Photo courtesy of La Baraque/Facebook
Whether you have been out on the slopes for a couple of hours or have arrived back at your chalet after a full day’s skiing, one thing is for sure… you are likely to have worked up quite an appetite. Enjoying guilt free lunches after a morning's exercise and sumptuous dinners at the end of a day’s skiing, is all part of the fun of a ski holiday. Foodies are, unsurprisingly, very well catered for in Val d’Isere with some superb restaurants both on and off the mountain. We spoke to some of our team who are currently in-resort and asked for their five favourites. Have we missed any you think should be featured? Let us know!
L‘étincelle
Photo courtesy of L'etincelle/Facebook
New for the 2017/18 season is L‘étincelle. Located on-piste near the bottom of Solaise it offers the perfect pit-stop for lunch (with an easy slide down to Cocorico's for apres-ski if you don’t feel like heading back out onto the slopes!) and a great destination for dinner. The restaurant is the culmination of several years' hard work by Carole & Sébastien Frison and their brother in law, Chef Pierre-Yves Casanova, who has created a menu of grilled meats, delicious hand-crafted pizzas, and home-made pastries and desserts. Their wine cellar is also particularly well stocked! We love the easy going, bohemian vibe they have created and the large, sun drenched south facing terrace is ideal for a drink in the sun.
More information and reservations at www.letincellevaldisere.com
La Peau de Vache
Image courtesy of La Peau de Vache/Facebook
Moving from the trendy to the more traditional, La Peau de Vache is a cosy, welcoming restaurant set at 2,500 metres, just at the foot of the legendary La Face de Bellevarde piste. Accessible on foot, this is a great destination for lunch or dinner. The food is excellent (think superb burgers, omelettes with fresh truffles, salads and the highly rated chocolate dessert served with cream) and the views are great. And because the restaurant is a little out-of-the-way it’s a great choice when things are looking busy elsewhere. We are not the only ones to rate this restaurant… at the time of writing it is the proud holder of the number 1 spot (out of 83 listed) on Trip Advisor.
Side note: You may have noticed the truly extraordinary snowfall that many resorts across Europe have been experiencing… as great as this is for skiing, it’s proved problematic for others including La Peau de Vache. The restaurant got buried in metres of the stuff, but fear not, the dedicated staff have been busy clearing it... starting out of the first-floor window!
Le Signal
Photo courtesy of Le Signal
A review of restaurants in Val d’Isere wouldn’t be complete without including Le Signal. Multi-award winning, it has been serving great food for many years, from what is without doubt, a superb location next to the top of the Fornet cable car. Roaring log fires chase away any chills and a selection of dining options cater to different tastes and budgets. Snacks are available from 9.30am to 12pm and include hot dogs, muffins and donuts. A self-service lunch is available from 11.45am and is famous for its wide-ranging menu, whilst the main restaurant on the 1st floor serves a superb range of dishes prepared from locally sourced ingredients. And, for an afternoon drink, check out the new outdoor kiosk which serves crepes and 25 different beers.
More information at www.lesignalvaldisere.com
Bananas
An easy crowd-pleaser and one which is especially handy in between morning and afternoon ski school lessons. Bananas is a great Tex-Mex influenced restaurant which serves Fajitas, Tacos, Steaks, Salads, Burgers and more. Situated at the bottom of the slopes next to the Bellevarde chairlift and ski school meeting area makes it perfect for lunch with the kids. Fish and Chip Fridays are now featured along with Sunday roasts adding some variety to the menu.
La Baraque
Photo courtesy of La Baraque
For live music and a great atmosphere it is hard to beat La Baraque. Located in town on Avenue Olympique, it is one of the most popular restaurants amongst locals in Val d'Isere and makes for a lively dinner venue – we’d suggest booking a second sitting table from 9.30pm so you can really make the most of the atmosphere. Serving regional specialities, amazing oyster platters, as well as things like Fondue, the food is as good as the music. The bar staff really know their way around as well – head to the ‘Mixologic Cocktail Bar’ for, you guessed, a cocktail, or choose from a great selection of wines and spirits.
More information at www.restolabaraque.com
