Morzine Apres Ski Report: 16th February 2012

This week heralded the arrival of some of our family to Morzine so we decided to go for a nice meal out in town and picked Le Grange as we have had a lot of good recommendations for this place. It is located on Chemin de la Couttetaz which is the road directly behind Rue du Bourg. Having walked past a few times and looked in the window we have wanted to go here for some time as it looks so cosy inside with low lighting and rustic farm tools on the wall. As well as the normal Savoyard fair we have come to expect in Morzine restaurants, they also have some great specialities on the menu which we have not seen on many menu’s around town. We can personally recommend the Pork medallions and also the Potee de Savoyard (but make sure you are hungry if you order this!). A great restaurant for a cosy evening for two and also for small groups as well.

As a one off culinary experience, we were also treated by our family to the degustation (tasting) menu at L’Atelier which is part of the Hotel Le Samoyede right on the tourist office square. This, as a seasonnaire, is something that we would not normally be able to afford. What a treat! The tasting menu and matching wines for each of the 7 delicious courses was as you can imagine absolutely amazing and with some extra drinks thrown in in between courses and coffee at the end, it actually turned out to be more like 10 courses, including not just a cheese board…a cheese trolley!

The restaurant itself is very tastefully decorated with low lighting and classy looking tables but one thing that makes this restaurant stand out from others in town is the service. Really attentive and informative staff explaining all of the wines we were offered and also very accommodating when one of our diners could not eat fish so offered us roasted quail and pork belly instead of the 2 fish courses. If you are looking for a real gastronomic experience in Morzine then this is the place to go, an unforgettable experience.

For our mountainside recommendation this week we have a real treasure, La Paika. A friend was in town who lived in Morzine for 12 years so he took us to a hidden gem of a restaurant mid way down the Turche button lift on the far side of Les Gets. The first thing you are greeted with is its outdoor barbecue (despite it snowing) roasting pork shanks and then you open the door to the most amazing display of cakes and desserts. It is worth just walking in and then out of this place just to see the choux pastry swans! Of course, there was only one thing to go for…the pork shank on the barbecue and it really was good. We could not leave without trying the desserts so we tried the Tarte au pomme and the Tarte au framboise with crème anglaise…say no more. Needless to say it was a little more difficult to ski back home after such a huge and delicious lunch!

Last Saturday saw the first competition on the stade slope of Pleney with the Rock the Race taking place. There was a bigger than usual party outside the Tremplin and lots of revellers despite the -16 temperature in town, and we were there too. Unfortunately, we did not stay for the end of the competition as our fingers and toes were completely frozen but keep an eye out for these events as they are a great spectacle to watch and definitely a good alternative around town.

Here’s a look at some events coming up this week and next to look out for:

• Thursday 16th Feb - Night skiing on the Pleney slope, 8pm - 10pm.
• Friday 17th Feb - Morzine-Avoriaz Penguins vs. Strasbourg at the Palais du sport, 8:30pm. Tickets available from Tourist office in advance or on the door on the night. Adults €15, Children €10.
• Friday 17th Feb - Sledge race! Race down the sledge run at the Mas Verjus Slope and try to beat the speed record!. Lots of prizes up for grabs, just turn up and have a go for free. Those wishing to participate should bring a sledge.
• Tuesday 21st Feb - Les Echallas, live Jazz music in the streets. Office du Tourisme at 4:30pm

That’s all for this week folks, enjoy the great snow, try not to get too annoyed about the lift queues and most importantly, bon après!