With many of our team returning year on year, they have developed their own tried and tested routes for days off! Finding the quickest way to hidden gems, and of course, being F&P, taking in the best lunch spots along the way! This is highly classified info!
CRITERIUM DU CUISINE – A whistle stop tour past some of our favourite restaurants!
• Starting off on Golf from Meribel Village, look to your left about 100m before the top and you will see Le Blanchot, a great lunch spot with a brilliant sun terrace! From here go straight up the Altiport chairlift and then take Blanchot to Loze chairlift. Hop on here and you will find yourself taken to the top of the Col De La Loze, a peak often featured in the Tour De France! But more importantly, home to Le 1928, a lovely spot for late lunch with a view on a sunny afternoon with highly recommended hot chocolate!
• Take Col De La Loze down to the top of Chenus, where you will find Bagatelle, a strong rival to La Folie Douce for Apres, just keep an eye on the time if you party here and make sure you can get the lift back over to Meribel! From here head down Loze Est, a snaking green run that winds past the world famous La Soucoupe, one of the first mountain restaurants in the world and still one of the most in demand, book well in advance! Continue all the way down Loze Est to the Biollay Chairlift, passing Chalet Des Pierres, with one of the more extravagant menus in the Three Valleys, live music and entertainment outside it is certainly an experience here but be warned, the bill can come as a bit of a shock!
• Head up on Biollay. From here you take Pralong down past Le Cap Horn, voted one of the top 10 mountain restaurants in the world, specializing in fish and with a great view of the private jets landing at Courchevel Airport! Again be sure to book well in advance! Then carry on down Prameruel to the bottom of the Aiguille du Fruit chairlift. From the top of here you will be able to see Cave Des Creux, an F&P favourite that’s got a fantastic atmosphere in a lovely rustic setting. But we’re going to head down Rama to Chanrossa chairlift.
• Now it’s time for a nice long run! From the top of Chanrossa, take Roc Merlet, Pyramides, Lac Ariondaz, then Ariondaz, passing the super exclusive Bel Air, this really is a Courchevel institution and is fully booked every single day, ask our resort manager to try and get you in! Carry on down Ariondaz and then Marquis to the bottom and the village of Courchevel Moriond. Here you will find Cucina Angelina at La Portetta Hotel. This is Angela Hartnett’s restaurant specializing in Italian and Alpine Cuisine, they also stock a lovely Rose!
• Access back to Meribel is super easy via Ariondaz, Aiguille Du Fruit and Marmottes Lifts. From the top of Marmottes follow Biche back into the Meribel Valley and all the way down to La Fruitiere the table service restaurant at La Folie Douce, something that needs no introduction, ideal for a late lunch that spills over into table dancing Apres! Taking Marmotte and Rhodos down to Le Rond Point (another world famous Apres Spot) you will pass Le Monchu (Formerly Coeur Du Crystal) which is very popular for lunch with our guests! Then continuing down Doron, you will pass L’Adray Telebar, another long time Meribel favourite for Lunch or Dinner. Follow Doron all the way down to the Chaudanne to finish in the heart of Meribel Centre.
WEDNESDAY WANDERER – See the far reaches of the 3 valleys in the sun- an all-day route covering lots of kms to earn that Apres! First Lifts Recommended!!
• From the Chaudanne, take Legends, then Greve to Tougnettes 2. Then down Gros Tougne on the Les Menuires side to Granges, (at the top of here you will be at La Bouche d’Oreille, one of our favourite lunch spots!) Then take Allemands and Petit Creux to Mont De La Chambre. Taking you to the top of Col De La Chambre, with great views across both the Meribel and Val Thorens Valleys!
• From here, follow Pluviometre down through Val Thorens Village, (the piste takes you literally through the very heart of the village!) to Moutiere. At the top of Moutiere, take Traversee de 2 Lacs to the bottom of Portette. This is just up from the famous 360 Apres Bar, and one of our staff favourite quick lunch spots, Wok Ski Noodle Bar! Take Portette and Thorens to the top of the Col de Thorens, with awesome views across the Thorens Valley and over to Mont Blanc on a clear day!
• Now time to head into the hidden Fourth Valley! Take the super cool, super cruisy Lory, a long blue that passes through a steep sided canyon (it can be chilly here before the sun hits!!) before opening out with a spectacular view of Orelle and the Southern Alps. At the bottom of Lory the more adventurous of you may choose to take Maurienaise, but this can get a little icy in the sun, so we tend to take Gentianes, to Plan Bouchet, the bottom of the Orelle ski area. There is a decent self-service restaurant here with a real suntrap of a terrace if you fancy an easy early lunch or a hot choccy!
• Next, it’s time to head up to the top of the three valleys! Take Peyron and Bouchet to the Sommet Des Trois Vallees, the highest skiable point in the whole 3 Valleys! (BE WARNED, Bouchet is very very slow!! But the views at the top are worth it if you’ve never been, also this is where the ZIPLINE to the Col De Thorens operates from! Maybe save this for another day though!!) Take Corata and Peyron back down to Plan Bouchet. (There are the best picnic spots in the whole 3 Valleys just off the side of Peyron, with some handy benches and comfy rocks for those that brought Packed Lunch!)
• Now it’s time to start heading back towards home! Take the Orelle-Caron Gondola to the top of Cime De Caron, where you start one of the longest and best runs in the whole 3 Valleys! Starting on Col De L’Audzin, then continuing onto Gentiane and Boulevard Cumin, this takes you down 1350m from the top of Val Thorens to the bottom of Les Menuires, uninterrupted skiing, no lifts!! You will arrive at the bottom of Point De La Masse (the world’s fastest Gondola!) But it’s unlikely you will have time to get up there today, so we would take Doron, then Boyes to Bruyeres Gondola.
• After taking Bruyeres 1 & 2 hop onto Lac De La Chambre, and head down to the bottom of Mont Vallon. Depending on time, (and legs!) you can take the gondola here to the top of Mont Vallon, the highest point in the Meribel Valley, then back down Campagnol; or just go straight up Plan Des Mains if time is getting tight. From here, you have the option to take Sitelle for the easy way down, or through the AREA 43 Park or Boardercross for those more experienced skiers and boarders looking to end the day with some jumps and bumps! Follow Sitelle and Martre to Pas Du Lac (either all the way to the top, taking Biche back down to the Saulire Mid Station by Folie Douce, or from the Pas Du Lac Midstation, taking Chardonnet to the same spot.)
• Last run time! Take Blanchot, then Lapin all the way back down to Meribel Village where a hard earned Aperol and live music apres at Lodge Du Village awaits!