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Read reviews of the best Les 2 Alpes nightlife
After a day on the hill there is still plenty to do in Les Deux Alpes.
When the sun starts to go down in Les 2 Alpes, the piste bashers come out and spend the evening making sure the piste is in pristine condition for you for the next day. But what are you going to do?
With a cinema, arcade, bowling, ice rink and swimming pool, there is never a dull moment.
With around forty bars to choose from, après-ski parties from 2600m to the foot of the pistes, and nightclubbing until 5am, Les Deux Alpes is a deservedly popular destination for skiers and snowboarders who like to party.
Well known for its skiing, the town of Les Deux Alpes also has a pretty lively nightlife scene. This is one ski town where you will never have to look far to find a good bar or somewhere to party.
Although there are bars all over resort, many are clustered around a few key places, so you can sample a few venues in a night out without having to walk very far. By far the biggest concentration of nightlife is at the Venosc end of the resort, from the two roundabouts to the Place de Venosc. Standing at the roundabout on the main street there are nine bars within a minute’s walk. If you are planning to party hard you may want to bear this in mind when you book your accommodation.
In ski resorts, nightlife can start early with après-ski parties, and Les Deux Alpes is no exception. At 2600m near the Jandri mid-station, things kick off at 3pm. The Pano Bar has resident DJ Alan Po Ca, guest DJs and varied entertainment including a sax player, amazing balloon sculptor and dancers. It does get rather loud though, so if you prefer something a little calmer the Diable au Coeur also has DJs on the mountain and a heated bar on the terrace, but without the same volume of music.
Down in the village, the liveliest places for après-ski are the Umbrella bar which is open until 7pm, and Smokey Joes. The Umbrella Bar at the foot of the Coolidge slope by the Côte Brune hotel has a mix of DJ nights and has been completely rebuilt and extended for this winter. It hosts events for most of the festivals and student parties that visit the resort through the season. The umbrella roof is opened in good weather and dancing on the bar is encouraged. This is a great place to dance while the sun is setting. Over in the main square Smokey Joes has live music six days a week and a selection of craft beers from their microbrewery in Bourg, plus a pool table and free WiFi. There is no terrace but much more space indoors than the other popular après-ski spots so this is a good choice on bad weather days.
If you would rather enjoy a couple of quiet drinks than dance the afternoon away, there are plenty of pubs and bars to choose from, often with live acoustic music. Popular bars along the main street include the Windsor Pub, Secret Bar, Polar Bear Pub and Red Frog catering to British tastes, whilst the Motown Café, Mezzanine Bar, Lutins Bar and Boardroom are more French in style.
From 8pm until 10pm there is a bit if a lull before the nighttime side of 2 Alpes' nightlife really gets going. Rue des Vikings turns into a lively little street with several bars worth stopping in at. The Jukeboxx serves up a selection of music themed nights from house to 80's to prohibition-era Jazz whilst across the road, Melt-In-Art combines the roles of bar and art gallery. The K-re shooter bar at the top of the street has the biggest selection of cocktails in town and the Polar Bear Pub by the roundabout is always popular. Just around the corner, The Spot has regular live music and DJ nights.
Any bar with a pirate flag flying outside is going to be dangerous and the legendary Rhumerie on the main street is no exception, specialising in home-flavoured rums and rum based cocktails all set to a pirate theme.
After midnight, popular dancing spots include Smithy's, the next-door Minibar and the Grotte du Yeti on the Place de Venosc. These don’t open any later than the rest of the bars, but they do attract the crowds later on with live DJs and a good party reputation.
After the bars close, the Avalanche nightclub beside Smithies and the Café Bresilien by the cinema are the destinations of choice for those not ready to head home. Both are busy until 4 or 5am with a mixture of resident and guest DJs pumping out the tunes. Up in the Village 1800 area, O’Brian’s bar also keeps the party going into the small hours of the morning.
Throughout the season there is a full programme of events, kicking off with the Rise Festival from 10th-17th December 2016. Back for the third year running, this year's event is bigger and better than ever with a line-up headlined by Seth Troxler and Kano.
Whatever your taste in nightlife, from après-ski to all-nighters, Les Deux Alpes has something for you. Whether it’s partying at 2600m or dancing until dawn, we’ve got it covered.
Read more from Ian on his website.
Skiing and cinema have had a bit of a rocky relationship over the years. Need I mention 80s nightmare ski-flick ‘Hotdog’ or the more recent avalanche of cringe that was ‘Chalet Girl’?
However, sometimes they get it just about right, whether this is for the best or the worst reasons. Below is a selection of ski scenes from movies that I have enjoyed over the years. Some are enjoyable if only for their over the top absurdity and others are pure class. Either way, I defy you not to crack a smile (or a grimace) during the following clips...
[Click on the links to see the film clips]
Leo and the girl from Juno [Ellen Page] attempt to destroy a snow covered dream fortress while sleeping in the back of a van. At least I think that’s what is going on here. All I know is it has made me want to go skiing with a weighted ball on the end of a rope.
This is a wonderful film and it contains quite possibly my favourite ski chase scene of all time. Not least because of Willem Dafoe’s delightfully deranged portrayal of Jopling. Snippets of the chase can be seen in this interview with Wes Anderson where a producer of the film succinctly describes the technical process of creating the scene, “Camera on skateboard wheels, upside down, pushing it with a stick.”
This makes it in because I like the idea of families settling down for a lovely evening of Disney Princesses and jolly talking snowmen set to the sound of heart-warming classics such as ‘Let It Go’, only to be greeted by a woman struggling to do just that when she falls asleep and wakes to find her hand frozen onto the safety bar. Let it go, indeed. Viewer discretion advised.
There are numerous classic Bond ski scenes to choose from and all of them have their moments. Brosnan takes it for me here, though, largely because of the tekkers that he and his fur-clad lady friend exhibit in the opening minute. Absolute textbook. It’s worth watching all the way through though, Brosnan’s straight-faced one liners are a lovely reminder of the tongue-in-cheek cheese fest that a Bond film can be… “See you back at the lodge.”
As tempted as I was to include the “Oh look. Frost.” scene (you know the one) I actually prefer the scene where Harry gets over exciting during a snowball fight with Mary. Having spent several winters in the mountains I have seen more than a fair few snowball fights get out of hand and there is nothing quite like the guilty realisation on a guy's face when he realises he has gone one step too far. It’s gonna take more than a vin chaud and a crepe to fix this one, pal.
BONUS SCENE BELOW:
I’m afraid I couldn’t leave out this opening scene from ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ in which Roger Moore, dressed as a chicken, uses a ski pole gun and goes base jumping – all backed by a 70's funk version of the Bond theme. Spectacular stuff.
Merry Christmas!
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February again already, how time flies when you’re enjoying yourself innit. School holidays get under way here this weekend, so we’re expecting carnage all over the roads and a resort full of anklebiters and ESF 15-snakes.
But in the middle of all this kids ‘n’ families fest you chaps are going to have to take time out to pamper your ladies. Yes, it’s Valentine’s Day on Tuesday. There, I’ve reminded you now, so there’s no wriggling out of it. You’ll thank me for it in the long run – domestic strife in a ski apartment the size of a matchbox is not a pretty sight.
So what romantic options are there on offer in a family-oriented ski resort during shool holidays? As if taking your woman skiing isn’t in itself romantic enough.
Speaking as a person of the female persuasion, I can tell you that prezzies are always welcome. And before you all panic and get yourselves into a fluster at the idea that you might have to go into shops and choose things, remember that it’s a traditional occasion, and the old favourites are always appropriate. Decent champagne is readily available in all the resort’s supermarkets. (Yes, it has to say ‘champagne’ on it and not ‘cremant de Bourgogne’. She’ll notice. I certainly would, at any rate.)
On the subject of champers, I am once again going to plug the Windsor’s champagne cocktails – generous amounts of fizz combined with a liberal helping of various spirits and a dash of something fruity, topped off with a fruit basket on a stick. What’s more rose tinted than that? Don’t let her get past two though, or you’ll be carrying her home and putting her to bed, which is possibly a bit less romantic.
Chocolates are also a good bet, particularly if you get fancy chocolatier-made ones from the Marjolaine on the main road through resort. (Recommending the confit orange slices dipped in dark chocolate.) The Chat Gourmand round the corner also does posh chocs, as well as some very nice cakes and desserts. Good option for the self-catering family – bring home a gourmet dessert and make sure the kids clear the table and load the dishwasher while mother indulges.
Be warned, though, that flowers can be dodgy. If you’ve snuck down to the florist in Bourg d’Oisans and bought a properly prepared bouquet, you will be the perfect man for at least the next six months. A bunch of wilted roses out of the bucket by the checkout in U Express, on the other hand, is a bit petrol station. Not to mention outrageously overpriced.
The eating out options are numerous, with montagnard dishes lending themselves to dinner a deux – share a fondue or partage a pierrade for the ideal intimate evening. On the other hand, you could push the boat out and go for the Hotel Chalet Mounier’s Michelin-starred P’tit Polyte restaurant, the Alisier opposite, or the Raisin d’Ours on the main drag, run by the Mounier’s former chef. I’d book those as soon as you land in resort on Saturday though, because they’re bound to be busy.
If your woman is the type to enjoy a bit of pampering (and let’s face it, who isn’t?), consider booking a spa session, once again at the Chalet Mounier. What better way to round off a day’s skiing in these utterly Baltic temperatures than by thawing out in the sauna before indulging in a relaxing massage followed by a dip in the pool. This is how the uber-rich do skiing holidays. (Admittedly thay have it all privately ensuite in their personal umpteen-star chalets complete with naked butler service, but you can’t have everything. Or us mere mortals can’t anyway.)
So there you have it – all right, you’re half way up a mountain during peak family holiday season, but that’s no excuse not to do the slushy romance thing. You could even propose, if you haven’t done it already – haul her up to 3400m and go down on one knee in front of a panoramic view of half the Alps. Don’t stay down there too long though, or you’ll freeze solid – get it over with and scoot off for celebratory vin chaud in the restaurant.
Saturday afternoon saw the arrival of around 3000 Rise festival-goers in Les Deux Alpes, and it didn’t take long for the party to get underway. Back for the third year running, this time around looks set to be bigger than ever.
The first official events took place on Saturday night, with the Avalanche and several bars welcoming the festival. 3000 people is a lot for most ski resort size venues, so the party is spread across the town with many bars joining in the party and hosting DJ sets.
The biggest events are on the Rise Main Stage in the main square, and in the Amphibia sports hall – renamed the W.A.R. Arena for the week. The main late night venue is the Avalanche Discotheque, and there is a full programme of afternoon partying on the mountain at Pano Bar.
Sunday was the first full day of Rise, and the afternoon saw the party take to the slopes with a full Hype Presents… programme in the Pano bar for après number one. The Shorebitch DJs warmed up the crowd from lunchtime, DJ Monki took over at 3.30 and DJ Luck finished off before the lifts closed at 5pm. The atmosphere was pretty chilled early on with hip hop morphing into harder beats as the terrace filled up and the volume gradually increased.
The evening saw the first of two events in the resort’s main square – the Rise Main Stage. The Ibiza Rocks takeover began at around 5pm to an empty square and kept going to a packed crowd at midnight. The events team had done a great job of transforming the square into an outdoor festival arena with stage, bar and food stalls – including a tartiflette stand and wraps from the Spot. The bar gave a nod to the temperature with mulled wine and mulled cider on offer, as well as beer and wine.
I arrived to a half full square at 9pm, half way through Patrick Nazemi’s DJ set. One thing about outdoor gigs in the mountains in December, is that they are cold. That didn’t stop anybody from having a good time, and the crowd was already going for it – maybe that was just to keep warm. The acts didn’t let the cold stop them either, although more than one DJ was seen struggling to warm up cold hands.
Next on the line-up were My Nu Leng with MC Dread. The amount of energy emanating from the stage at this point was impressive and MC Dread kept the crowd pumping, always finding another notch to turn things up to. The set was a mix of the familiar and the brand new, but always energetic. The square was full by now, with a fair few braving fancy dress despite the chill.
The night was headlined by Kano, who came on just before 11pm for his last gig of the year. Kano is currently promoting his Mercury Music Prize nominated album, Made In The Manor, so it was good to hear material from that record going down well with the crowd. ‘This is England’ and ‘T-Shirt Weather In The Manor’ were stand out tracks for me. After the intensity of My Nu Leng’s set, Kano offered a welcome change of pace – still energetic, but with a few more laid back moments. His style with the crowd was more relaxed as well with chatty banter replacing Dread’s shouted exhortations, even finding time to down a few shots with lucky recipients at the front.
Being an outdoor gig the curfew was strict and the sound system shut down on the stroke of midnight, but the party kept going right up to the deadline. At five to twelve you would not have known it was about to wind down.
The next three nights will see the W.A.R. Arena hosting the biggest events, before the action returns to the Main Stage on Thursday night for Rise Xmas Closing Party headlined by Seth Troxler.
Read more from Ian on his website.
If you are lucky enough to be in Les Deux Alpes this coming Valentine's Day, you might be wondering where to go for a romantic evening out. Here are a few of the best choices, and a couple of alternative ideas too!
The Casa Nostra in the centre of town would be a great choice. This place has Corsican specialties on the menu as well as the mountain classics. There is a special sushi evening once a week, and the place is tasteful and stylish - enough wood to be a nod to the Alps, but a change from the usual ski lodge decor that can get a little bit overdone.
It's quite small, with a little bar in the front where you can also get a really great choice of tapas. You’ll probably need to book, and like many restaurants here, Alex and his team usually put on a special Valentines evening menu, which you can look out for on their electronic menu board outside. Popular on their evening menu is the Corsican delicatessen platter with wild boar terrine (13 euros) and the Panna Cotta with slated caramel butter (6 euros). There is a great choice of wine, and even the wine by the glass is very good as they are the only place I know of in town who have the fancy wine cooler that vacuum seals the bottles after each serving.
Crepes a GoGo always makes a huge effort for every special event in the calendar, and Valentine's night is no exception - you’ll spot it a mile away as the front terrace will be festooned with dangling hearts and ribbons! It’s the kind of place to put on your Christmas jumper and choose fondue, very cute and traditionally alpine themed inside; you really need to like Raclette, pierrade (hot rock where you cook your own meat at the table), fondue or, you guessed it - crepes - of every savoury or sweet variety imaginable! This L2A classic is very popular and normally has two sittings per evening, so definitely book ahead.
Le Raisin d’Ours is more at the ‘gourmet’ end of the spectrum, with a well respected chef, and is often chosen by the locals as the place to eat for a special occasion for it’s modern French cuisine (main courses between 18 and 28 euros) - scallops with chorizo and linguine's pasta, baked marrow, ham with truffles and burger with foie gras are on this years menu.
As its really the thought that counts, how about a surprise piste picnic? Go to the boulangerie in the morning - they all sell ready made sandwiches, quiches, and tasty cakes, pack a rucksack and pop that bottle of champagne in the snow to chill! Weather permitting of course (and take two carrier bags or bin liners to sit on whilst you’re packing) head up just behind the Vallee Blanche chair onto the walking track if you are on foot, or if you are skiing then the areas in the Gours section are pretty and sheltered, or at the top of the la toura.
How about a romantic night in?? Le Fin Gourmet, the butchers/deli at the Venosc end of town, will give you everything you need - you buy the cheese from them for the raclette and they will give you the machine free of charge, and plate up the cold meats etc - virtually no prep or washing up!! They also have a great selection of deli style salads and starters, so there’s really no excuse even if its a small French apartment with a galley kitchen that you are staying in.
This weekend just gone saw the fifth edition of the Deux Alpes Night Snowtrail race. As always it was a well-attended, well-run event, but this year saw the 2015 Trail Running world champion in attendance. Sylvain Court, who is also a two-time French champion, was running in the 20km race.
The race is a little different from most trail events, being run on snow, in the dark. The other unique aspect is taking a ski lift to the start, meaning that there is around 500 metres more descent than ascent.
I really like the unusual format, and this year I took part in my third Deux Alpes Snowtrail. Having previously completed the 10km and 15km courses, I decided to go for the big one and enter the 20km this year. As I picked up my number in the Palais du Sports, I did wonder if I had made a mistake. As always, I hadn’t managed quite as much training as I would have liked to have done, and the extra 5km includes an extra 250 metres of ascent – 700 metres in total. Finding out that I would be racing against a former world champion did little to reassure me.
After the briefing in the square, and catching up with a few other runners who work in the resort, I joined the crowd queuing for the White Eggs. With over four hundred people racing it took a while to get everybody up to Les Crêtes. The pistes were full of runners milling around, warming up and organising their gear before the 17:30 start. How much to wear was the pressing question at this point. The organisers had sent out a last-minute email warning about extreme temperatures, recommending we wore extra layers. Not wanting to be cold I had opted for an extra fleece and thicker gloves.
The race started exactly on the half-hour, and all four hundred and nine runners surged up the Petites Crêtes green run. A few front runners kept running, but the majority of us were soon walking as the piste steepened. We followed the zig-zags towards the Diable restaurant, and I was happy to feel stronger than last year as I reached the top of the first climb. From here it was a long steady descent down the Bellecombes 1, Jandri 2 and Demoiselles green runs as the night fell.
By the time we were approaching the town it was dark and the stars were out. Here the 10km runners across the beginner slopes to finish in the main square, while the rest of us turned right for the harder part of our run. A few more minutes of descent brought us to the bridge at the entrance to the resort, where the 15km and 20km courses split. This was the end of the pistes, and the beginning of snow covered forest tracks. By now I was far too hot, and cursing the advice to wear extra clothing.
A flat section led to the food and drink station at La Moliere farm where a cold coke was well appreciated. A twisty technical descent followed, which is my kind of running, but every metre drop had to be painfully regained over the long climb back up. This climb took us on a beautiful route through starlit woodland to meet the 15km course just before La Kanata mountain restaurant, and the two routes climbed above the top of the Côte chairlift before following the balcon path to the Venosc end of the resort. A quick tour of the resort and snowfront brought us to the finish in the main square. I was quite happy with my time of 2 hours 20 minutes – a mere forty minutes behind Sylvain Court in first place.
One thing I love about French trail races is the post-race refreshment. At the finish, Coke, juice and sweet tea were supplemented with Haribo, dried fruit and cake to top up depleted sugar levels. Back at the Palais du Sports, more sustenance was waiting. Tartiflette, beer, wine, soft drinks, coffee and deserts were all on offer for competitors. The entry fee also included use of showers and a free neck warmer to commemorate the event.
After the race, I caught up with British runner Lauren Woodwiss, who had just won the 15km women’s race. For her the evening had been a family event, with brother Ash running the same course and father Carl Woodwiss winning the Veteran 3 category in the 10km race. “Thank God I beat my brother,” was Lauren’s answer when asked if she had anything to say about her win.
Sunday saw the very first Mad Snow Race in Les Deux Alpes, turning the annual Night Snow Trail into a snow trail weekend. Unfortunately, (or fortunately) I wasn’t able to enter the Mad race. I don’t think my legs would have survived another run even if I had been able to compete.
The race looked a lot of fun with the 5km course heading along the snowfront, down to Lac de la Buissoniére and up to Village 1800. There were plenty of obstacles to contend with along the way, including a biathlon style shooting range and an airbag jump, as well as the more usual scrambling nets, slides, crawls, tyres etc. The event was open to both teams and individuals, with 117 runners entering and seven teams taking up the challenge.
Take a look at the results for both events.
Read more from Ian on his website.
The tourist office carried on with what can only be described as an eclectic programme of apres ski animations this week, with an introduction to country dancing.
Previous tourist office activities have included introductory massage sessions, reflexology and aromatherapy for beginners, and basic yoga. There’s another one tomorrow – neck and shoulder massage with eucalyptus oil, followed by a 30 minute relaxation session, which sounds to me like having a snooze on the floor, though this has to be much more appealing than a few eightsome reels.
Unfortunately most of the official entertainments are exclusively in French, though I’ve no doubt that if you want to get along and try aromatherapy massage you’ll be more than welcome, especially if you can manage a basic word or two.
The French are a gregarious bunch and very big on their organised holiday activities, so if you’re here during school holidays (ie most of February), expect to see lots more of the same and similar. Look out for kids activities and workshops as well – if your anklebiters are the outgoing sort, chances are the language thing won’t bother them in the least.
Meanwhile, the bars are once again offering more conventional fun in the form of live music, DJs and parties (Smithy’s, where else) footy on TV (Smokey Joe’s and the Secret) and crepes served by a man in a bear suit (the Polar Bear). Oh all right, that one isn’t particularly conventional. Look out for the bear on the slopes – I spotted him boarding down the Cretes the other day. Its not every day you see a boarding bear – I did wonder at first whether I’d overdone the Bailey’s in the hot chocolate.
If you come down off the hill feeling peckish (and in the temperatures we’ve got at the moment I wouldn’t be surprised), the newly opened Black Diamond bar opposite the tourist office at the Place de Venosc is doing evening tapas, which makes a sophisticated change from chips or Nutella crepes. Not that there’s anything wrong with Nutella on a crepe, but it’s not what you’d call haute cuisine.
Further along towards the centre of town, Dracula’s Castle is another new establishment this season, though I have to say that as yet I haven’t actually seen anyone in there. This may have something to do with the fact that the eponymous patron sits outside all day looking fangy, or it might be down to the takeaway menu, which is offering ‘Dracula’s sausage’. The mind boggles. Still, it can only be better than the now (thankfully) defunct Charlie Burger, which was always a mistake you only made once.
Upcoming Easter holidays once again see the usual influx of anklebiters of all ages, necessitating kiddy-friendly activities both on piste and off.
Local ski instructor Alex Chapman, who also runs the English-speaking childcare service Snow Angel Nannies in 2Alpes and Alpe d’Huez, recommends both resorts for family friendly holidays and fun for all ages.
The various ski schools offer a range of snowsports-related deals for kids of all ages, from snow kindergarden for teenies through regular ski and board lessons to race courses and freestyle classes for speed merchants and budding park rats. Check out the ESF, the European Ski and Snowboard School and the Ecole de Ski St Christophe for further details.
Outside organised lessons and play sessions there is plenty to occupy your offspring. The ice rink and swimming pool are both open daily from mid afternoon, and both included in the price of your pass as long as it runs for two days or more. Given the forecast for a return to sunny spring weather over the weekend there could well be poolside sunbathing opportunities for harassed parents as well.
Round the back of the pool complex and under the Jandri Express lift, there’s a designated sledging spot protected by inflatable barriers, though you’ll have to wait and see how much snow there is left on it by the time you get here at the weekend. We have had a few extra flakes this week though, with a bit more predicted, so you never know.
Next to the Jandri, the Avalanche Simulator is always popular, though not with me because those things make me terminally seasick. Your little boys will love it though, even if it does make them feel queasy.
Smaller children may well prefer the gentler attractions of the traditional merry go round whose owner has been doggedly plying his trade in the main square outside the central ticket office all season, earlier Arctic temperatures notwithstanding.
A visit to the donkey farm in the Veneon valley is also likely to be a crowd pleaser, not least because it includes a trip down into the valley in the Venosc telecabin. Pat the donkeys, visit the llamas and marvel at a brace of yaks, ordered from a catalogue and posted to 2Alpes direct from Tibet. No, I didn’t know you could mail order yaks either, but there you go.
Screen-addicted teens will appreciate the two videogame arcades, one in the main street and the other round the corner from the swimming pool. And if you fancy a family-oriented evening of friendly competition, try the bowling alley in the Place de Venosc.
The tourist office’s animation team has got stuck into the seasonal spirit with a family Easter Egg hunt and egg-painting workshop on Easter Monday in the Maison de Montagne. Open to children over four – first find your egg and then decorate it as you see fit. And presumably stick it in your packed lunch on Tuesdy morning.
Last week’s activity programme was all about kids and families, what with it being Christmas and all that stuff. Trees, sleighs and the efforts of a relay of several Santas dishing out sweets, prezzies and vin chaud gave the place a thoroughly seasonal atmosphere, helped along by about half a metre of snow.
This time round though, the emphasis is more on adult party time and the usual end of year shenanigans. Start your celebrations before you even get back down to resort, with a few sundowners at the Pano Bar at 2600m – excessively loud music and happy hour drinks from 3pm.
Biggest hotspot is likely to be Smithy’s Tavern as usual, with this year’s Black and White party promising a set from resort favourite DJ Northey, free champers at midnight and the usual riotous good time. Tickets are on sale now – snap them up soon to avoid disappointment.
Next door, the Minibar’s regular Super Saturday has morphed into a New Year’s Eve Superhero Party – lycra tights mandatory and if you can find some Y-fronts to pull on over the top, then so much the better. Prizes for best costume and most original character. Tickets in advance from the Minibar.
I will be entirely unsurprised if patrons at both these events end up in the Avalanche, notoriously cheesy club and favourite seasonnaire hangout, where the party is scheduled to carry on into the small hours. Mind yourselves on the ice on the way home though – breaking yourself in the snowpark while pulling off gnarly tricks is one thing, but falling on your bum outside the sort of club you wouldn’t look twice at if you weren’t on holiday is not going to net you any cred points down the pub.
For the French, meanwhile, the Reveillon is all about food. Lots and lots of food. Nothing like sticking to your national stereotype. All the decent restaurants in resort will be offering a multi-course New Year’s Eve meal, starting with canapés and aperitifs before progressing through seafood, meats and cheeses to fcny desserts for those of you man enough to give Mr Creosote a run for his money.
If you fancy partaking of the traditional end of year blowout, have a look at places like the Hotel Chalet Mounier, the Alisier just opposite, or the Raisin d’Ours in the main Avenue de la Muzelle, run by the Mounier’s Michelin-starred former chef. You can expect to budget about 100€ a head with wine for the full menu. Word of warning though – these places will fill up quickly now that the French have descended on us en masse this week, so get your oar in and book right now or you’ll miss out.
Before you get stuck into all these evening activities, don’t miss the multiple torchlit descents at the Lutins piste behind the ice rink and the Jandri Express lift station. Both the St Christophe Ski School and the ESF run descents for children, right down to the smallest ones – a big treat for your little people. The ESF’s instructors also get in on the act just to show us all how it should be done, and the whole thing finishes up with a firework display at the Bas des Pistes at 6:30pm on Saturday evening.
Those of you intent on getting some sleep before hitting empty pistes on Sunday morning can take comfort from the fact that things usually quiet down around five in the morning. Possibly get to the pharmacy for some earplugs sometime before Saturday night.
Anyone loath to go home and determined to behave like a dirty stop-out should try the Red Frog once everywhere else has called time – every year I walk past it on my way to work at around 8am and find it full of people who quite clearly have not been home since last night’s dinner (if indeed they even made that – one year there was a bunch of people still there in their ski boots). It’s one way of making sure you’re outside the Diable for first lifts, I suppose.
Resort has settled down into its usual January post-party recovery mode this week, and we’ve said goodbye once again to the mobs of Italian youths apparently intent on dismantling the place. It appears that Timberland boots are the mutt’s nuts on the Turin fashion scene for the third year running, and every Italian under 30 arrived sporting spanking new box-fresh boots paired with skinny jeans rolled up to show the brandname, a look which always makes me laugh.
Still, that’s all we’ll see of them until next summer, and meanwhile January low season gives the bars a chance to catch their breath and get their regular party/band/footy nights in place for the rest of the season.
The ever popular Smithy’s Tavern, needless to say, already has its party programme up and running, with regular bands, DJs and promotions on offer all week. Next door, the Minibar is once again promoting its Super Saturday evenings, with a live DJ set for those of you eager beavers keen to get out on the town on arrival day despite the fact that you crawled out of bed at 2am to make the flight. Nutters.
The Pano Bar at 2600 is punting out its trademark aural sledgehammer musical experience every day at 3pm, and was rammed to the gills this afternoon despite the fact that it’s an otherwise quiet week. Those of you who prefer music not designed to turn their brains to jelly should consider Smokey Joe’s for a spot of apres ski acoustic from regular act Mark Morton.
Anyone with apres ski munchies should have a look at the new crepe stands which have sprung up this year in front of both the Boardroom and the Polar Bear – I was hard pushed to resist a Nutella pancake from the Bear Staff this afternoon, particularly since the bloke in question had gone to all the effort of actually dressing up as a polar bear.
But considering this is post Christmas indulgence time, maybe you’d like to go for a bit of healthy, teetotal fun instead. The ice rink is open for business daily, as usual, as is the outdoor pool. Outdoor pool, are you mental or what, I hear you cry. Fear not, it’s heated to a good 30°C so we’re not talking New Year’s Day in the Serpentine here. It’s possibly at its best in a snowstorm, in fact, offering a distinctly surreal swimming experience.
If you still think getting (nearly) naked in the outdoors in the Alps in January is bananas – and I don’t necessarily blame you, we’re not Scandinavians after all – try roasting your abused body in the sauna and steam room at the Acqua Center. This is my kind of apres ski activity – when JC finally buys the right Euromillions ticket and we have our own luxury chalet it will certainly have at least one sauna. Not to mention an outdoor Jacuzzi with mountain view and champagne-toting private barman.
In the meantime though, we might all have to make do with public sauna followed by a trip along the road for one of the Windsor’s champagne cocktails. These look a bit pricey until you see exactly what goes into one and just how big it is – I was once dissuaded from having a second, which was probably just as well as I might not have made it home afterwards.
We seem to have strayed off the teetotal straight and narrow here (oops, dammit), but come on, you are on holiday after all. And you have been out skiing all day, which has to count as healthy exercise, even if you did spent two hours over lunch scoffing one of the Toura’s monster omelettes.
After the smooch-fest that is Valentine’s day, things are firmly back in kids ‘n’ families mode now as we head into the child-infested thickets of peak season.
The Kré bar’s Soiree Sex Toys (dress code SEXY – SEXY, apparently) was possibly the last seriously adult-oriented event we’re going to see for several weeks, and probably a good thing too. The mind boggles. I declined my Facebook invite to that one on the flimsy excuse that I had to go to work the following morning.
Fortunately, resort offers plenty of clean-living apres ski activities for your innocent offspring, even if all they want to do is hang around the video games arcades.
Ice skating is always popular, though personally I can’t see the attraction in sliding around in the cold at the end of the day, as I’m generally back down in resort because I’ve had enough of that sort of thing for one day. If you really must go sliding about in the cold again, the ice gliders are a much more fun option – at least you get to sit down. The rink is turned over to these ice dodgems twice a week, and they’re always a hit. (There’s a joke in there somewhere.)
The swimming pool is another favourite, though I’m told it has suffered a bit in the recent Arctic spell – heated outdoor swimming is all very well when it’s merely a bit parky, but getting wet when it’s -16°C has proved a bit much for even the hardiest souls. Still, the temperature is forecast to rise a bit over the coming few days, so a dip might be an option.
Still on the outdoor activities, Brun Sports at the main Place des 2Alpes has Segways for hire by the hour. I stood and watched a few of these the other day as people wobbled round a line of cones on them, and it looks as though they’re a lot more difficut than you’d think.
If your teens haven’t had enough snow by the end of the day and they’ve been pestering to throw themselves off the huge kickers in the park, let them loose on the big air bag behind the Jandri Express at the Bas des Pistes. There they can launch themselves recklessly into the air with virtually no chance of braining themselves on inconvenient bits of landscape, as the only thing they’re going to land on is a customised bouncy castle.
Smaller and more timid children might appreciate the more traditional attractions of the roundabout outside the main ticket office. This sprouted in the main square last summer, and I fully expected it to go into hibernation over the ski season, but no, it’s still there and going strong. Or going round, at least.
En famille, you can check out the experience of being caught in an avalanche, courtesy of the simulator next to the Jandri Express lift station. I presume they leave out all the parts which involve getting snow down your trousers and subsequently suffocating to death. Or perhaps not – I have to say I’ve never actually seen anyone coming out of there, when I think about it.
There so many places to go after your day on the slopes, restaurants, bars and clubs.
This week I'm going to tell you all about the best English pubs in the resort for a wild night out or for a nice quiet pint.
The Secret Bar: This is one of my favourite bars in the resort if you just want to chill out after a long day on the slopes. The friendly atmosphere is great to enjoy your drink, play some board games they have on offer, a game of pool or to stay tuned in with all the English football matches. The Secret Bar is located on the main street, close to other livelier bars if you decide to spice up your night.
The Windsor Pub: Located on the main street, this pub is great if you want a drink and a chat. It has a lovely authentic look of an old English pub. With friendly staff, this is a great place to chill out and talk about your day on the slopes!
Polar Bear Pub: Located on the main street this pub is perfect is if you want a more livelier night but don't want to go to a nightclub. The pub has a more international clientele, which is great and adds to the atmosphere. With live music most nights and open fire stoves, this place is definitely worth a visit some time during your stay.
Smithy's: If you want a night of music and dancing, Smithy's is the place to be. It is just off the main street and is situated beside L'Avalanche Discotheque. A DJ plays most nights and don't be surprised to see people dancing on tables!!
Mini Bar: The Mini Bar is situated beside Smithy's and is actually part of the same building as L'Avalanche Discotheque. This is the place for the party animals. Don't be fooled by the name, this place plays the best of music and always attracts a big crowd.
Find more bars & nightclubs in Les Deux Alpes
Not the busiest week in the world, but the apres events tootle on regardless, and there are more than enough people in resort to get together a decent party, which is all you need.
Smithy’s kicked off their week on Sunday with the usual multiple promo night, boasting a new drinks promotion every 10 minutes – if you don’t see anything you like, stick around for another 10 minutes and find out what’s next. They’re bound to come up with your favourite sooner or later.
Their Tuesday Seasonnaire Beach Party with its wet t-shirt competition prompted a nostalgic chortle, not because I have ever personally had anything to do with wet t-shirts in public (perish the thought), but because it took me back to a previous existence involving tour ops and school groups, when an enterprising 14-year-old snuck out of the hotel and won the wet T-shirt competition in the Secert Bar along the road. Much scandal, grounding of all concerned and adolescent drama in the corridors. I have no idea how she explained the new snowboard to her mother.
Fellow seasonnaires used to throw up their hands in horror at the idea of school groups, but they have no idea what they’re missing – mobs of teenagers are much more entertaining than your average guest. Granted they don’t tip much, but they definitely have comedy value. You can shout at them for walking upstairs in their ski boots as well – come on, how often have you wanted to do that to your adult guests and had to bite your tongue?
A regular spot for Wednesday nights is the all-new Secret Bar’s Musical Democracy night, kicking off at 16:00 and running through until 02:00 on Thursday morning. Bring your iPod/Pad/Phone/Widget of choice and be a DJ for the evening. JC fancies a go at this, so if you find yourself in a watering hole regaling you with Ozric Tentacles through Eminem to French café accordion music via Caro Emerald and Cat Stevens you’ll know who to blame.
The tourist office and its often rather eclectic official animation programme tends to go into a bit of hibernation in January, but they’re offering an introduction to rock ‘n’ roll dancing in the Maison de Montagne this Thursday – go on, it might be a giggle. Makes a change from your run of the mill bars and vin chaud at any rate.
Finally, it occurs to me that an occasional restaurant recommendation might be in order for those of you looking to treat yourselves. This week I point you all at La Grange at the Place des 2Alpes between Brun Sports and the ice rink. Sample the usual montagnard fare plus a good range of pizzas and a very nice steak tartare. Check out the café gourmand for dessert – coffee plus a taster selection of mini-desserts, ideal for those who just can’t decide between the chocolate pud the crème brulée or the tiramisu. That’d be me then.
What with some rather antisocial wind on the hill this week, and then a grim overcast day yesterday, resort was a lot busier in the afternoons than you’d expect. And fair play to everyone – who wants to spend their hard-earned holiday time having their skin removed by 50kph ice crystals?
So on the grounds that you can’t spend all your off-duty time drinking and carousing, I thought I’d have a look at a few ski-alternative activities.
First up, the Big Air Bag at the Bas des Pistes. This isn’t really an alternative to skiing or boarding, involving (as it does) skis and/or boards. But it’s at the bottom of he hill out of the wind, and it makes a change from cruising the pistes. Essentially it involves going off a big kicker, attempting the aerial acrobatics of your choice, and landing unscathed on a big balloon. Great for perfecting that backflip before you try it off the slopestyle where you can really mess yourself up if you get it wrong. Yes JC, I’m looking at you.
Also at the Bas des Pistes just behind the Jandri you have an unparalleled opportunity to find out what it’s like to be caught in an avalanche. Not that our pisteurs have failed to secure the beginner slopes, I hasten to add. No, this experience can be had in the saftey, if not necessarily comfort, of the avalanche simulator. I confess to never having tried it myself because those simulator things make me feel sick , which probably isn’t how you’d feel in an avalanche at all.
Round the corner at the ice rink, two afternoons/evenings a week are dedicated to the ice gliders, basically dodgem cars on ice. When I worked for schools' tour operators we used to do this every week as an evening entertainment and it went down a storm with both kids and teachers.
Out the back of the rink you’ll find the motoneige hut, where you can sign up for a skidoo trip up to Cretes and beyond. I can personally recommend skidooing, having done it at Les Saisies in the Savoie many moons ago. My top tip – work out how the heated handle grip things work before you start out. You can combine your trip with an evening meal of the inevitable (and delicious) tartiflette as well if you like – see the people at the hut for details.
Leaving all these chilly activities behind, remember that your lift pass includes the Venosc telecabin, which takes you down into the Veneon valley and the old village of Venosc. Have a stroll round the village, walk along the river or take a guided tour of the donkey farm. I say donkey – Didier also has horses, mules, llamas and a brace of genuine yaks, ordered from a catalogue and imported from Tibet. No, I had no idea you could mail-order yaks either. Apparently the yaks themselves are quite cheap, but the transport costs a fortune.
Finally, if you really want a lazy afternoon, take a turn round resort in a horse drawn cart. The cart doubles as Santa’s sleigh over Christmas, but the horse is always recognisably the same horse. Presumably he drew the line at fake antlers and a red nose. And who can blame him?
One of the newest restaurants in the town, The Spot has quickly established itself as a great place to eat, popular with locals and visitors alike, and also hosting a lively bar and regular live music.
The restaurant was created in 2015 by a small team of Brits who, having worked in bars and restaurants in the resort for several years, decided to open one of their own. Taking over a local restaurant, they completely refitted it over May and June, working around the clock, in order to open in July.
Foodwise, The Spot is best known for the build-your-own-burger menu, but they also do great steaks, a selection of pizza, tapas, lobsters and a few vegetarian dishes. I should start with the burgers though, as this is something that kids and grown-up kids will love equally. You are presented with a 'Build-your-own-burger' form and a pen. Filling in the form is a case of ticking the right boxes (or all of them), and is well worth the work as you lovingly craft the perfect burger. There are all-important questions to answer – such as whether one, two or even three patties is enough, and whether it is okay to have pulled pork, bacon AND shredded duck toppings on your beef burger.
There is a choice of bun – plain, ciabatta, bagel, wrap or none; beef, lamb, chicken or veggie burgers (or a combination of up to three); and five types of cheese. The best burger of the week wins a free meal, so make sure you give it a good name and leave your phone number. For those who just want a burger without the effort of designing it there are a few suggestions on the menu. My personal recommendation is beef, hash brown, raclette cheese and pulled pork on ciabatta, although I usually get carried away and add a few extras to that. My burger usually ends up several stories high, and eating it is quite an exercise.
If you don’t fancy a burger, the steaks are great, and if there are four of you with an appetite the Spot Special Beef sharing steak should do the job (order 48 hours in advance). There is a tapas menu as well if you want a quick snack or a bit of everything. The tapas dishes can also come as starters if you prefer. Chef’s specials come and go, so take a look at the blackboards as well as the menus.
The pizza menu is imaginative but logical. Most of the usual favourites are there, but the names have been given a new twist – there are names like Lizzie for the ham and mushroom (Reina in Italian = queen = Elizabeth), and Linda for the vegetarian.
Chips and sides are sold separately, which some might not like as the prices are higher than first glance suggests, but you do get a very flexible menu. There are three types of chips – home-made regular, sweet potato and polenta. My surprise favourite is the polenta – I had never imagined a polenta chip before The Spot opened, but they work really well. If you can’t decide, a combo bowl offers you the chance to try all three.
Desserts are a mixture of English and French – apple crumble and cheesecake are on offer, as is the Spot’s take on a coffee gourmand (the French idea of several mini-desserts served with a coffee), a selection of ice creams and a separate sundae menu.
Live music starts at 10pm two or three nights a week, courtesy of Jamie or Capu, so if you want to stay for a drink or two after your meal you won’t go short on entertainment.
At lunchtime, there is an ‘Express’ menu of wraps and sandwiches, and for those struggling with a hangover there are cooked breakfasts until midday (extended to 2pm on Tuesdays after pub crawl night).
Overall, The Spot has proved to be a great addition to the town’s selection of restaurants and bars. It is well worth a visit if you are looking for a change from fondue and tartiflette.
Read more from Ian on his website.
With a busy festive fortnight coming to an end, we bring you a rundown of the highlights of the last two weeks.
The Christmas forest officially opened on Wednesday 23rd December in the main square, with a circle of Christmas trees, two cabins and a marquee around an illuminated white Christmas tree in the centre. Ice sculptures, decorations and an open fireplace were dotted around inside the forest, adding to the magical atmosphere, and Santa was soon installed in his cabin to listen to the children's requests.
Santa was a busy man around the resort. When he wasn’t at home in his cabin in the square he was travelling up and down the town in an open horse drawn carriage, giving children rides or dishing out sweets. He also had a few photo opportunities to pose for as well as a couple of Christmas parades. Crafts, festive activities, fireside storytelling and teatime snacks were all on offer at various times in the forest as well as the chance to see Santa.
More spectacles took place on the appropriately named Lutins piste ('Lutins' being French for elves). There was a fancy dress parallel slalom as well as an ESF demonstration and torchlit descents on three separate days. There were several fireworks displays, each more spectacular than the last, with the biggest and loudest coming on New Year’s Eve, and of course there were plenty of opportunities to sample hot wine and hot chocolate in the square after each event. The Amphibia theatre got involved as well, hosting two Christmas themed shows on the Wednesdays before and after Christmas.
New Year’s Eve is always the night to go out and party, and Les Deux Alpes did not disappoint. Virtually every restaurant in the resort had laid on a special menu, with multiple courses. Typically, they started with a few fish dishes, followed by a main meat or poultry course and desserts, plus a lot of Champagne, wine, music and possibly dancing. Hotels laid on a special night for their guests, saving them the trouble of trying to book a meal out on one of the busiest nights of the year. This would have been appreciated by the many visitors who had only arrived in the resort a few hours earlier, with Saturday being the most popular travel day.
Of course, the many bars in town were competing to celebrate in as much style as possible. Most had put on entertainment in the form of live music or DJs, and late licences were plentiful. Before we get to the late-night entertainment, the party really began in the afternoon with the Pano Bar’s New Year party. DJs Allan Po Ca and Joris Barston provided the tunes, a lot of fancy dress was in evidence and free face masks were being given out. After the ski lifts closed, the party moved to the newly revamped Umbrella Bar, which opened as late as 8pm instead of its usual 7 o’clock curfew.
For the later evening, there was a choice of venues and entertainment on offer. Smokey Joes had a live band, the Spot had both their resident guitarists playing together, with Jamie also dashing to the Polar Bear for a set there, Smithies and Minibar had DJ lineups and every bar in the town had put on something special in one way or another. The most stylish event of the night was probably the Gold Party at the Jukeboxx, with gold themed fancy dress and glitter aplenty.
Oddly enough, the pistes were remarkably quiet on New Year’s morning. Those that did get up early were treated to sunshine, empty slopes and the first turns of 2017.
If you missed out on being here this year, there's always next year.. and don't forget to take a look at our events calendar to see what's coming up over the course of the season.
Read more from Ian on his website.
Serious snowfall has brought a rather more appropriately seasonal look to resort, so our thoughts naturally turn to ……….. apres ski. What do you mean, Christmas? Don’t be silly.
The usual hotspots are already up and running, with a few decent nights already under their belts, and a few newcomers dipping a toe into the shark infested waters of resort nightlife as well.
The ever-popular Smithy’s Tavern got off to a flying start with snowboard events and party nights over school holidays at the beginning of November, and has been open since the beginning of the season with the usual mix of promos, DJs and live music. Their upstairs restaurant is already open for busines as well, serving steaks, grilled fish dishes, Tex Mex and some disgustingly huge burgers (I recommend the fillet steak with blue cheese sauce followed by vanilla crunch for dessert – ice cream, crushed Maltesers and toffee sauce, what’s not to like?)
The Minibar next door, usually a chilled refuge form the mayhem which is Smithy’s on a busy night, opened last week with its first Super Saturday of the season, featuring resort regular, DJ Fat Trip. Look out for more of the same as things get properly under way over the festive season.
Across the main road, the Polar Bear is also open, offering a cosy atmosphere thanks to its snug booths and central wood stove. The Boardroom opposite has resolutely stayed open all through interseason, providing a social refuge for an odd combination of dready French seasonnaires, earnest-looking laptop-toters (free wifi? don’t mind if I do) and a motley collection of the resort’s dogs hosted by the bar’s own hound, which has the charming name of F***. Seriously. I always thought the beast’s name was Phoque, until I asked someone why it was called Seal and was told that no, it’s name was …….. er, well that’s probably ‘nuff said really.
Opposite the Boardroom the Secret Bar is due to open on Decmber 17th, with a full facelift and an all new team. Several years of management by a large organisation which should probably remain nameless (bit like the Boardroom’s dog) saw the place slide steadily downhill, but the bar’s owners aim to take it upmarket this season and re-establish it in its former position as one of resort’s most popular spots. Regular patrons will be pleased to know that there’s an excellent chance of encountering clean, functional toilets in there this year. Apparently they plan to pitch the music at a level such that you can hear people talk without them having to scream down your earhole as well – a mad plan I admit, but one which just might catch on.
Further along the road the boulangerie has been converted into a coffee shop and snack bar, courtesy of the owners of the Raisin d’Ours restaurant across the street, who also seem to have stolen one of the Diable telecabines as a piece of décor. I know we’re replacing the lift, but that doesn’t mean you can all start cannibalising bits of it, you know. Next door to the infamous Rhumerie (flavoured rums sold by the bottle, lethal) is Dracula’s Castle, another new venture and one about which I know nothing whatsoever because they’re still in the final throes of decorating and wouldn’t answer the door. But with a name like that it has to be worth a look just for the cheese value.
At the other end of town Smokey Joe’s is already open every evening and busy hosting Neilson's staff training sessions during the day. A cunning plan on their part, since a day of corporate Powerpoint presentations with a side order of role playing and silly games is guaranteed to send every traumatised trainee straight into the open arms of the bar staff. The big screen is once again in place, making Smokey’s the best place in resort for watching the footy most nights of the week and Six Nations rugby later on in the season.
Opposite the supermarket, the Windsor Pub, like the Boardroom, has been open most of the interseason. The bar boasts an enormous range of speciality beers, more whiskies than you’d find in most Scottish pubs, and fabulous champagne cocktails topped with an entire fruit basket. All your five a day in a oner plus some combination of champers, liqueur and fruit juice. Perfect. The Windsor also put on a rather competent live blues band during half term opening, a welcome change from the usual comination of dubstep and shouty criminals. If they carry on with that and the cocktails I might have to get out more this season.