Valmeinier - eat, drink, party
Village restaurants
Valmeinier 1800 has a range of decent restaurants, the emphasis being more on friendly, relaxed ambience rather than an extravagant gastronomic experience. Most serve traditional Savoyard and typical French fare (and you won’t be hard-pushed to find a pizza) but that’s about the extent of it. The best is considered to be L’Elan (+33 4 79 56 82 04) situated under the Le Thabor Elan residence. Serving Savoyard specialities in a snug, chalet-style dining room, L’Elan is noted for generous servings, attentive service and a friendly welcome. You’ll need to reserve a table at busy periods (even at lunchtimes).
At the foot of the pistes are several bar restaurants where you’ll find good pizzas, pasta and Savoyard dishes in a lively setting. Try Le Marmiton (+33 4 79 83 01 31), L’Estaminet (+33 4 79 56 57 82), or Le Chardon Bleu (+33 4 79 59 20 89). At busy periods it’s best to book in advance to guarantee a table.
For more of an adventure, Les Chalets de l’Arméra is open in the evenings and reached by a 20-minute showshoe walk (booking required) – for details see Mountain Restaurants below.
Mountain restaurants
On-mountain opportunities are limited above the villages, but expand when you head towards Valloire.
Le Gros Crey (+33 6 08 27 53 11), situated just off the green-graded Petit Déjeuner piste, serves regional specialities and pizzas, and is a great meeting-place for skiers of all levels to sit and relax on a sunny terrace. Le Panoramic (+33 6 79 87 66 17) lives up to its name for scenic qualities, and pedestrians can reach it via the nearby Jeux lift. This self-serve restaurant offers a limited range of snacks and salads, although many consider it to be overpriced. If you agree, enjoy the view then descend to the village for more choice.
Les Chalets de l’Arméra (+33 4 79 59 29 41) is situated off the Grapil blue piste on the Valloire side of the valley, and worth visiting for lunch – enjoy the views from the stone terrace or warm up near the open fire inside. The restaurant is also open in the evening to cater for its guests, but you can also book an evening meal here and arrive (with the aid of snowshoes) via a simple route from the car park at the Arméra lift. The 20-minute walk will give you an appetite for the special fondue prepared from some of the best local cheeses and accompanied by charcuterie and salad.
In Valloire, the bar restaurant Château Ripaille (+33 4 79 83 31 34) in the Crey du Quart sector is easily reached from Valmeinier via the Grandes Drozes then Moneul chairlifts.
In the village
For an après-ski drink, bar restaurants on the ‘front de neige’ such as Le Chardon Bleu are popular, as is the bar/snack Le Picassiette (+33 4 79 56 51 75), which has a terrace for sunny afternoons.
Other good bars, both in the village centre, are No Comment , which has live music once a week and Les Trois Diables (+33 4 79 20 41 45). The Lebowski bowling alley is open from 16h00 - 02h00 in winter and has a lively bar with big -screen TV, pool table and music. It often stages theme nights.
The only nightclub/disco is the Brasilia Café (+33 4 79 56 52 28) which comes to life late in the evening, located on the outskirts of the village.
There are often events and activities organised around the ‘front de neige’, with spectacles such as torchlight descents, Christmas parties, fireworks at New Year and an egg hunt at Easter. Ice parties take place at the open-air ice-rink, where a lively atmosphere is guaranteed. There’s also night-skiing Wednesday night and twice the week during holidays, from 5.30 to 8.00pm - free with a Galibier-Thabor ski-pass.