“…including four Michelin-starred restaurants.” Here is a review of the Flocons de Sel, published on 2nd December 2019
Eat in or Eat out?
One of the great benefits of renting a ski apartment over a hotel room, is you get to choose whether to eat out or eat in. And, given the high cost of skiing, doing some of the latter helps reduce the guilt of going nice places for the former.
There are a bunch of great restaurants just a short walk away, from crêpes and pizza (lots of pizza!) to classic savoyard cuisine, such as tartiflette and fondu. Some are mentioned on this website. And pop in the car and your choice is near limitless, from the fanciest McDondald you’ll ever see to the several Michelin-starred restaurants dotted around Megève.
But, in my mind, nothing beats a home-made family meal around the big table in apartment #106 Chalet le Chanteret, to the sound of Nostalgie playing on the radio, prepared in the small but perfectly formed kitchen. And it also provides an opportunity for a break from the fromage and charcuterie that dominates alpine menus, or lets your fussy eaters get some sustenance without making a scene.
Supermarkets, delis etc.
And really, you can prepare anything thanks to the abundance of produce and ingredients available nearby. Just 5 mins away, on the way into Megève, is the biggest and best supermarket in the region, the Intermarché Super. It has always been well stocked but in 2018 it was expanded further and rennovated, and joined next-door by a dedicated organic shop. The deli is bigger and there is a new prepared food section. The quality of the fresh produce is so much better than most UK supermarkets and you can find ingredients from round the world, from thai curry paste to Heinz baked-beans.
If you don’t have a car (although Intermarche is only a 20 min walk), or you’re here for just a few days or just need a top-up, there’s also a well-stocked Sherpa supermarket in the centre of the Praz, as well as a couple of great delis plus the amazing Montainarde Boulangerie/Patisserie.
Do help yourselves to any staples or spices you find in the cupboards but please make sure you replace anything you finish.
Mountain Restaurant Le Bonnet Blanc
New eating place in the Espace Diamant for 2019 is the Bonnet Blanc. Taking the place of the tired old, 70s style self-service restaurant Des Crètes, the new eatery is altogether more stylish.
Revamped as a modern table service restaurant, the terrace is now somewhere you’ll want to spend your lunch time soaking in the amazing Mountain views and eating from what we found to be a high quality menu. Great service too – with everyone wearing a white bobble hat – of course. Not quite Megeve prices but it is rather more expensive than its predecessor and many of the eateries of the area.
It’s located on top of Mont Rond, above Notre Dame de Belecombe and can be reached with just the Val D’Arly Ski pass. To get there, take the Plan des Fours chair lift to highest point above Praz and take one of our favourite long runs down to the double drag lifts: Plan Dessert (one on the right is fastest). At the top, head right to the short pulley-lift and Le Bonnet Blanc will be right ahead of you.
Booking is recommended (tel: 04 79 31 83 59), especially if you want to be on the terrace in good weather during the French school hols.
See more local places to eat and drink here >>
Aprés-Ski in Megève, Praz and beyond
So, cards on table, the region is not the ideal destination if you’re all about the aprés-ski. But that’s not to say you can’t find some fun after a hard day on the slopes, and you – or more likely the youngsters in your group – are looking for a little more than a nice meal, recap on the days events and a good nights sleep.
Lively spots in Praz-sur-Arly
Locally, in Praz itself, your best bet for aprés-ski are K-Bane and La Moufle, which can get pretty lively in season and do lay on extra entertainment.
K-Bane is the funky restaurant at the base of the pistes. Not only is it heaving at lunch but as the lifts wind down around 5pm, those with a bit of stamina gather for a drink and a chat. The playlist is always good but they will occasionally host a DJ. Impromptu dancing is not unheard of. Without entertainment, it tends to wind down by 7pm. Thursday nights, when there is the torchlight procession, it is usually busier and goes on later – sometimes with fireworks!
Praz’s coolest bar, La Moufle tends to go on later. Crowds wandering back to their apartment drift in around 6 or 7pm and it can get pretty busy. A lot of the workers from the Espace Diamant will gather here. Sometimes the crowds don’t build til much later. They too often have a DJ or band, sometimes early, sometimes late.
Not only Upmarket in Megève
As the lifts close and the light fades, the centre of Megève gets very busy with the well-dressed aprés-ski crowd – filling the bars and the pop-up outdoor vin-chaud vendors to overflowing. It’s lots of fun, great people watching – but pricey!
And if you want to go late into the night, there are no shortages of venues that cater for the night-owls. The thing is, this is a very upmarket resort filled with the elite of France and beyond (especially Russians). So most are more piano bars or Mayfair clubs than dance venues. And many have dress codes.
There are exceptions for the more casual, young-at-heart looking for some life. Up on the slopes the La Folie Douce is the closest thing to an aprés-ski party venue in the region. Part of a chain that spreads across France’s top resorts, La Folie is at the top of the Mont Joux lift and technically part of the St. Gervais ski area. The fun starts early – at 2.30pm – and features DJs and live musicians. Skiing is the only way down and, I’d imagine, quite dangerous.
For those wanting to party on later into the night, the best bet in the centre of Megève is probably Cocoon Club, a dark and cavernous bar with a DJ and dancing til late. And no dress code!
Beyond – into the Haute Savoie
If you’re OK hopping into a taxi, there are more choices of nighttime venues across the larger towns of the Espace Diamant. There’s always an Irish pub, right? And here it’s in Flumet – called The Shamrock and open to 2am every day, serving that good ole Irish favourite: pizza. Les Saisies – the largest resort in the Espace Diamant – has Le BarBar Pub, a classic apres ski venue. Pub l’Olympe Café, often has bands and DJs.
And, of course Chamonix is only 40 mins drive.
Mountain Restaurant Au Coeur du Diamant
Our friends came back from Praz this season raving about a wonderful new restaurant up in the mountain with the most spectacular view. We understand it near the border of Praz and Notre Dame de Bellecombe but we’ve yet to formally place it. From reports of how busy it is, I wonder if they’re hinding on purpose.
On the latest ski map there does seem to be a restaurant just below the top of the Lac chairlift which could be it.
There’s a link to their blog here (but no map!)
K-Bane
Tragically the 34/24 season was K-Bane’s last, as the property has been removed to make way for major developments at the base of the pistes which may never happen. RIP you will be missed
K-Bane, pronounced “Cabin,” was one of the the most exciting additions to Praz when it opened a couple of years ago. Run by a Dutch couple and at the base of the pistes in Praz, replacing a basic shack, this funky restaurant is a great place to stop for lunch if your on the Praz side of the ski-area. But watch out it can get busy during the main holidays.
Their soup de maison is a favourite of ours but all the food is as good as the atmosphere and there are daily specials which often go down well with my crowd.
It’s also open during the summer season.
