Morzine Apres Ski Report: 29th March 2012

One of the most memorable days of the season so far has to be our Big Onesie Birthday…although also the most expensive as well! However what better way to celebrate than spending a day on the sunny piste fully clad in 80’s Onesies (see the pictures if in doubt about what these wonderful suits are). We rented our rather fetching outfits from Retro Rentals who are based in Morzine and will come to your accommodation the night before your rental starts with a van load of Onesies for you to chose from. They range from bright neon coloured pieces to the simply hideous (also making them wonderful) patterned creations. The price for a days rental is €15 or €10 if there are 8 or more people renting together…a pretty cheap fancy dress costume in our opinion and you definitely make a lot of new friends dressed in these!

To make the most of the Onesies and our alpine birthdays we decided to embark on a piste style bar crawl starting in the Avoriaz area. First stop after a whopping three runs was the smallish bar half way down the Bleue d’Arare piste from the top of the Lac-Intrets lift. This place has a lovely roof terrace with deck chairs and seemingly all day sun, definitely a good choice for the 11am first beer of the day. They also offer a €9.90 Plat de Jour which looked good although we are yet to give this a try.

After a second beer and birthday cheers in the Plaine Dranse bowl we were getting peckish so decided to head back to one of our favourite lunch destinations in Avoriaz, La Village de Chevre (Village of the Goats), which is situated along the run heading from the Lindarets bowl down to Ardent. This pretty little cluster of restaurants is a must for lunch in our opinion, away from the busier slopes and crowds. There are some lovely lunch-spots to try; head to Bob and Annie's for an afternoon hot chocolate that comes with a free chocolate crispy cake, or to La Terrasse for lunch which is where we chose to eat. The terrace overlooking the valley is very special and the food and service here are good, with huge salads perfect for these warmer days and all the traditional Savoyard dishes on offer too. The only downside is that it’s so easy to spend a few hours here sitting in the sun that it makes getting up to ski again much more difficult!

On leaving La Terrasse we went to meet some more friends at Le Yeti, which is a bar/restaurant situated on the main piste, Boulevard des Skieurs, running through Avoriaz. This bar is a perfect spot for an early après drink with plenty of outside space and deck chairs, good music and afternoon sun. Also if you are heading down to Prodain via the Crot piste you won’t even need to watch the time for your last lift, so you can just enjoy the evening sun and ski back when you want.

Another beer down and it was time to hit the home run just in time to nip home, change out of the ski boots and head into town for the ever popular Tremplin Bass Camp Wednesday après session. Situated at the base of the Pleney slopes Le Tremplin was as busy as ever and the dance floor was already pretty packed by 5pm. Although the music isn’t to everyone’s taste (a little too heavy on the house music for us), the atmosphere is still great and it’s definitely a good place to head if you want a lively start to your night out. Also make sure to make the most of the waiter service outside rather than trying to fight your way to the bar inside…bar rage is never good at 6pm!

After the party at Le Tremplin we were definitely feeling the effects, so the only decent thing to do was to carry on the night in true Onesie style. So we headed to The White Monkey, situated down a small walkway off the main street Taille de mas du Pleney, which runs from the Pleney lifts down to the tourist office. We’ve mentioned this bar before and still love it as much as the first time, especially the happy hour beers, good cheesy music and far less touristy feel compared to other bars in town. Along with the cosy booths inside they also have a nice decked area with heaters outside so definitely give this place a go while in Morzine.

A few beers later and we were all feeling the need for some serious food, but not wanting anything too fancy we headed down Rue Du Bourg to Mamma’s. This favourite fast food joint in town is extremely popular with seasonnaires and never fails to satisfy that naughty craving for fish and chips or a burger. They also offer a great selection of pizzas (we still have a longing to try to hoisin duck and plum sauce one) along with various noodle dishes and wraps…and not to mention beer and wine as well, so what more could you want! It’s open daily until 10pm and you can eat in or take away.

After Mamas we found ourselves being drawn into the Rhodos bar, situated at the bottom of Rue Du Bourg, for their weekly ‘Toss the Boss‘ night. This interestingly named event is held every Monday night from 10pm-Midnight and works as follows: You order your drinks as normal but before paying both you and the barman take turns to roll two dice each. If he scores the same or more than you then you just pay for your drinks as normal. However, if you beat his score then you get your round for free…absolutely free, it’s as simple as that! Needless to say, we were more than delighted when we managed to bag 4 jager bombs and two pints for free. We will definitely be back to Toss the Boss again!

To end our mammoth Onesie day there was just about time for one more stop and this was to Dixies, also situated near the bottom of Rue Du Bourg, who still had a live Irish band playing at 11.30pm. Here we very happily and even more merrily danced the night away to the band, even enjoying some instructed Irish group dances led by the bands’ singer. This was an absolutely great way to end the epic Onesie birthday in Morzine and I definitely recommend checking out their live band who play most evenings from 5pm.

Well after a rather lengthy report here’s a look at what’s worth checking out in the week ahead:

On Monday 2nd - Friday 6th April Morzine plays host to its’ first Basscamp Music Festival. This electronic music and snow sports festival will last for 5 days with various events taking place at venues around town. Wristbands cost €100 for the full 5 day event.

Following our great experience at Rhodos last week, we definitely recommend trying your hand at Tossing the Boss on a Wednesday night from 10pm-Midnight.

Also if you’ve been inspired by our Onsies and want a little taster before renting one for yourself, then every Monday Retro Rentals host their 80’s night at the Cavern from 9pm-2am. On entry you get to adorn yourself in a beautiful Onesie, although sadly you have to give it back on your way out again!

Well that’s all for now but we’ll be back next week with more reviews and also recommendations and information for activities going on around town during the Easter holidays. Keep enjoying this beautiful weather and as always…

Bon Après