Gastronomic Delights From Your Ski Chalets, Meribel
- By Earl Knudsen
- Published 12/14/2011
- Travel
- Unrated
France is known throughout the world for its delicious home-cooked cuisine, and where better to try this avant-garde style of cooking then mere minutes away from your ski chalets in Meribel. Parisian restaurants may excel in gourmet cuisine, but it’s in the rural mountains and valleys that you can try the traditional food and drink which has made French food famous throughout the world.
Breakfast
There’s nothing that sets you up better for a day on the slopes than a hearty breakfast. Of course, you could try recreating this in your ski chalets, Meribel has some wonderful grocery stores, but it wouldn’t be as good as the breakfast offered at Evolution. Located directly opposite the popular Jack’s Bar, the breakfast at Evolution really fires you up for a day in the snow. Don’t be put off by the insulting names on the menu: skinflints might opt for the cheapskate, a breakfast that consists of an egg butty, while vegetarians might be hesitant to order the lesbian, a breakfast with vegetarian sausages and hash browns. Show-offs will need to phone in advance to order the Big Spender, an English breakfast served with foie gras, fillet mignon, champagne, a cigar and an obligatory top hat to wear while eating it.
Hot Chocolate
Usually you don’t have to leave your Meribel ski chalets to enjoy a delicious cup of warm chocolate, but the hot chocolate at Grand Marnier is so much more than just a warming beverage. It’s a cream-topped meal in a glass, a warm fuzzy feeling and a welcome change from your standard après ski beverage. Grab a hot chocolate
to warm your hands up on the way back to your ski chalets in Meribel, but be careful not to ruin your appetite before dinner.
Lunch
Meribel’s best kept secret has only been known to the locals up until now. However, the best sandwiches in the valley deserve to be shouted about. Juicy Montagne burgers and raclette sandwiches topped with cheese, gherkins and spicy sauce are all served through a small hole in the wall next to the mini supermarket at Mottaret. At less than 6 euros a sandwich, the hole in the wall is a complete bargain that will fill you up well into the afternoon.
Dinner
If you want a meal away from your ski chalets, Meribel fills up for dinner reservations early, so you’ll need to book in advance. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are the busiest evenings in the resort, so if you’ve opted for a catered chalet, then it’s probably best to enjoy a quiet evening in on these three nights. Meribel has a wide range of restaurants from family favourites like Pizza Express to five-star French favourites, like L’Epicuriade at the Hotel Chaudanne. Meals at L’Epicuriade may be a little on the pricy side, but they’re far more creative than anything you could cook up in your ski chalets. Meribel’s chicest restaurant will serve you up a delicious a la carte meal, and with the addition of a roaring fire to keep you warm, it can make for a very romantic dining experience.
A less extravagant and more traditional option for dinner would be Chez Kiki. The chef at this Meribel restaurant is something of a legend and known for his melt-in-the-mouth steaks and fantastic fondues. His steaks are cooked over an open fire and the place is always buzzing with visitors.
Breakfast
There’s nothing that sets you up better for a day on the slopes than a hearty breakfast. Of course, you could try recreating this in your ski chalets, Meribel has some wonderful grocery stores, but it wouldn’t be as good as the breakfast offered at Evolution. Located directly opposite the popular Jack’s Bar, the breakfast at Evolution really fires you up for a day in the snow. Don’t be put off by the insulting names on the menu: skinflints might opt for the cheapskate, a breakfast that consists of an egg butty, while vegetarians might be hesitant to order the lesbian, a breakfast with vegetarian sausages and hash browns. Show-offs will need to phone in advance to order the Big Spender, an English breakfast served with foie gras, fillet mignon, champagne, a cigar and an obligatory top hat to wear while eating it.
Hot Chocolate
Usually you don’t have to leave your Meribel ski chalets to enjoy a delicious cup of warm chocolate, but the hot chocolate at Grand Marnier is so much more than just a warming beverage. It’s a cream-topped meal in a glass, a warm fuzzy feeling and a welcome change from your standard après ski beverage. Grab a hot chocolate
Lunch
Meribel’s best kept secret has only been known to the locals up until now. However, the best sandwiches in the valley deserve to be shouted about. Juicy Montagne burgers and raclette sandwiches topped with cheese, gherkins and spicy sauce are all served through a small hole in the wall next to the mini supermarket at Mottaret. At less than 6 euros a sandwich, the hole in the wall is a complete bargain that will fill you up well into the afternoon.
Dinner
If you want a meal away from your ski chalets, Meribel fills up for dinner reservations early, so you’ll need to book in advance. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are the busiest evenings in the resort, so if you’ve opted for a catered chalet, then it’s probably best to enjoy a quiet evening in on these three nights. Meribel has a wide range of restaurants from family favourites like Pizza Express to five-star French favourites, like L’Epicuriade at the Hotel Chaudanne. Meals at L’Epicuriade may be a little on the pricy side, but they’re far more creative than anything you could cook up in your ski chalets. Meribel’s chicest restaurant will serve you up a delicious a la carte meal, and with the addition of a roaring fire to keep you warm, it can make for a very romantic dining experience.
A less extravagant and more traditional option for dinner would be Chez Kiki. The chef at this Meribel restaurant is something of a legend and known for his melt-in-the-mouth steaks and fantastic fondues. His steaks are cooked over an open fire and the place is always buzzing with visitors.
Earl Knudsen
Earl Knudsen is Marketing Manager for Alpine Answers, a specialist ski travel agency, tour operator, and booking service offering bonded package holidays at the best ski chalets; Meribel is included with other tailor-made itineraries. For a luxury or good-value skiing holiday in the best ski chalets; Meribel is an ideal location.
View all articles by Earl Knudsen