Bar National Review

It’s not long since we told you about the fresh-faced owner of Bar National in Saint Jean d’Aulps and his ambitious hopes for the future. Craig Durkin wanted to give the bar a makeover, improve the food offering and tempt people in with fun quiz nights and special offers. He seems to be succeeding so far!

Sitting on the main street in the centre of the village, Bar National has always been a popular spot with tourists, expats and locals but in recent times had lost some of its joie de vivre, however as we sat at the bar last night (because every table was full) it was hard to imagine how that was ever the case.

In Craig’s own words, they haven’t had the cash available to do everything that they wanted to yet but are hoping that their passion to make the bar a success is enough to get the support of local people. They’ve got big hopes for the future and are always keen to share their exciting ideas with you. The bar staff are positive, helpful and welcoming and go out of their way to offer you special drinks, top up your glass and chat to you as you sit and wait for your food. They serve a delicious Scottish gin and if that’s a tipple you enjoy, it’s well worth sampling.

The team have worked hard to open up the roof terrace, which turns out to be a huge seating area with a great view out across the valley. It keeps the sun well into the late evening and has a feel very much of a rooftop bar you’d find in central London. Craig hopes that this will be a popular choice with people throughout the year and hopes to host music nights under the stars in the coming weeks. It’s a great place to enjoy an evening drink as the sun goes down and is well worth a visit if you like a chilled-out and relaxed vibe.

We visited Bar Nash on a Thursday night, which is the popular weekly quiz night. Running from 8pm until 11pm it was a fun and extremely lively evening with teams from across Morzine coming to try and win the jackpot. It’s a definite favourite with locals and expats and was really well organised by the Bar Nash team. (Even the losers went home with a prize! I’d know that because it was US!!!) This is just one of the ways Craig is hoping to tempt people in. Alongside the quiz he offers two for one pizzas on a Friday night, a special brunch pizza on a Sunday and a, bring your own meat BBQ on a Monday. They really are going out of their way to make it an extra special place to visit.

Talking of pizzas, they are NOT to be missed. I know I’ve focused a lot on the friendly nature of the bar and the staff but need to give equal weight to the amazing food on offer! The kitchen was extremely busy on the evening that we went but the quality of the pizzas didn’t suffer as a result. They were absolutely delicious. He opted for the Charcuterie Pizza which comes with cured ham and salami, plenty of cheese and tomato and a lovely smoky flavour. In his words it was “delightful and extremely meaty!” We thought it would be too big to finish but within half an hour the plate was empty. I opted for a goats cheese and pumpkin pizza, which was fantastic. The base was crispy and doughy and the sweetness from the red onions made eating the whole thing pretty easy. Their garlic mayonnaise was also to die for. The only problem was I was concentrating so much on the quiz that I couldn’t really savour the flavours. Oh well. I’ll just have to go back and try it again! They’re priced at between 9 and 15€.

I really advise visiting Bar Nash and giving their pizzas a go. It’s clear that this local business really wants to bring something special to Saint Jean d’Aulps and the local area and is going out of their way to make it the local favourite.

We always feel welcome and will definitely be going back for more quiz fun and pizza action. Hopefully next time we’ll be a little more successful and not go home with the booby prize. It’s a definite thumbs up for Craig and his team and for everything that they’re trying to do. If you’re looking for a place to go to meet new people, try tasty food and drink and have a laugh, this place is just what you’re looking for.