The 14 best restaurants in La Plagne
There’s no shortage of places to eat in La Plagne, with good options spread across the resort’s 11 different villages and on the slopes.
While the majority of menus stick to traditional Savoyard dishes (tartiflette, fondue and raclette are a French ski holiday staple after all), there are a handful that offer more varied options. L’Alpina celebrates the best of local and Italian cuisine; Le Chalet du Plan Bois serves home-style French cooking; and the cuisine at Le Chalet du Bresson is inspired by co-owner Monique’s grandmother. For a meal with a view, you can’t go wrong with Chalet des Verdons Sud above Champagny; its south-facing terrace offers front-row seats of the Vanoise glaciers.
For further La Plagne inspiration, see our guides to the resort's best accommodation and après ski.
Find a restaurant by location
In resort
Joya
Proof, if needed, that reblochon cheese makes the best burger topping can be found in Joya, a modern, light-filled restaurant, deli and wine cellar in the heart of Plagne Centre.
The convivial space keeps its menu deliberately small, choosing to focus on local and seasonal produce. Its burgers are the star attraction, but its sandwiches and soups are also good. If beef is not your thing, then Joya also flips a mean vegetarian and vegan burger. Make sure to leave room for dessert and cross your fingers that the salted caramel-filled chocolate bombs are on the menu.
Price: £-££
Contact: joya-laplagne.com
Le Chalet de La Roche
Chalet de la Roche sits in Plagne 1800, at the foot of the bobsleigh track that was built for the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympic Games. If you do harbour Olympic ambitions, then the restaurant is best visited after you have whizzed around the 19 dizzying icy bends rather than before.
Inside, the decor is traditional Savoyard with black-and-white ski photos on the walls, but it’s the large, sun-filled terrace that’s the clincher. The menu is Italian-Savoyard and you’ll be hard pressed to find better pizzas in town. Other favourites include tagliatelle with porcini mushroom and generous portions of tartiflette.
Price: £-££
Contact: chaletdelaroche.f
La Spatule
Cosy and convivial, the small, family-run La Spatule is the place to go for comfort food. It is particularly popular for its sweet crêpes and savoury galette (the chef is a master crêpier). The latter comes packed with a variety of fillings, from traditional ham, egg and cheese (a “galette complète”) to spinach, mushrooms and more.
If you’re a fan of ceps, wild mushrooms, then you can’t leave La Plagne without ordering a caquelon of gooey cep fondue; it’s easily one of the best in town. Treat yourself to a banana chocolate crêpe for dessert; it might not be traditionally French, but it is wickedly good.
Price: £-££
Contact: la-plagne.com/sortir-a-la-plagne/restaurants/la-spatule
L’Autrefoy
The tiny traditional Savoyard village of Longefoy sits near the slopes of Plagne Montalbert, a small cluster of houses home to a church, a bakery and now an excellent deli, café and restaurant.
Housed within an old cheese storage from the 1930s, L’Autrefoy has a shop selling local produce, a snug bar housed within the old Beaufort cellar, and an upstairs restaurant open for dinners (reservations are essential). The seasonal menu is a delight and, depending on when you visit, may include creme brûlée with ceps, roasted wild boar, salmon tartare or cabbages stuffed with vegetables on a porcini mushroom risotto.
Price: £-££
Contact: 0033 045755 9024; instagram.com/lautrefoy
Le Matafan
Le Matafan has been serving hungry skiers for decades – it was the first bar-diner in Belle-Plagne when the resort opened for its first season in 1980/81. Named after the potato pancake that farmers would eat for lunch (usually with chunks of reblochon or slices of beaufort cheese), the word means “to keep the hunger away”.
Meals at Le Matafan are today a little more sophisticated: think salmon tartare on cucumber and avocado or cauliflower and ginger soup, but at its heart this is still very much a Savoyard restaurant, and generous charcuterie boards, fondues and raclettes remain firm fan favourites.
Price: £-££
Contact: lematafan.fr
L’Alpina – ‘Il Ristorante’
One of the prettiest villages in the La Plagne ski area is also home to one of the resort’s best restaurants. Italian chef Andrea helms an extensive menu that celebrates the best of Italian and Savoyard cuisine.
For starters, there’s a trio of steak tartare served with truffles, Italian-style and classic alongside French onion soup. Standouts among the main dishes include homemade pasta served with duck or alla norma (tomato sauce with aubergine and ricotta). Souris d’agneau and beef ribs also make an appearance alongside traditional fondue and raclette. Make sure to leave room for dessert; the tiramisu is top notch.
Price: £-££
Contact: clubalpina.com/fr/restaurant
Expédition
The light-filled Expédition has been making waves in the La Plagne restaurant scene ever since it first opened, thanks to its fresh take on mountain dining. The young, dynamic duo in charge are hugely passionate about using the best local produce. They are particularly fond of fresh truffles that they source in Piedmont and use in everything from crêpes to burgers. Particularly popular is the Expédition sharing platter dictated by what’s in season – possible contenders are burrata, fresh prawns and foie gras. Make sure to order the focaccia, said to be based on the best recipe in Italy.
Price: ££
Contact: expeditionrestaurantaime2000.webnode.fr
La Table du Carlina
Ski boots and salopettes are welcome at lunchtime when dining on the huge, south-facing terrace, but you will want to slip into something a little less casual if visiting La Table du Carlina for dinner. Located within the four-star, slopeside Carlina Hotel, this white-tablecloth restaurant is one of La Plagne’s finest dining options. This is the place to come for a plate of plump escargot or an elegant vitello tonnato followed by tender veal chops or an expertly cooked steak served with a silky béarnaise or tangy pepper sauce.
Price: £££
Contact: carlina-belleplagne.com
On the mountain
Le Friolin
Tucked away in the valley of Les Bauches at 1,800m is the friendly Chalet du Friolin restaurant that also doubles as a B&B with mountain views from each of its four wood-panelled bedrooms.
Lined with cherry-red deckchairs and communal dining tables, the large terrace is a joy when the sun is shining, but the inside dining room is equally welcoming, with comfy sofas and a large roaring fire. Highlights on the menu – a mix of traditional and contemporary cuisine – include its speciality, tartiflette pan-fried snails served with a bleu de bonneval cheese sauce.
Price: ££
Contact: lechaletdufriolin.fr
Closest lift/piste: Les Bauches/Montchavin les Coches
Le Chalet du Plan Bois Chez Laurette
There’s a wonderful sense of history at Le Chalet du Plan Bois Chez Laurette. It was originally built by Lucien, the grandfather of the current owner, who wanted somewhere to meet, drink wine and play pétanque with his friends. Today it is a charming restaurant decorated much like a family home. Guests are invited to kick off their ski boots, put on a pair of slippers and tuck into hearty local dishes.
The menu changes with the seasons, but winter options typically include artisanal charcuteries, roast chicken with a mustard sauce and diots (local sausages) served with crozets (local square-shaped pasta).
Price: ££
Contact: lechaletduplanbois.com
Closest lift/piste: L’ecureuil/Mont Blanc
Le Chalet des Verdons Sud
Plenty of La Plagne’s restaurants come with blockbuster views, but few can compete with those at Le Chalet des Verdons Sud. Perched at a lofty 2,000m, this authentic mountain chalet enjoys a wide, south-facing terrace and panoramic views of the magnificent Vanoise glaciers.
Open seven days a week for lunch and one evening every week for dinner (reservations essential), the restaurant serves traditional Savoyard cuisine – just what you need to get you back down the mountain. If, however, a tartiflette is going to hinder rather than help your descent, then opt for a quick bite from the snack bar instead.
Price: £££
Contact: 0033 6 44 36 56 57; la-plagne.com
L’Arpette
Skiers looking to refuel and hit the slopes should take advantage of the self-service section at mountain restaurant L’Arpette, where poke bowls, Thai salads and Savoyard specialities are on offer.
If, however, you’re keen to loosen your boots for a while, then pick a table on the sun-filled terrace, popular for its mighty mountain views. On colder days, take refuge inside, surrounded by ski memorabilia, and order something a little heartier. Popular mountain food dominates the menu (pasta, steaks, chicken wings), but it’s all cooked to order and very tasty.
Price: ££
Contact: 73210 La Plagne
Closest lift/piste: Arpette/Arpette
Le Chalet du Bresson/Versant du Soleil
The story behind Le Chalet du Bresson is nearly as satisfying as the food that it serves. This old mountain chalet, at the crossroads of several hiking and snowshoeing trails, was rescued by three friends, who transformed the tired mountain hut into a storybook chalet specialising in traditional French cuisine.
The menu is inspired by family recipes from co-owner Monique’s grandmother, and is served in large sharing platters. Specialities include large bowls of piping hot pot-au-feu (beef stew), oversized bowls of steaming pasta, and make-it-yourself beef tartare.
Price: ££
Contact: facebook.com/Chalet-du-Bresson
Closest lift/piste: Located in the Versant du Soleil, access via snowshoe
Le Forperet
When it comes to sourcing local produce, you can’t get closer to home than at Le Forperet. This mountain restaurant has its own mini farm, where it produces the cheese used in many of its Savoyard specialities, including the zingy cider-cheese blend served as a fondue.
The lunch menu is designed to get you back on the slopes as quickly as possible – think croque monsieur sandwiches, omelettes and burgers. Dinner, on the other hand, is for tucking into tartiflette, magret de canard and juicy steaks. Le Forperet runs a free evening mini-bus service between the restaurant and Longefoy and Montalbert. Reservations essential.
Price: ££
Contact: forperet.com
Closest lift/piste: Le Gentil/Le Gentil
