Pinson

A fig tree shades the terrace on place Monge, and on a warm afternoon it's the kind of spot that makes Chambéry feel like it's getting away with something. Inside, the restaurant runs a modern Mediterranean menu with Middle Eastern leanings, the work of a chef who trained at Lasserre and Rech. The cooking is bright and well-travelled without being smug about it, and the service matches the mood: genuinely warm rather than performed.

One honor, in evidence: