Meribel may not have the Michelin-starred restaurants of nearby Courchevel but it does have a huge variety of places to eat and last season L’Ekrin was awarded the resorts’ first ever Michelin Star. With a choice ranging from English and French to Mexican and Asian, you should manage to avoid the usual fondue/cheese overload so common in France, and find something in your budget. The area also has plenty of mountain restaurants for the skier who likes to ‘lunch’ and much of the best food on the local slopes is around Altiport and Rond Point.
The apres ski scene in Meribel is a great fusion of vibrant bars and more relaxed hangouts, and whilst the party rages around the centre of resort the outlying villages such as Mottaret offer peace and quiet. Most bars are British-owned and there are plenty of options for live sports, music, happy hours and just about anything else you could wish for. Of the two nightclubs Dick’s Tea Bar is expensive and lively, whilst the Loft is a relaxed euro-disco popular with season workers.
Restaurants in Meribel
The restaurants in Meribel vary from simple pizza and pasta places right through to fine dining hotel restaurants with everything in between. A great value restaurant is the Pizzeria at the Refuge, serving huge pizzas and great fillet steaks.
A good option for a luxury night out is Chez Kiki, an old restaurant where Monsieur Kiki himself cooks the steaks on an open grill in the restaurant. He certainly knows his fillet from his entrecote but be warned, all the sides are charged as extra so the cost can mount up – a place for meat eaters only!
For something different head to the Den, which serves a delicious tapas style fusion menu until 2am. Also a bar which often has live music this is a great place to go with a group of friends on a night out, conveniently situated above Dick’s Tea bar, you can guarantee a good night out with some good food to boot.
Mountain restaurants in Meribel
Eating out on the mountain is somewhat of a specialty in Meribel. It has everything from the best bakery in the Three Valleys in Meribel Village (conveniently located at the bottom of the Lapin piste and serving cracking pizza slices, great coffee, yummy cheese, ham and bread for your piste side picnic) right up to the luxury joys of Le Blanchot and the Adray Telebar.
For the best views head to Le Roc at the top of the Col de Loze, they have a lovely menu and rather nice Vin Chaud available until after the lifts have closed. Stop here and take in the view before skiing down the empty pistes back in to Meribel.
Bars and clubs
The bar scene in Meribel may not be as colourful as the likes of Val d’Isère and Verbier but it certainly has a lot to offer. In the centre bars such as Barometer, the Pub, Scotts and Jack’s bar serve the younger crowds and seasonnaire types.
For a more sophisticated cocktail head to Le Poste in the centre (Champagne Mojitos are a must!) or for a quiet drink 50:50 is the place to go. Most bars boast live music most nights, The Rondpoint has live music every day between 5 and 7pm, the pub is a slightly later affair with bands starting at 10pm and playing into the small hours. If Meribel Centre isn’t your thing then the Lodge du Village in Meribel Village is popular with locals and visitors alike, live music most nights and a sun terrace to rival the best après venues around!
Eating and drinking on a budget
For those on a shoestring steer clear of the hotel bars and restaurants which all cost a fortune! The best bars are Jacks, the Pub and the Lodge du Village for a cheaper pint, but the further away from the centre you get the less you will pay.
La Tsaretta in les Allues serves a good value drink with a pizza as well for under €15 but you have to go 15 minutes down the hill on the bus to get there. Some good value restaurants include the Refuge, the Taverne, Evolution Zig Zag up in Mottaret.
