The 13 best restaurants in Courchevel

Eating out in Courchevel is a pastime that’s as popular as skiing or snowboarding for a high percentage of winter visitors. Not everyone comes here primarily for the snow; they come to see and to be seen in France’s most fashionable resort.

No other winter destination can match its collection of 13 Michelin stars. The volume of visitors throughout the season means that booking is essential. Most restaurants now, at least, operate a strict two-sitting policy.

Sadly, going out to lunch or dinner is an expensive experience in all five main Courchevel villages. The basic rule is that the higher you go, the more you pay. So eating out in 1850 costs a lot more than in Le Praz (1300). Moriond (1650) is becoming increasingly popular, not least because it is less expensive.

Overall, if you do your research, avoid the Parisian playgrounds, and go easy on the wine list, you can eat remarkably well without breaking the bank.

All our recommendations below have been hand selected by our ski expert to help you discover the best après ski in Courchevel. Find out more below, or further inspiration, see our guides to the resort’s best après ski.

Find a restaurant by location

In resort

Baumanière 1850

This is the least pretentious of 1850s golden clutch of Michelin-starred establishments, and it now has a second star. Chef Thomas Prod’Homme is a master of the culinary arts. He trained under Jean-André Charial at the three-star L’Oustau de Baumanière in Les Baux-de-Provence, which is one of the top 30 restaurants in France. As the epicurean bible colourfully explains, he “accurately and elegantly slaloms between local ingredients, winter flavours and Provençal inspirations”.

The restaurant is housed in the five-star Hôtel Le Strato, and the dining room is comfortably contemporary, with white tablecloths and magenta, purple and stone-coloured upholstered chairs. The brilliant white ceiling has inset lighting and details from a famous painting of Versailles. A giant portrait of Geneviève Schneider, the mother of one of the owners of the hotel, dominates one wall.

Main courses may include trout with Jerusalem artichoke and Bourgeon de Sapin liqueur. The dessert menu is a highlight and the evening is worth the inevitable expense, just for the pud.

Website: hotelstrato.com
Price: £££

Copiña

The popularity of Copiña in Moriond (Courchevel 1650) must leave a bitter taste in the mouths of French master Michelin chefs. This star-less feast of Galician tapas with a cosmopolitan twist is ranked number one out of the 108 restaurants in Courchevel on Tripadvisor.

It’s Spanish, yes. But think cuisine and cocktails inspired by the cold cliffs of Cape Finisterre and the pilgrimage cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, rather than the warmth of Barcelona and Seville.

Beneath light bulbs dangling from an ivy-strewn ceiling and anthracite-painted walls, guests sit at heavy wooden tables sharing delightfully spicy dishes. These may include pulpo a la gallega (octopus), zamburiñas a la plancha (coquilles San Jacques with a Thai twist), choricitos al jerez (chorizo cooked with sherry), cecina de León (cured beef) and berenjenas (eggplant), as well as Iberian ham, a confection of fresh seafood and essential patatas bravas.

Imaginative cocktails again focus on Galicia. Signature Fisterra supposedly pays tribute to the menacing Atlantic coastline – seaweed and samphire, floral wine and gin notes mingle with vodka infused with preserved lemons and white vermouth. Menacing, yes, but it’s also heartwarming on a cold evening in the Alps.

Website: copina.fr
Price: ££
Getting there: A short walk from the bottom of the pistes in Moriond (1650)

Bistrot Manali

Bistrot Manali is the food arm of the five-star boutique hotel Manali Lodge on the front de neige in 1650. Ski down beneath the gondola and you’re there – ready for lunch on the terrace or in the carpeted restaurant with its open fireplace.

It’s chic but semi-rustic, tasteful rather than bling. You sit comfortably and informally on retro teal-covered banquettes and chairs around pale wooden tables. Food is an Alpine French bistro with Caesar salad and the Manali burger (minced steak, smoked raclette, bacon, and onion compote) featuring enticingly. Other favourites include, inevitably, fondue, and a personal choice is the shrimp roll (brioche bun with shrimps in lemon mayonnaise, served with French fries). Poached cod loin (with mussel cream, artichokes and black rice) is a more substantial – and more expensive – dish.

Website: bistrot-manali.com
Price: ££ to £££
Getting there: On the front de neige in Moriond (1650)

La Petite Bergerie

If you like meat cooked on an open fire or want to explore the monde of melted French cheeses, then this is the place for you. It’s a shepherd’s hut with a grand cheminée, banquettes with sheepskin rugs and lots of reclaimed wood – a cosy place for simple mountain fare washed down with local wines and intimate conversation.

It attracts a strong following among the legion of expats who have migrated downhill from 1850 in recent years, driven by soaring property prices. Homemade tartiflette with a green salad and fondue savoyarde aux morilles are the mainstays. Gigot d’agneau is a feast for six to eight carnivores, but must be ordered in advance.

Website: lapetitebergerie-courchevel.com
Price: ££
Getting there: A short walk from the bottom station of the gondolas

La Saulire

This smart little restaurant was created in Courchevel 1850 by the ever-welcoming Jacques, whose memory for names and faces forged a loyal international clientele. Despite new ownership, it remains a favourite for those in search of peaceful surroundings and chef Benoît Redondo’s creative cuisine.

His menus are essentially small and focus on the freshest produce available. Main courses might include omble chevalier (Arctic char) with pumpkin purée and an aromatic vermouth sauce. You could follow this with the pear poached in mulled wine syrup.

The setting is a smart bistro – white tablecloths, tan upholstered chairs, a limed wood ceiling and walls covered with paintings and bas-relief tableaux of traditional mountain chalets. In good weather, the restaurant is closed at lunchtime – presumably because potential guests and the staff have more pressing priorities on the piste.

Website: lasaulire.com
Price: ££ to £££

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On the mountain

La Cave des Creux

This is arguably the best mid- to upper-range mountain restaurant in the whole of Courchevel. It’s run with considerable flair by its owners, brothers Boris and Florian Glise. As one expat resident puts it: “Affordable, without being cheap.”

Certainly, it’s an ideal and charismatic location above 1850. Originally, it was a cheese-maturing store and herdsman’s hut. Decoration is eclectic Alpine with a wall lined with piste markers, a gondola hanging from the ceiling… oh, and a bull’s head glowering at the gastronomic proceedings below.

Chef François Breda’s cuisine is essentially French with an Asian twist. Start with the tartare de thon or creamy mushroom cassoulet before moving on to the main course. Twice a week, the highlights are leg of lamb cooked on the open fire or sole meunière with parsley potatoes.

Website: cavedescreux-courchevel.com
Price: ££
Getting there: Take the Altiport piste reached via the Aiguille du Fruit chair. Pedestrians can walk up from 1850 on the Altiport footpath.

La Soucoupe

If you’re bent on destroying your bank balance after a perfect morning on the piste, then this is where to do it. This is Courchevel’s best-positioned mountain restaurant, perched on the Col de la Loze above 1850.

Outside, there’s a sun deck with sensational views. Inside, the setting is rustic Savoyard with a wooden floor and beamed ceiling. The wealthiest lunchers down lashings of Imperial Ossetra caviar as they watch their filets de boeuf sizzle on the grill.

A dozen escargots or oysters followed by pot-au-feu is a less expensive option, but let’s be clear, “cheap” is not a word associated with the menu. Leave enough space for the signature tarte tatin and a final génépi on the house, before a wobbly ski home.

Website: lasoucoupecourchevel.com
Price: £££
Getting there: This winter, it’s much easier, especially for non-skiers.  A new 10-person gondola on the Col de la Loze replaces both the Coq chair lift and the old Chenus four-seater gondola that was built back in 1969.

Le Bel Air

This is what a French mountain restaurant should be, but these days very rarely is: it has the friendliest staff and, despite a change of ownership, the menu has barely changed this century. Classic French dishes (not a foam in sight): six or a dozen snails, côtes d’agneau and gratin savoyard, a plat du jour with unlimited salad, all washed down with the modestly priced house red.

The best time to visit is when the sun is shining and you can eat on the tiered sun deck. Inside, it’s simply decorated in a woody mountain style with giant picture windows that do justice to the magnificent mountain views.

Website: belair-courchevel.com
Price: ££
Getting there: Le Bel Air is at the top of the Ariondaz gondola. It can be reached on skis from Courchevel 1850.

Le Bouc Blanc

Locals Christiane and Fabrice run this large family restaurant located at the top of the La Tania gondola. They trade hugely successfully on their ability to produce no-nonsense lunchtime food in a pleasant setting with efficient service.

The ultra-friendly team serves everything from grilled chicken, burgers and grilled salmon to vegan bowls, pasta choices, and a plat du jour at sensible prices. All this is extraordinarily rare in the Courchevel ski area.

Website: leboucblanc.fr
Price: £ to ££
Getting there: Les Lanches red run and Les Arolles blue run go to Le Bouc Blanc. Pedestrian access is via the La Tania gondola.

Polar Café

This little café, tucked away in the Forum building at the top of 1850, is busy at all times of day. It’s a favourite with ski instructors and quite possibly it is the only place where they can afford to eat themselves.

Decoration is contemporary utilitarian with giant glass counter displays showcasing salads, wraps, sandwiches, mouthwatering tarts, quiches and cupcakes. The burgers are exceptional. Prices are a pleasant surprise. You can eat at tables inside or outside on a small terrace.

Contact: instagram.com/polarcafecourchevel
Price: £
Getting there: Located on Rue de la Croisette, close to the lift station

Bistrot Machet

Courchevel La Tania has been home to the Michelin-starred Le Farçon since chef Julien Machet opened it in 2006 with set menus of three, four or six courses. After Covid, he started a more affordable and more informal mountain restaurant (open until 9pm) in the form of Bistrot Machet, with his former number two chef, Julien Anxionnaz, in charge.

It’s a pleasant option that really suits skiers who want to eat swiftly and well. The small seasonal menu includes such delights as lapin à la moutarde, as well as some intriguing pasta dishes, such as his take on carbonara. The carefully chosen wine list is not stupidly priced. The restaurant is on the front de neige and you can ski to the door.

Website: bistrot-machet.fr
Price: ££
Getting there: On the front de neige

Le Caveau

Such is the overwhelming international flavour of Courchevel that there are gastro moments when it’s hard to remember that you are sitting in the snow-covered Savoie.

Le Caveau in Courchevel Village (1550) could be nowhere else. The owners have created the ambience of an ancient chalet and it gets the full dix points for ambience: a roaring log fire, open beams and walls lined with the kind of Alpine eclectica normally found only in a farming museum, along with original furniture and soft lighting.

For fondue in all its forms and for raclette and pierrade (self-cooking on hot stones), this is one of the finest places in the whole of Courchevel.

Website: caveaucourchevel.com
Price: ££
Getting there: You can reach it on skis. It’s located between the Grangettes gondola and Les Tovets piste. In the evening, you can toboggan to it – it’s at the foot of the sled slope – and return by gondola.

Le Bistrot du Praz

This Courchevel classic has been welcoming guests for half a century. Back in the day, the proprietor chef was Charley, a colourful rotund figure with splendid waxed moustaches, whose speciality was a dégustation of three types of foie gras.

The cuisine today is still essentially French, but with a Thai twist. Starters include sashimi de poisson with soy sauce and sesame vinaigrette. Follow this with le tataki du jour or confit lamb in a crispy roll. Decoration is contemporary minimalist, with small wooden tables and wood-panelled walls. There’s also a great terrace with views across the lake.

Website: bistrotdupraz.fr
Price: ££
Getting there: It’s located on the edge of the village, close to the pistes. Ski down either the Jockeys or Jean Blanc piste or ride down the Praz or Fôret gondola.

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How we choose

Every restaurant in this curated list has been chosen by our ski expert, following years of experience on the slopes. We cover a range of budgets, from piste-side huts to Michelin-starred restaurants – to best suit every skier’s taste – and consider the food, service, best tables, atmosphere and price in our recommendations, with options both in the resort and on the mountain. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest opening and provide up to date recommendations.

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About our expert

Peter Hardy

In a lifetime as a professional ski nomad, Peter Hardy has visited 528 ski resorts worldwide and co-written 25 books on skiing. When he’s not skiing Peter continues to write guides to resorts across Europe and North America and share his expert advice from the slopes.

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