Chez Pépé Nicolas has reached a new milestone in its family and mountain history: our establishment has just been awarded the state label Destination d’excellence (formerly Qualité Tourisme), a first in the Rhône-Alpes region!
State recognition for a committed high-altitude address above Les Menuires
This award is a tribute to a unique 3 Vallées venue, combining a high-altitude restaurant, alpine farm, permaculture garden, boutique and leisure area, where a warm welcome, quality service, local roots and respect for the mountains guide every season.
Chez Pépé Nicolas is the first restaurant and leisure establishment in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region to receive this distinction.
Destination d’excellence: a government label for tomorrow’s tourism
The Destination d’excellence label (which replaces the Qualité Tourisme label) recognizes tourism professionals committed to quality, sustainability and accessibility.
This label, issued by Atout France, France’s tourism development agency, is aimed at players in the French tourism industry: accommodation, restaurants, visitor attractions, leisure sites, sports activities, tourist offices and transportation services. To obtain it, establishments undergo an in-depth audit lasting several months, and must validate two main pillars: quality of welcome and services, andeco-responsibility.
A distinction that resonates with the soul of Chez Pépé Nicolas
At an altitude of 2,000 meters, Chez Pépé Nicolas has always cultivated a certain idea of Alpine hospitality in the heart of the Belleville valley: taking the time, welcoming with sincerity, passing on a family history and helping guests discover the mountains in a different way. Chez Pépé Nicolas now includes a restaurant, a mountain pasture farm with guided tours, a permaculture high-altitude garden, a cheese-ageing cellar and a boutique selling artisanal products.
This distinction recognizes a commitment already present in the daily life of the house: seasonal cuisine, a friendly educational welcome, animal welfare, products from the garden, the mountain pasture, the fishpond and a network of local producers, in a locavore and environmentally-friendly approach.
Quality, hospitality, eco-responsibility: the highest standards
Obtaining the Destination d’excellence label means meeting a demanding set of standards. In particular, the assessment takes into account the quality of reception, customer satisfaction management, accessibility, reduced consumption, waste management, sustainable mobility and environmental practices.
At Pépé Nicolas, these values are lived out in the field: on the plate, in the gardens, on the farm, in the guided tours, in the attention paid to visitors and in the desire to preserve this exceptional natural setting above Les Menuires.
A regional premiere for a place like no other
Being the first food and leisure establishment in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region to be awarded the Destination d’excellence label marks a major milestone for us.
It’s recognition for the whole team: those who cook, welcome, cultivate, nurture, pass on, tell stories and bring this high-altitude address to life every day.
It’s also a source of pride for the Vallée des Belleville, Savoie and the 3 Vallées, areas where tourism excellence is built on a balance between authenticity, innovation and respect for nature.
An invitation to experience the mountains differently
More than just a restaurant in Les Menuires, Chez Pépé Nicolas is a complete experience: a bistronomic mountain restaurant, panoramic terraces, an alpine farm in summer, a permaculture garden, a craft and delicatessen store, guided tours and moments to share with family and friends.
This Destination d’excellence award confirms our determination to offer a sincere, generous and responsible experience, faithful to our Alpine roots and looking to the future.
Welcome to Pépé Nicolas, a destination of excellence in the heart of the 3 Valleys!
