Apres Ski in Courchevel

Courchevel 1850 is the place to be for nightlife, but in some of the most fashionable places you need to reserve a table before you go and at peak periods, including Russian Orthodox Christmas 7 January to Russian Old New Year 13 January, there’s plenty of competition for tables.

Courchevel Apres Ski Bars

Courchevel understands apres-ski in a way that nearby Meribel, with its heavy reliance on chalets and dinners at a set time, does not. Once the ski lifts stop churning, there are plenty of bars that kick-start the evening’s entertainment.

In Courchevel 1850 the liveliest bars to go are Le Tremplin, in the Place du Tremplin, or Le Milk Pub in the Place du Forum, both of which are affordable. If you want somewhere that will stay open until dawn, Bar Le Jump near La Croisette is a good destination. Kudeta, which is part of the famed Le Kalico nightclub, gets things going with live music from 4pm and is a legendary haunt for both holidaymakers and seasonnaires. Le Kalico fills up later in the evening with a mostly beer-drinking crowd and stays open for live music, cocktails and raucous partying until the early hours of the morning.

Others apres ski venues of note are the Purple Cafe on the Rue des Tovets which offers cocktails as well as S’no Limit and Bar Le Schuss, which is one of the newer arrivals on Courchevel’s bar scene. Piggy’s Pub is a very cosy bar, the sort of place you may want to light a big cigar and seems far removed from the Alps.

Courchevel 1650 is much smaller and quieter than 1850, but includes a good selection of bars and restaurants, which are pleasingly cheaper than their 1850 equivalents. Popular bars in Courchevel 1650 include Rocky’s Bar, the Signal Bar, the Bubble Bar and, for late night festivities, the Space Bar and the By Night Tavern, which stays open until 4am.

Further down the mountain in Courchevel 1550 the Chanrossa is an Anglicised bar, which serves Guinness and has an appealing happy hour until 6pm to help draw the the best apres-ski crowd and regularly has live bands.

Courchevel Restaurants

Courchevel has more Michelin starred restaurants than any other ski resort and is renowned for its fine dining. A total of 7 restaurants share 11 Michelin stars, including three restaurants which have been awarded two Michelin stars.

There are three restaurants in Courchevel that boast two Michelin stars, Le Chabichou, La Bateau Ivre and Pierre Gagnaire pour Les Airelles. Each has considerable merits, but of the trio it is the exquisite service at Les Airelles that tips the balance. The chef, Pierre Gagnaire, had three Michelin stars when he worked in Rue Balzac in Paris, so from that point of view, the food could be seen as value for money, too.

Le Strato, L’Azimut in Le Praz, Le Bateau Ivre in the Hotel Pomme de Pin and the restaurant in the Hotel Kilimandjaro all have one Michelin star, while Il Vino offers something a little different. Set up by Enrico Bernardo, who held the title of best sommelier in the world in 2004 at the age of 27, you choose your wine from an extensive menu. Then, the chef does the rest and tailors the food to complement your wine.

More reasonably priced gastronomic restaurants are the Saulire, which is a favourite, and the Genepi. La Cendree serves stylish Italian cuisine and for those who just want to get away from French cuisine for a night Aux 3 Bo, in Porte Courchevel, has a decent Japanese restaurant downstairs but is not cheap.

Further down the price ladder the La Mangeoire is popular and both the Cafe de la Poste and Le Passage are reliable cheaper options. Some of the best raclette and fondue in Courchevel can be eaten at the appropriately named La Fromagerie, while Kalico does the best junk food for cost-conscious diners and those who flock there for apres-ski from 4pm and beyond.

In Courchevel 1650 the Petit Savoyard is a good option and La Boite a Crepes serves pizza and pancakes until 11pm. Le Bistot in La Praz (Courchevel 1300) is famed for its traditional French cuisine and extensive wine list. Around the corner the Ferme de la Tania serves excellent traditional mountain food in La Tania.

The choice of restaurants for dinner extends beyond Courchevels’ villages as many mountain restaurants are also open in the evenings and then generally less crowded. Skiing back down to Courchevel after dinner is also an option.