Avant, Midi ou Après Ski de Chamonix? - Part I
As I watch Eileen Gu, Shaun White and Chloe Kim hit the slopes at the Winter Olympics, I am reminded of the beautiful Alps and how much I am missing... L'Après Ski. Well more like, Avant Ski, Midi Ski et Après Ski, pretty much all of it where great food and wines are paired with gorgeous snowy white mountain views.
I am reminded of the notably memorable and picturesque mountainside of Chamonix-Mont Blanc in France. Besides its scenic mountains and tranquil surroundings, Chamonix has plenty to offer in terms of gastronomy. From Michelin starred fine dining establishments, rustic chalets to slope-side dining, Chamonix has it all for every foodies' pleasure. There are honestly too many tasty restaurants to include in just one post, so I will highlight my personal favourites in a multi-part Chamonix dining series.
La Bergerie de Planpraz
For lunch with a stunning view, you must pop into La Bergerie de Planpraz located on the Brévent side of Chamonix. If you are skiing in, the restaurant is conveniently located only 200m from the Planpraz lift.
Serving up traditional Savoie dishes, La Bergerie is an ideal midi or après ski location to enjoy a lovely meal or glass of wine overlooking the slopes. There is nothing more relaxing than sipping on a glass of Burgundian Pinot Noir and staring out onto the beautiful snow capped Alps. Ah, the simple pleasures of life.
La Bergerie offers both an a la carte and set menu. We selected a few of the traditional Savoie dishes from the a la carte menu to try. I would have happily eaten everything on the menu but realised that I still needed to get myself down the mountain after lunch for the second half of the ski run and didn't want to roll down.
The “Croûte Bergerie” with black trumpet mushrooms was delicious. A simple Savoyard-style grilled cereal bread with 9 months smoked country ham, tomatoes and beaufort cheese, served with a girolle mushroom sauce and mesclun.
The Entrecôte grillèe au feu de bois sauce aux girolles, grilled rib steak with girolles sauce was a perfect accompaniment to my lovely glass of Pinot. Eating a perfectly grilled steak with a lovely glass of red wine midi-ski has now become somewhat of a tradition for me, to give me that special energy and strength to get down the rest of the steep mountain. Skiing would certainly not be the same without it.
To continue savouring the slope-side views, we ordered the Sablé aux Amandes façon tarte aux myrtilles for dessert to prolong our mountainside stay. An almond shortbread biscuit-like blueberry pie. Oh it was as yummy as it looked.
Slope-side dining on a beautiful outdoor terrace overlooking the Alps on a gorgeous day with great food and wine, how could you not want to stop by La Bergerie?
La Cabane des Praz
If you are looking for haute dining in a traditional chalet, La Cabane des Praz is your place. La Cabane is a large Finnish-style chalet with a cosy, rustic yet elegant interior, located on the Chamonix Golf Course with beautiful terraces facing Mont-Blanc. Picture yourself warmly dining by the fire inside a cosy log cabin or out on the terrace overlooking Mont Blanc.
Many delicious starters were listed on the menu to choose from; the Half-Smoked Venison Carpaccio, Burgundian Escargots, Langoustines to the Homemade Foie Gras. We opted for the homemade foie gras which had a nice rustic texture, flavour and mouthfeel.
For the mains, we opted for the Entrecôte a la plancha and the Lamb Shoulder confit. The Entrecôte was cooked to perfection. The knife easily sliced through the steak with each piece nicely juicy and succulent.
The Lamb Shoulder confit was cooked in a Mont Blanc beer and drizzled with lamb au jus. The mashed potato nicely mopped up the delicious sauce.
Two of the specialities at La Cabane that we did not get the chance to try were the Hot Stone with Beef and the Cheese Fondue. As we were already booked in for Fondue at Le Caleche the next evening, we decided to try the other dishes on the menu this time. We will certainly be back to have these specialties on our next visit to La Cabane.
For dessert, it was profiteroles all the way. Fluffy light choux pastry filled with whipped cream and drizzled in chocolate, how could we resist?
It's a wrap for Part I of the Chamonix dining series, please look out for Part II where more yummy Chamonix restaurants and treats will be featured.
La Bergerie de Planpraz
Télécabine de Planpraz
29, Rue Henriette D'Angeville
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, 74400
45.935921, 6.853704
Reservations recommended online or by phone at +33 4 50 53 05 42
La Cabane des Praz
23 route du Golf
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, 74400
Reservations by phone at +33 4 50 53 23 27