|
|
 |
Tignes Food & Drink
| Dining & Going Out in Tignes |
|
Tignes' nightlife is almost as exhausting as its mountain pursuits! With a wide range of restaurants, bars and cafés to keep you well fed and watered there is also a plentiful array of opportunties for a bit of après or late-night venues for a spot of clubbing. The countless terraces ensure that you can always find a sunny spot to relax in... |
| Aprés Ski |
There’s no better way to celebrate a great day on the slopes than with a few well earned après ski drinks amongst friends. Whether you prefer to soak up the last of the afternoon sun with a quiet beer or dance on the tables in your ski boots Tignes has no shortage of great spots on which to set your sights when the lifts shut for the day. Here are a few suggestions:
Crowded House, beneath the Hotel Curling in Val Claret: Fun and noisy 'Brits' bar - look out for their regular drinks promotions.
TC's Bar, Le Lavachet: Home to the legendary 'Night of 1000 Shots'. Shows all the sports on its giant screen.
Le Loop Bar, Le Lac: The sunny terrace makes this a great spot for ending the day with a cold beer or two; overlooking the Trolles black run, the off-piste Lavachet Wall and the Rosset learner slope you can kick back and watch the action from your deckchair.
Scotty's, Le Lavachet: Lively après venue with regular live music and big plasma screens.
Le Brasero, Le Lavachet: Great food, fun bar staff, live music and cheap drink deals.
To hear about all the après action as it happens check out our regular Après Ski Report! |
|
last updated 15-Feb-2008 |
| Clubs & Bars |
Besides offering world-class skiing, Tignes boasts a very healthy nightlife. In all areas of the resort of Tignes, bars are plentiful in supply. In Le Lavachet TC’s Bar is a lively place popular with English-speaking visitors alongside Scotty’s Bar (the old Harri’s Bar) which has historically been popular with British skiers. For the more discerning après-skier try Le Lavachet Lounge, a cosy little bar next to TC’s Bar that offers a slightly calmer environment to normal.
In Le Lac the Loop Bar frequently has live music and DJs but unfortunately is often very busy as a result! La Grotte du Yeti, the Dutch bar in town is a fun place with frequent wild party nights and is open until 2.00am. L’Embuscade, a well-liked French run bar, is generally packed with locals and is worth a visit. Other bars of interest are Bagus Bar, a sophisticated, slightly up market bar and Alpaka Lodge with its excellent cocktail list.
In Val Claret by far the most exciting place is the Grizzly’s Bar. It has lots of huge light wooden beams, an open fireplace and good middle-of-the-road CD music. The Crowded House, recently renovated, is very popular with English seasonnaires and as such is often very busy. Le Caveau is a kind of bar/restaurant with live blues music every night and fantastic food. Couloir is another favourite for eating out and for some great DJ line ups.
For all the party people out there Tignes has four nightclubs, each with their own distinct look, clientele and atmosphere. The late-night dancing venues are Jacks Club for the cheesy dancing or Winter Clubb for some serious after bar action in Le Lac. As far as clubbing is concerned in Val Claret all your needs are met by Melting Pot, a popular choice for seasonnaires and guests alike or try Blue Girl, but watch out for the ‘adults’ show on Tuesdays.
For further details on what Tignes has to offer see our Bars, Cafes & Clubs listings. |
|
last updated 18-Feb-2008 |
| Restaurants |
Tignes has a host of restaurants, catering for all tastes. Although there are plenty of international and more modern menu options the Savoyard classics are still prevalent and well worth a try!
Apart from the fondue, there are several typical Savoyarde dishes worth trying. Tartiflette is a rich mixture of potatoes and bacon baked with melted cheese, and a raclette is grilled cheese served with potatoes, charcuterie, pickles and salad. All of these should provide plenty of calories for all your sporting needs (if you can move afterwards)!
You can also try pierre-chaud (hot rock) or braserade (table-top BBQ) on which you are given cuts of meats to cook yourself and come accompanied with potatoes and sauces. Beef, cheese and cream are staples of the traditional savoyard diet and dishes based on them can be found on all restaurant menus.
Although French cuisine isn't reknowned for being particularly veggie-friendly there are a number of restaurants in town that serve vegetarian options; you could try the Alpaka Lodge, Daffy's Café, Hôtel le Marais, La Pignatta, Le Caveau Le Clin d'Oeil or the Couloir.
To wash your meal down you might try the local Savoie wines; the better ones include Mondeuse, Chignin, and Apremont. The local liqueur, Genépi, is made with a plant found at high altitude, and you’ll either love it or loath it. Meals are traditionally finished off with a Grolla, a wooden dish with pouring spouts to drink from, filled with hot coffee and alcohol - watch out as it’s lethally strong!
For further ideas and details of where to eat have a look at our Restaurant and Gourmet Restaurant listings. |
|
last updated 15-Feb-2008 |
| Mountain Restaurants in Tignes & the Espace Killy |
One of the pleasures of coming to a ski resort is sampling the local specialities in the wonderful setting of one of the many mountain restaurants. They can vary greatly in terms of cost, quality and service; most of the ones on or near pistes are carb-loading lunch stops for hungry skiers and will be more likely to be of the self-service cafeteria style. However, they invariably have a piste facing terrace from which you can enjoy the view and soak up a bit of sun. Some of the livelier bar/restaurants will have live music or DJs playing towards the end of the day to get the après mood going!
They generally serve similar types of food with combinations of local Savoyarde options as well as the classic pastas, burgers, pizzas and salads. Unfortunately, they tend to be expensive at about €10 for a main plate. Popular Tignes mountain restaurants include La Tovière and downstairs in L'Alpage. Also worth a mention is the Panoramic Restaurant at the top of the Funiculaire railway - it has amazing views and a huge sun terrace. Val d'Isère also has plenty to choose from such as Tete de Solaise in the Solaise area, Le Signal in Le Fornet and Folie Douce and La Toviere in the Bellevarde area.
There is also a range of higher-end mountain restaurants, with a more sophisticated ambience and a more formal standard of service. It is usually a good idea to book ahead if you want to guarantee your table, especially during the peak seasons of Christmas, New Year and school holidays. Upstairs at L'Alpage is popular if you are in Tignes, whereas in Val d'Isère La Fruitière, and Le Triffolet in the Bellevarde area and L’Edelweiss in Le Fornet are all worth a look.
All details of mountain restaurants in Tignes and Val d'Isère can be found in our Ski & Mountain section. |
|
last updated 21-Feb-2008 |
|
