The family story of a mountain chalet in the heart of the 3 Valleys
Nicolas JAY, ‘Pépé Nicolas’, was a mountain farmer from Saint-Martin-de-Belleville who, in 1957, bought a mountain chalet in the heart of the high mountain pastures.
More than 30 years of heritage and values
In 1986, three of his grandchildren, Éric, Bruno and Thierry Suchet, and one of his sons, Patrick, took over the farm. They created next to the farm a modest mountain pasture restaurant, open only in summer. Over the years, La Chasse farm and restaurant have welcomed more and more visitors, attracted by the authentic family atmosphere and exceptional surroundings.
The alpine chalet "La Chasse" became "Chez Pépé Nicolas"
In 2014, the development of the nearby La Chasse ski slope radically altered the site, marking the start of a new adventure with a number of changes and works over several years.
‘La Chasse’ became ‘Chez Pépé Nicolas’ in homage to the grandfather and opens summer and winter. The restaurant was completely redesigned by our atmospheric designer, Magali Suchet.
A shop selling local products was built in place of an old barn. The cheese dairy, where the cheese is made, was completely refurbished with a maturing cellar.
And finally, a 2,000 m2 permaculture garden was created at an altitude of 2,000 m.
Over the years, Chez Pépé Nicolas has become a unique place, open in both summer and winter.
Margot, Valentin and Lucie manage the restaurant, the farm, the shop and the garden
Today, it is the fourth generation that manages and brings the place to life, with Margot, Valentin and Lucie Suchet, great-grandchildren of Grandpa Nicolas, and Margot’s husband, Judi.
The essence of the Suchet family is taking the time to savour the moment, in the heart of the 3 Vallées, between tradition and modernity, creativity and the art of mountain living. It’s the spirit of a welcoming, smiling and caring family, for a real, life-size experience in the Alps.
Authenticity, excellence, sharing and protecting the environment are values shared by the whole team.
A committed and active team, summer and winter alike
Valentin Suchet, great-grandson of Pépé Nicolas and son of Eric Suchet, who took over the Montagnette to turn it into a restaurant, is the farm manager. With his team of shepherds, he manages the livestock in summer, and the visits to the altitude farm. He is also manager of the Suchet family’s 2nd restaurant, Le Montagnard, in the village of Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, with his sister Lucie.
Margot Suchet, great-granddaughter of Pépé Nicolas and daughter of Thierry Suchet who created the restaurant and runs the company, is the manager of the restaurant and shop, alongside her husband Judicaël Barbier.
Lucie Suchet, great-granddaughter of Pépé Nicolas and daughter of Eric Suchet, manages the guided tours, the shop’s back office and Le Montagnard restaurant in Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, with her brother Valentin.
Judicaël Barbier is the cheese maker and works alongside Margot, his wife, to manage the restaurant and shop.
Martial and Michaela Vuillemin are Head Chef and Restaurant Manager respectively, and have been with us for many years.
Joseph is the gardener; he’s been beautifying the garden for 3 years.
Marie-France has been in charge of the shop for 10 years.
Together, the whole team welcomes you to the Savoie mountain pastures for a new and different mountain experience.
Short circuits, local resources and animal welfare
Protecting the environment is a core value at Pépé Nicolas. We favour short circuits, using local resources such as water from our natural mountain spring, milk from our cows and goats, trout that we raise in our own fishpond, flowers, fruit, vegetables and herbs from our permaculture garden, and so on.
We promote naturalness and recycling from the plate to the decoration of our tables and terraces. Trendy tradi chic’ atmosphere in our 3 dining rooms and our panoramic outdoor terraces.
Antique everyday objects are reworked to decorate our different reception areas and arouse your curiosity.
We work with a network of 40 local suppliers and producers, all of whom are committed to respecting the environment through short supply chains.
In the same vein, the creation of a permaculture garden in 2020 was an obvious choice. We set out to recreate a mountain ecosystem. We’re proud to be able to serve you our pesto, garden vegetables and dried herbs in summer and winter alike.
A place rich in emotions, for an exceptional moment of relaxation, summer or winter, in the Alps.
