Nestled in the Tarentaise Valley of the Alps is Meribel, a ski resort that’s part of the Three Valleys Ski area, the largest natural area for snow sports on earth, with a whopping 600km of piste.
Meribel, which is actually a collection of three villages, lays claim to 150km of that figure, with slopes and descents ideal for all skill levels. That said, it’s particularly suited to skiing beginners, with green runs making up around a tenth of the total offering here, and the Easy Rider slopes safe and accessible for all.
But Skiing isn’t the only reason to visit Meribel – the restaurant scene here is superb, with humble honest French fare rubbing shoulders with haute cuisine and everything in between.
Most of all, there’s plenty of hearty Savoyard fare to be found in Meribel. Alpine food often gets a bad reputation among cardiologists, with its high calorific content and popular bases of melted cheese and potatoes. And sure, there’s some truth in that, but Alpine food is fantastic fuel for skiers intent on spending long spells on the slopes and a brilliant way to soak up the liquid indulgences of the apres-ski, too.
These dishes were designed to keep mountain villagers, who were often isolated for months, going during the long, snowy winters. Today, they are a perfect way to keep energy levels up after a morning tumbling down the mountains and to keep folk comforted and warm during those cold Alpine evenings.
With all that in mind, here’s our IDEAL guide to Meribel, the French Alps.
SAVOYARD STYLE
So, what exactly is Alpine food, Savoyard cuisine and the gastronomy of Meribel?
Well, first and foremost, the food of Meribel and its surrounding region is a generous, convivial thing designed to be shared, and to give maximum pleasure, comfort and warmth to those who embrace it.
Savoyard (simply meaning from the Savoy region of France) cuisine is indulgent, sure, but any guilt brought on by its admitted heft should – no, must – be left at the bottom of the chairlift. It’s a food that’s both meant to be burnt off by a day on the slopes and luxuriated over by a roaring five come evening.
DISHES TO TRY
The gooey-ooey Savoyard fondue, as delicious as it is, needs little in the way of introduction. Three cheeses – often, but not always, Beaufort (a French gruyere), Comte and Tomme de Savoie – are melted in local white wine and served with crusty bread for dipping. A real treat, indeed, but by no means the only Savoyard dish that deserves a worldwide reputation.
Some other Savoyard specialities you should try include:
Raclette, where a semi-hard round local cheese is melted then spooned over boiled potatoes and served with an assortment of charcuterie such as Savoyard ham and rosette de Lyon. On the side are pickles to offer welcome respite.
If you can’t wait to travel to the Alps to try this one, may we suggest heading to Londo’s Borough Market, where you’ll find a place called Kappacasein serving up the finest raclette and toasted cheese sandwiches.
Tartiflette is a rich and gooey gratin of potatoes, reblochon cheese (can you see a theme developing here?), lardons and onions.
Croziflette, a French baked buckwheat pasta dish which is similar to Tartiflette, sees potatoes replaced with pasta. Wowzers.
Galette des Rois, which is otherwise known as the Cake of Kings. You’ll find this little number in local bakeries in early January, as it’s served to mark the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas.
Layered with puff pastry and an almond paste similar to a frangipane, inside this delectable treat a ceramic good luck charm is traditionally buried…mind your teeth!
Pierre-Chaud & Braserade are two similar spectacles very much reserved for the carnivores. ’Pierre-chaud’, which translates to ‘hot rock’, is a red hot slab which guests sizzle a selection of raw meats (usually beef) on, tableside. Braserade is the same kind of deal but on a table-top barbeque rather than a stone. Since cattle graze on the Alpine pastures, you know this meat is going to be good.
Tarte aux myrtilles, a blueberry tart is a wonderful way to finish any meal, and a good excuse to finish this section of the article, too.
A MOUNTAIN OR MOTTARET BURGER
Having a Mountain Burger, or a Mottaret Burger as they’re often known here, is just something that you have to do in Meribel. Once a seasonaire’s secret, everyone now knows about this place. Chez Bif aka Mountain Burger is a hole in the wall joint next to the Sherpa in Meribel Mottaret, and its burger is as good as it gets.
You won’t miss the place; there is always a huge queue of people lining up to get their mouths around this massive stack of meat and bap. If you’re thinking this is your regular burger, think again; crusty French bread is filled with not one, but one and a half burgers (to fit the length of the baguette), pickles and salad, before being finished with melted oozing raclette cheese. Bliss.
SPA AND SNACK
Don’t worry, not at the same time…
The French Alps skiing experts at Ski Resort Meribel recommend a trip to Hotel Alpen Ruitor and its Spa Anne Sémonin. Here you can enjoy the spa’s amenities, which include a hammam, jacuzzi and sensory shower, before holing yourself up in the hotel lounge to indulge in the Alpen Ruitor’s famous dessert buffet, which is prepared by the pastry chef and served with a bespoke selection of premium teas, all next to a roaring fire.
OUT ON THE PISTE
Apres-ski, the social activities and entertainment that follow a day’s skiing, is half (hmm, perhaps more?) the fun of any ski trip. These bouts of after-hours frivolity usually involve a fair amount of drinking, dancing and making merry, and after the absorption and focus required for the slopes, offer a welcome way to wind down.
Some of the best bars and taverns in Meribel include Le Rond Point, which is considered one of Europe’s best apres-ski bars and boasts a sunkissed terrace that overlooks the slopes, and La Folie Douce, with its global notoriety for raucousness.
For something a little more mellow (though it does still get rowdy later in the evening) the Doron Pub boasts a pool table and plenty of frothy ale on tap. Finally, for French sophistication, try L’Abreuvoir, which is a much more laid back affair than the other bars we’ve mentioned.
Wherever you choose to spend your apres-ski, it’s pretty much obligatory to enjoy a glass of local Génépi, a traditional herbal liqueur that comes in a murky green colour.
ENJOY MUSHROOMS AT LE CEPE
If you’re looking for something a little different to the usual Savoyard fare, then Bib Gourmand awarded Le Cèpe, where (yep, you guessed it) mountain mushrooms are the speciality, is one of the most charismatic places to dine in the Savoy region.
This restaurant is all about local produce, and fish dishes using stuff caught in nearby lakes are done with particular dexterity here. Their truite fario aux noisettes du moulin de Chanaz (grilled trout with a butter and white wine sauce) is just delicious.
Another must-try at Le Cèpe is the Cappuccino de Cèpes, which is as rich and comforting as it sounds. If you can, this one is best enjoyed on their sunny terrace, and if even if you haven’t got mushroom left after dinner (sorry, we had to), you just have to finish your meal with the restaurant’s famous Mont-blanc glacé aux cèpes – resembling a snow-capped mushroom mountain (if such a thing were to exist).
MERIBEL IN THE SUMMER
Ski Resort Meribel tell us that if you’re visiting the French Alps in summer, you will come across a simple and delicious little pastry known locally as bugnes. If you visit during the Fanfoué fête on the first weekend of August, in particular, you’ll see hundreds of them being prepared.
Come summertime, you’ll also see trout appearing on the menus in Meribel in even greater frequency than normal. Here the clear waters of Lake Tueda fill with freshwater trout and you can even try your hand at fishing. Do be aware that a fishing licence is compulsory for fishing on Lake Tueda and every evening there is a designated ‘no kill’ period between 5pm and 8pm.
The Alps are also ideal for summer picnics. Boucherie Petit offers a wonderful selection of charcuterie, cheeses, truffles, honeys and other local produce just perfect for al fresco dining. We also love Boulangerie Maison Braissand, which sells handmade chocolates alongside other delicacies.
A MICHELIN MEAL
If you’re looking for a refined chalet experience and something altogether more fancy, l’Ekrin, in the 5 star Le Kaila resort hotel, is the first and only Michelin starred restaurant in Méribel.
The kitchen is headed by Laurent Azoulay and the guys and gals behind Michelin say he ‘‘proposes a culinary walk between Provence (his native land) and Savoie (his adopted home)”.
The menu straddles these two very distinct parts of France with real skill; expect to see local mushrooms, truffle and cheese rubbing shoulders with artichoke barigoule and trout done in the style of the Vaucluse region of Provence. It shouldn’t work, but it really does!
CONSIDER A COOKING CLASS
If you want to learn more about the culinary fare of Savoie, which is unique, generous and hearty, then there’s nothing quite like a hands-on learning experience to help you get to grips with the cuisine.
The Cookery School at Chalet Savoir Faire, which is about a 30 minute drive from Méribel, offers a range of courses designed to introduce you to hearty Savoyard fare. Alongside the different culinary styles of the region, the course also offers an insight into the local culture, history and people that have shaped this unique cuisine.
Courses are run by owner and chef Nikki, who has 30 years of experience under her belt and a wealth of knowledge about the produce and cooking techniques of the region. The menu you’ll create is seasonal and changes depending on the time of year you join them. They also offer an Alpine market tour, which is a fascinating and immersive glimpse into the unique terroir of the region.
MORE RESTAURANTS TO TRY
La Coursive des Alpes is another highly rated Meribel restaurant which was once an old cinema, and now serves up theatre of a very different kind; the bar on the bottom floor does the most fantastic cocktails in town.
If you’re still hungry, Le Grand Coeur Hotel in Méribel centre is the top luxury hotel in the area and has a wonderful menu of Savoyard specialities. Or, why not try Le Taverne Bistro for an international menu set in a cosy cellar that is visually the very definition of an apres-ski venue. The food’s not half bad, either!
And with that, we’re off to hit the treadmill… Just writing that has made us feel full!