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With 300km of pistes, good altitude and practically guaranteed snow it’s easy to see why skiing in Val d’Isère is so popular with us Brits, but amongst the skiing foodies there is another, far more important, reason. Both on and off the slopes this resort has some of the finest French cuisine available in the Alps. Whether you’re stopping on the mountain after a morning’s ski and looking for somewhere spectacular for lunch, or you want to relax after a day on the mountain with a meal and wine worthy of a Michelin star, Val d’Isère is the perfect foodie location. Eating on the Slopes If part of the joy of skiing for you is the long lunches enjoyed on mountain terraces or inside wooden-panelled, cosy mountain-side dining rooms, then you will find plenty to enjoy skiing in Val d’Isère. Three of my favourite choices for gourmet lunch-time stops include: • La Peau de Vache While this is a cut above the usual mountain-side eatery – with its smart, inviting interior of wood and cowhide – this restaurant half way down the La Face run is still happy to store helmets, gloves, goggles etc while you settle down to some fine dining. • La Fruitière Expect great food and an excellent selection of wine, housed in an extensive underground cellar, all served in an ultra cool environment. Next door is the hip Folie Douce, where all the coolest Val skiers congregate for self-service food and live DJs. At La Fruitière things are just as chic but a little more sophisticated, with local mountain fare made from fresh local ingredients. • Le Signal Keep to the dining room rather than the self-service side of this friendly, welcoming slope-side restaurant at the top of Le Fornet and you’ll enjoy traditional French food created with excellent fresh, local ingredients. Dinner in the Resort While you may have come for the skiing in Val d’Isère, the foodie in you will certainly not be disappointed with the restaurants in the exclusive resort. With several Michelin stars to boast of and plenty of elegant fine dining, there is much for a gourmet to enjoy here. My recommendation for the best dining available in the resort would have to include: • L’Atelier Edmond Having no less than two Michelin stars, L’Atelier Edmond really is a highlight of a visit to Val d’Isère. Set in Fornet in a traditional stone farmhouse, the restaurant effortlessly combines traditional Alpine charm with contemporary fine dining. • La Table de l’Ours Set in the lavish, five-star Les Barmes de l’Ours, this stylish Michelin-starred restaurant exudes Alpine luxury and charm. Delicacies include locally sourced fried snails, frogs’ legs and lamb, all beautifully prepared and presented by chef Alain Lamaison. • La Grande Ourse Set right on the nursery slopes in Val itself, La Grande Ourse is one of the oldest restaurants in the resort and still one of its best. Open for lunch and dinner, guests can enjoy elegant French cuisine including fresh oysters and exquisite homemade patisseries. How to Get to Val d’Isère If you fancy combining a holiday of skiing in Val d’Isère with a gourmet adventure, getting to the resort couldn’t be easier. There are regular flights during the skiing season into Chambéry, Geneva, Grenoble, Turin or Lyon, or you could take in the romance of the mountain landscape and arrive by train to Bourg-Saint-Maurice or Lyon Saint-Exupéry station. Whether you fly or take the train, the quickest and most convenient way to get from the airport or station to your accommodation in the resort is by booking a luxury, private transfer with Shuttle Direct. Let us know when you book online what equipment you’ll be carrying and we will take it to the resort free of charge. Lukas Johannes is a driver for Shuttle Direct, the number one provider of shared and private airport transfers all over Europe and northern Africa. If you’re planning a holiday to go skiing in Val d'Isere, Lukas and his colleagues can make sure that you and your luggage get to and from the airport swiftly and safely.
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