Morzine Apres Ski Report: 27th February 2012

We’ve had a very busy and fun few weeks with various family members coming out to stay with us. Being good hosts this of course means we’ve just had to show them the best that Morzine has to offer and luckily for us they were keen to show their appreciation by taking us for a few wonderful dinners.

One culinary delight that definitely deserves to be raved about is Le Clin D’Oeil. It is situated along Route du Plan, which is the road that leads down to the post office and main Carrefour supermarket from the roundabout by the church at the bottom of town. The restaurant is not only cosy and intimate but also very smart looking and the staff are incredibly friendly and helpful. Even though it was a full house on the night we went, Kristel (one of the joint owners) still took time to talk to us and help us chose suitable wines to accompany our dishes.

It’s not often that you go to a restaurant and don’t seem to be able to stop talking about how good it is…even before you’ve been served your main course! But for us this was it, all three courses were superb and every dish was cooked to perfection. Our only sadness was the realisation that we wouldn’t be able to go back there for another three course meal soon enough on our seasonnaires budget! However for an excellent meal out it is still reasonably priced and in line with the majority of decent Morzine restaurants, with a fillet steak priced at €22 and a traditional Tartiflette at €17. They also do some duck specialities from south west France which look delicious. All in all we really can’t recommend this place highly enough and it’s now our new number one in town.

To make the most of the glorious afternoon sunshine and to avoid the half-term crowds, we took our family up Mont Chery for some skiing and well deserved lunch. Having heard some very good things about La Grande Ourse, a family run two-part restaurant, situated at the top of the main two man chairlift, we tried our luck at the main upstairs restaurant. Unfortunately they were fully booked but we managed to get a table in the downstairs part of the restaurant called the Italienne, which was newly opened for the 2011-12 season. Service is from the bar and the menu includes a host of tasty pizzas and pastas, making it great for a more laid back informal mountain lunch.

La Grand Ourse is situated at an impressive altitude of 1750 metres and has stunning views of the surrounding mountains and most notably Mont Blanc. With its large outdoor terrace and cosy interior this place really is worth a visit one sunny lunchtime, although to avoid disappointment it’s probably best to book ahead. The main restaurant also hosts a weekly hog roast on a Sunday and is open on Wednesday to Friday evenings for dinner. This price is €85 per person and includes a 5 course meal, glass of champagne and a return journey to and from Les Gets town on their personal piste basher…rather a cool way to start the evening!

In order to show our family that Morzine has more to offer than just bars and restaurants, we went to check out the Morzine-Avoriaz Penguins as they took on ice hockey rivals Strasbourg. With it being half term the stadium was packed and the atmosphere was fantastic. It didn’t take long for things to get going when the Penguins scored in the 7th minute and the drums, horns and cheers went crazy. We weren’t disappointed with the rest of the match as we managed to score a further two goals in the final third to storm a 3-0 victory. This proved to be another very entertaining match and our family loved it too.

In between all the skiing and eating we managed to discover a new bar in town called the White Monkey. Tucked down a small walkway off the main street Taille de mas du Pleney, which runs from the Pleney lifts down to the tourist office, this bar is far less touristy than many others in town. It’s very chilled with some good music and cosy wooden booths for groups. They also have a daily happy hour from 4-6pm where Grolsch and Peroni are €4 a pint amongst other offers. Since finding this hidden gem we’ve already been back a few times and it won’t be long until we’re there again.

So here’s a look at what’s coming up this week in town:

• On Thursday from 5pm both the Cavern and Tibetan Bar have live music.
• On Friday night from 7pm Sherpa has its weekly Stacks and Snow Offs night. This You’ve been Framed style night provides good entertainment, even if it is at others’ expense! Sherpa also host their pub quiz on Sunday from 9pm.
• If you’re craving an English roast then head to Rhodos on Sunday.
• Or check out their Open Mic Night on Monday from 5pm where you’re free to test out your own vocals or just watch instead.
• Lastly, as we’re in the midst of the Six Nations rugby series, Dixies is always a good bet for you to catch all your sporting favourites with a bar packed full of Tv’s and good selection of beers.

Well that’s all for another week in Morzine. Enjoy the wonderful sunshine which is set to continue for the rest of the week and as always… Bon Après