Last stop on a gourmet stroll in Hautes Vosges, the restaurant Le M Ventron looks like a contemporary refuge set between sky and fir trees. At the end of the Frère-Joseph road, we can see the Chalet Frère Joseph, a 5-star hotel-spa, and behind its bay windows the tables where chef Benoît Podevin orchestrates a new mountain lifestyle. An address that intrigues even before sitting down.
Until recently, the site was still only a family ski resort; today, the Domaine de Montagne marks the spectacular reconversion of Ventron into a four-season destination, with a spa, cozy rooms and gourmet restaurants. At the helm of the M, Mosellan Benoît Podevin, already rewarded in Moselle, won a first Michelin star here in 2026 after only ten months of cooking. And there, the ride clearly changes pace.
Le M, a starred restaurant nestled in the forests of Ventron
The history of the place begins in the 18th century with Pierre-Joseph Formet, the hermit who became Brother Joseph, installed around 1748 in these forests of Ventron. Hermitage, farm inn taken over by Émile Leduc in 1922, official creation of the ski resort in 1961, then definitive cessation of the ski lifts after winter 2020: the landscape has changed a lot. In 2022, Alexandre Keff and Pierre Singer bought the site; In 2025, Chalet Frère Joseph will open as a 5-star hotel-spa, at an altitude of nearly 900 meters.
In the room of the Michelin-starred restaurant Le M, wood dominates, the lines remain clean and the large bay windows look out onto the Vosges forests. Christophe Jacquot, room director and “old man” of the house, extends the spirit of the Leduc family with precise but relaxed service. Bread to share, aperitif pieces served in a vegetable setting, warm tone: the atmosphere is reminiscent of a large family home more than a classic palace.
Benoît Podevin, the chef of the Le M restaurant in Ventron
Trained between La Citadelle in Metz, Château d’Adoménil in Lunéville, La Grande Cascade in Paris and Alexandre à Garons at Michel Kayser, Benoît Podevin built his style in several starred houses. Mosellan, he returned to the country by taking the reins of K, the gourmet restaurant of Domaine de la Klauss in Montenach, where he won his first Michelin star before embarking on this Vosges adventure.
explains Benoît Podevin in an interview with Food & Sens. He then surrounded himself with Maximilian Tröbs, a chef who worked for starred establishments in Germany and Switzerland, sharing a taste for short circuits. Together, they won the M star in record time.
Mountain cuisine that tells the story of the Vosges region
As soon as he arrives in Ventron, the chef leaves to meet the producers, widening the playing field towards Alsace and Haute‑Saône for trout and pike perch. Pigeons, beef, cheeses come from the Vosges, as do a large part of the wild herbs. , he confides. And then the Signature menu unfolds a very personal score around this terroir.
On each plate, the product leads the dance, supported by a sauce that plays a central role. Arctic char confit in whey with sorrel pulp and tangy rhubarb extract illustrates this play on acidity well. The zucchini comes in different textures with fresh almonds and verbena, the Vosges pigeon arrives in a roasted chest and cromesquis, the homemade butter is flavored with wild garlic or woodruff, the grape seed oil with fir buds. In terms of cooking, the chef adapts to the product, choosing smoked barbecue or long winter cooking, always looking for the right balance in the mouth.
How to access the Le M restaurant at Domaine de Montagne in Ventron?
The restaurant Le M is located within the Domaine de Montagne, route de Frère Joseph, 88310 Ventron. You get there by car via mountain roads, with a final section going up to Chalet Frère Joseph.
Does the restaurant Le M in Ventron have a Michelin star?
Yes, the gourmet restaurant Le M obtained its first star in the Michelin Guide in 2026, less than a year after the arrival of Benoît Podevin and his team at Domaine de Montagne.
Can we stay at Chalet Frère Joseph after a dinner at Le M restaurant?
The M is integrated into the Chalet Frère Joseph, a 5-star hotel-spa. It is therefore possible to combine gourmet dinner, night on site and access to wellness areas for a real break in the Vosges.
