Where to eat on the mountain in Chamonix & beyond
When you’re skiing the slopes of the Chamonix valley, nothing beats stopping off for a mug of hot chocolate or sitting down for some tasty lunch with a view over the pistes. We love all that too, so this is the Mountain Drop-offs guide to our favourite mountain stop offs!
🙂 = means the restaurant is open in the summer season too.
Les Houches Mountain Restaurants
Les Vieilles Luges
Hidden in the pine forest under the Maison Neuve lift in Les Houches, you’ll find this gorgeous alpine chalet restaurant. Open for delicious lunches and private dining in the evening for groups of eight or more (reservation needed), this is a must-do when skiing in the Chamonix valley. Ski down or walk up. (Pic: @Vieilles Luges) 🙂
La Taniere (les Plancerts)
This restaurant specialising in Argentinian cuisine (lots of meat!) is literally the hidden gem of Les Houches. Off the beaten track on the St Gervais side of the mountain, you need to be a confident skier to get back up, using the notorious Plancerts drag lift (snowboarders beware!). In summer, hikeable from Les Houches Prarion and St Gervais 🙂
La Cha
Near the bottom of the piste of the same name and accessible for most levels of skier, you’ll find this friendly self-service restaurant with a bar. It has one of the biggest terraces with tables, chairs and deckchairs overlooking the Arve valley and in high season, there’s often live music / DJs too for a little on-piste later afternoon ambiance. Head back up to the main Prarion area using the Melezes chairlift. 🙂
Le Tour / Balme Mountain Restaurants
Cafe Comptoir
Ski the Foret Verte red piste all the way down from the Vallorcine side of Le Tour to arrive virtually at the front door of this delightful restaurant. Choose from the good-value menu du jour, or go a la carte. After eating, just walk around to the Vallorcine bubble lift to whisk you back up to the main ski area, or jump on the train back to Chamonix. And, of course, it’s easily accessible on foot from Vallorcine village too. 🙂
Buvette de la Vormaine
If you’ve got kids or grand kids you need to know about this little snack spot at the bottom of the Vormaine beginner area at the foot of Le Tour. On a sunny day, it’s a great basecamp for families, interspersing ski runs with hot choc, hot dogs and chips! There are loos at the basement level of the building too.
L’Alpage de Balme
Perched on the side of slopes by the Aiguillette drag lift on Le Tour, this family-run mountain chalet restaurant is a winner. The ‘croutes’ bubbling dishes of melted cheese, ham, wine and more are an absolute favourite in winter. 🙂
Les Grands Montets Restaurants
Le Comptoir à Raclette
Nothing beats a metre of baguette bread covered in melted raclette cheese, with a vino or a beer served at altitude! If you ski at GM it’s a must do on a sunny day (outdoor seating only). Located on the cat track down to the Tabé chair lift.
La Crèmerie du Glacier
The hidden gem of Les Grands Montets. Get to it on skis from a little path off the Pierre à Ric home-run, on cross country skis from the nordic pistes, or walk up from the main GM car park. It’s a great place for groups with lots of classic Savoyard cheesy dishes on the menu. (Pic: @CremerieduGlacier) 🙂
Brevent / Flegere Restaurants
Bergerie Plan Praz
The best of the mountain restaurants run by Maison des Drus, the Bergerie boasts amazing views in a lovely setting right by the Brevent bubble lift arrival station. It’s a great choice for large groups. 🙂
Le Panoramic 2525m
Take the cable car from Brevent Plan Praz and sitting at 2525m above sea level, the Panoramic doesn’t lie. The terrace does indeed boast wonderful panoramic views on the Mont Blanc range and beyond. 🙂
La Folie Douce Hotel
Situated at the foot of the Savoy beginner area drag lifts in the centre of Chamonix, this Folie Douce is a hotel with all the bars, restaurants and apres-ski fun you associate with the brand. Great for family and friend meet ups, with space for the kids to eat pizza and run around and Aperol Spritz for the grown ups! (Pic:@FolieDouceHotelsFB) 🙂
And also…
Bar Restaurant Les Planards
Les Planards is a great little ski area at the entrance to Chamonix with a chair and two drag lifts. There’s even regular night skiing during the winter and the bar and restaurant is a great spot for watching the skiers, having lunch or a drink. 🙂
Mountain Restaurants beyond Chamonix
If you have a Mont Blanc Unlimited Pass of two days or more (including seasonal and annual) skiing in other resorts neighbouring Chamonix is included (notably Courmayeur in Italy and the ski areas of the Portes du Mont Blanc / Evasion Mont Blanc.)
So, if you fancy an ‘away day’ to discover a new place to ski, here’s our pick of mountain restaurants in day tripper destinations: –
Courmayeur Mountain Restaurants
Rifugio Maison Vieille
Love it or hate it, Maison Vieille is an institution on the slopes of Courmayeur next to where the chairlift of the same name arrives. Always a lively, bustling atmosphere in a traditional stone building, with lots of customers chomping on plates of pasta and pizza. In the summer it’s a very popular refuge stop on the Tour du Mont Blanc hiking route. 🙂
La Chaumiere
Upstairs is the pizzeria and brasserie, downstairs is the bistrot restaurant and both have lovely sun terraces and cosy interiors with wood stoves. Really friendly family-run team, you can eat everything from a calzone pizza, to local Aosta valley sausages and polenta dishes. Yum!
St Gervais Mountain Restaurants
La Folie Douce – la Fruitière Eatery
The bar and restaurant on the pistes that needs no introduction! Every day is a party day with DJs, live musicians. MCs and dancers getting everyone on their feet. Dancing in ski boots in the middle of the mountain is bucket list stuff that must be done at least once! Find the Folie at the top of the Mont Joux chair.
Megeve Mountain Restaurants
La Petite Fontaine
Officially the best fondue in France! Being chosen to represent France in the World Fondue Championship and winning the Best Megeve Fondue award in 2024, this family-run little gem of a traditional mountain restaurant is the place for your melted cheese moment! Reached from the Mouillette blue and Rosieres green pistes, near Lac de Javen.
Les Contamines Mountain Restaurants
La Buche Croisée
Hidden in the Roselette sector of Les Contamines ski resort, lunch at the Buche Croisee is a real treat. Dishes are copious and the menu is a nice mix of French, Savoyard and contemporary. Think about popping in to reserve (no phone signal!). Ski down and take the Buche Croisée chair back up.
Combloux Mountain Restaurants
Le Coeur d’Or
Just over the brow of the hill when you get off the main Beauregard chairlift in Combloux, this restaurant is a good choice for families. The menu is filled with mouthwatering Reblochon cheese tarts, traditional ‘croute’ dishes with cepe mushrooms and even a good old entrecote steak. In summer it’s a nice stop after a hike up and dogs are welcome too.
Le Chalet des Bachais
A great choice on a cold winter’s day, as you can stay nice and cosy inside, watching the snow fall outside the big panoramic windows. Good choice for mid-morning coffee stops and hearty lunches. Warm up with a Viking or a Montagnard hot toddy! Find it where the Pertuis, Pres & Jouty lifts meet.
Foodtruck 1930m
It’s well-worth making the traverse across from Christomet, the highest point of Combloux, to the Tete de Torraz at La Giettaz , where this foodtuck is perched on the summit. Friendly, good food and drinks, all with incredible panoramic views. Keep an eye on the time, as you’ll need to take lifts to get back to Combloux. Top tip: you can bivouac here in summer and have breakfast at the foodtruck! (Pic:@FoodTruck1930FB) 🙂
If our guide to eating on the mountain has whet your appetite, why not get some dates in the diary for your next visit to Chamonix!
(Main pic: YannAllegre@UnSplash)
