The main goal I had this semester was to see the Alps, and originally I wanted to go to Switzerland but unfortunately that was way out of my budget. My roommate and I decided to fly into Geneva, Switzerland and drive an hour into France to go to Chamonix for the weekend. There we got a cheap AirBnb, sharing one room in the home of a French family. While traveling all over Europe that is definitely something I had to get used to. Sharing a room in someone’s home usually resulted in $30-$40 nights in beautiful cities. Although Chamonix was beautiful and the blue bird sky made for perfect skiing conditions- the most surprising part about the trip was where our AirBnb was located. We stayed 30 minutes away from Chamonix in a small quaint town in Servoz. It was the perfect place. The most fond memory I had of this particular trip was spending a dinner in a small restaurant in Servoz run by a cute, older French couple.
Neighboring the heart of Chamonix Valley, one of the world’s most famous Ski Resorts- Servoz has a rich cultural history going back hundreds of years. Its location is the perfect stop for travelers making their way through the Alps. The restaurant is housed in a historic building that was once a command post for the French military. The name now reflects that historical fact as “Le Lieutenant” being the French officer that was in charge of operations in the Servoz region. Now, the restaurant serves as both a quaint historical museum and a restaurant.
Stumbling out of the bus from Geneva, Switzerland, my roommate and I stood confused looking at the foggy sky of Servoz. After laughing at the idea of being in the middle of France alone we realized we now had to get to our AirBnb. I type the address into my phone and say, “Okay, it’s just a 30 minute walk”. As we make our way to the Airbnb, we find that the walk was up an entire mountain to which we realize we cannot walk. Sitting on our suitcases, attempting to figure out the bus system, an American woman stops her car in front of us and asks if we need to get up the mountain. We agree, maybe a little stupidly. As we make our way through the winding roads of Servoz, the woman recommends La Table Du Lieutenant as she and her husband go often. “It’s run by a really cute couple, they’re the only ones who work there. Everyday, all day”, She said.
After arriving to our AirBnb, we take a minute to get everything settled before walking a few minutes to La Table Le Lieutenant. When we get to the building we’re met with a 3 story building with informational posters of Servoz and old black and white pictures of the building and the changing landscapes. We make our way downstairs and open a large wooden door to the restaurant. There is only a French family seated with a small toddler running through the small space. We ask the man if we can have a meal to which he rushes into the kitchen to retrieve his wife who we find can speak English. We order traditional French bread with ham and two types of French cheese. The meal was served with a delicious walnut and vinaigrette salad. Along with our meals we ordered a pot of black tea. The bread’s crust had been broiled to a nice gold brown crisp, while the cheese melted well into the bread. The ham was surprisingly sweet and savory pairing with the bread and rich cheese well. It was warm in the restaurant, and quaint, filled with different unique types of tables and chairs. I enjoyed the company of the toddler and he made his way to our table often. The couple was kind despite the obvious look of us being foreign, and we often seen them throughout our trip as the bus stop rested right outside their kitchen back door.
Exiting the building after eating our meals, we exit opposite the direction we entered and found ourselves on the balcony of the building. Although we were on the lowest level, the balcony hung over the edge of a steep hill, and as we look we see the clouds had cleared and there was the snow dipped tops of the French Alps.