the lake whose waters it overlooks. The restaurant’s name evokes an enclosed garden where the five senses come alive, a promise the house has kept since making vegetables its backbone in 2015. Laurent Petit, who carried this philosophy and built the house’s reputation, handed over the keys in 2022 to Franck Derouet and Thomas Lorival, two loyal collaborators who had already been working alongside him. What followed carried no break in continuity: the house stayed true to itself while moving forward, a continuity the guides recognized by maintaining its three stars.
Two men of the house, recognition that goes beyond the stars
Franck Derouet joined Le Clos des Sens back in 2010, in the kitchen. Thomas Lorival arrived in 2016, after two years at a three-star house in Oslo, before choosing sommellerie to be in the dining room rather than behind the stoves. Both became co-directors of the restaurant as early as summer 2021, a year before the official handover on September 29, 2022. This internal progression partly explains why the Michelin Guide never questioned the three stars the house earned on January 21, 2019: the new owners already knew every corner of the kitchen and the garden. Le Clos des Sens also holds a Michelin Green Star, a distinction reserved for establishments committed to more sustainable gastronomy, as well as 4 toques from Gault et Millau and five-star Relais & Châteaux status. Once a month, the house also opens its garden to children from nearby schools for an educational workshop, a quiet way of living out its philosophy beyond the dining room.
A 1,500 m² kitchen garden, with a gardener on site
The kitchen garden at Le Clos des Sens spans 1,500 m² and runs on permaculture. Lionel Perron, the house’s gardener, describes it as a place of origins, authenticity straight from the soil, cooked down to its very soul, with nothing wasted. Picking happens day by day, guided by what the garden gives rather than what the menu demands: the menu rewrites itself continuously, one season never waiting for the next. In summer, the house even claims to be fully self-sufficient for its entire plant-based offering. This open-air pantry keeps up a constant dialogue with the kitchen, where a leaf, a honey-scented flower or a root picked in the morning can end up on the evening’s plate.
What we loved…
An emotion we no longer expected
We had already pushed open the door of other three-star houses, and thought, perhaps a little presumptuously, that we knew what to expect. Le Clos des Sens proved that wrong from the very first bites. It wasn’t so much the technique, flawless as it was, that made the difference, but the feeling of being exactly where we belonged, in a dining room turned toward the lake, with a kitchen that never tries to impress for the sake of impressing. The meal ended up feeling like a parenthesis we would have liked to see stretch on well past dessert.
Plant-based, a choice that no longer needs defending
Choosing the fully plant-based menu at a house also known for its work with lake fish might have seemed like a gamble. It wasn’t. Every course stood on its own, never giving the impression of compensating for the absence of animal protein with extra sauce or fat. The vegetables from the garden went through cooking and fermentation techniques that gave them a depth rarely associated with the word “vegetable,” and the service always knew exactly where every element on the plate came from, down to the flower placed last.
FAQ: Le Clos des Sens
Is the fully plant-based menu available at every service?
Yes, the house offers it at both lunch and dinner, every service. It’s best to mention it when booking so the kitchen can plan accordingly.
What do the menus cost at Le Clos des Sens?
Three menus are offered: Pour Voir at 158 euros, Plein d’Envies at 238 euros and Grande Fête at 288 euros. Each can be served in a fully plant-based version at no extra cost.
Do you need to book far in advance?
Yes. Tables get snapped up weeks, sometimes months in advance, especially on weekends. It’s also worth checking the house’s annual closures, late April, early September and late December, before settling on a date.
Does Le Clos des Sens hold three Michelin stars?
Yes, since January 21, 2019. The house also holds a Michelin Green Star, a distinction reserved for establishments committed to more sustainable gastronomy.
How do you get to Le Clos des Sens?
The restaurant is located at 13 rue Jean Mermoz, in Annecy-le-Vieux, on the hills overlooking Lake Annecy, a few minutes from the town centre.
Good to know
Details
Address: 13 rue Jean Mermoz, 74940 Annecy-le-Vieux
Hours: Tuesday and Thursday, dinner only. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, lunch and dinner. Sunday evening in summer. Closed Mondays, as well as late April, from early to mid-September, and from late December to early January.
Contact: +33 4 50 23 07 90
Booking: closdessens.com