The traditional fondue is surely one of the most enjoyable ways to eat together in a group.
Best fondue in La Plagne
Celebrate the enduring relationship between cheese and skiing
Fondue typically requires at least two diners, though it’s often enjoyed in larger groups. It features melted, seasoned cheese, usually Emmental and Gruyère, served with bread, vegetables, and charcuterie for dipping. A staple of French mountain culture, it’s perfect in winter after skiing, with options like traditional cheese fondue or meat-based Fondue Bourguignon.
Our top tips for enjoying fondue
- maybe try a fondue at lunchtime rather than in the evening to avoid hot sweats and broken sleep as you metabolise all that cheese
- pimp up your fondue with a side of charcuterie and salad, mostly known as the “Fondue Complet”
- if you're in a group of four, try two different types of fondue between you as most restaurants offer fondues for a minimum of two people sharing
- according to the locals, you should drink white wine and not red with your fondue. Savoie whites, e.g. Aprémont or Rousette, have the necessary acidity to aid digestion
- don’t drink water with your meal - it solidifies the cheese and makes it harder to digest
- agree in advance on the forfeit if you drop your bread into the cheese: the French generally have to buy the next bottle of wine, whereas British forfeits are often less civilised, and generally involve doing something embarrassing
Enjoy!
Top Fondue Spots
Le Matafan Restaurant
A brasserie-restaurant serving Savoyard food located right in the centre of resort, accessible by foot or on skis
Open for lunch and dinner, the Matafan restaurant is in Belle Plagne.
It serves traditional Savoyarde food and is recommended for good grilled meats. Set menus are available. The restaurant is cosy with an open fireplace and a large terrace at the foot of the pistes.
They are open during the winter and summer seasons, non-stop from 11:30 to 22:00.
Chalet de la Grande Rochette Restaurant
Mountain restaurant accessible to skiers and pedestrians conveniently located at the top of the Funiplagne lift
Easy to get to on skis, snowboard, or on foot.
On good weather days you can bask in the sun on the south-facing terrace. Why not grab a deckchair for a post-lunch snooze? At an altitude of 2,500m, the view is exceptional. There is also a cosy dining room with a log fire for days when the weather is more wintery.
The menu offers plenty of options: lighter dishes such as salads and omelettes, or heartier fare such as grilled meats, burgers, tartiflette and other Savoyard specialities. There are also tempting desserts and a children's menu.
They are open seven days a week throughout the winter season, open evenings on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Le Forperet Restaurant
A mountain restaurant above Montalbert serving traditional local specialities
This wonderful farmhouse restaurant up on the mountain boasts lots of Alpine character and great views of Mont Blanc.
Dine on the terrace for either lunch or dinner. Regional Savoyard cuisine such as cheese fondue, meat pierrade, tartiflette, salads, soups, omelettes and snacks. Yummy desserts include chocolate fondue and blueberry pie.
A free mini bus provides easy access from Longefoy and Montalbert. In summer and winter they have a small farm which is open to the public.
Non-stop service from 09:30 to 19:00. In the evenings open by reservation only.
La Face Nord Restaurant
Traditional French restaurant at the foot of the slopes serving fondues and local specialties
A cosy traditional French Savoyard restaurant in the centre of Belle Plagne.
Named after the famous off-piste run on the Bellecôte glacier, you can have breakfast, lunch and dinner in their modern dining room or on the heated terrace.
Try their 100% French breakfast with traditional pastries or the savoury Savoyard breakfast, enjoy a quick lunch with their burgers, salads and pastas, or a more lazy one with one of their fondues, pierrade, potée Savoyarde and home-made desserts. They also offer après-ski drinks and a gourmet Savoyard and French dinner menu.
There is a childrens' menu, and they organise themed evenings.
L'Arlequin Restaurant
A popular French cuisine restaurant at the foot of Aime La Plagne
Their wide ranging menu offers a great range of pizzas and local Savoyard specialities like raclette, fondue and tartiflette. The décor is as much a part of the experience as the food, and the warm welcome from owners Monique and Georges makes it popular with locals and holidaymakers alike. Specialities include creamy risotto with morille mushrooms, Parma ham and scamorza cheese, egg duo with truffle, Rossini beef, scallops with chorizo and aubergines, salmon and beef tartare, or creamy tartiflette.
They also offer chef Benjamin Villain very own menus with the signature dish of the restaurant, La Potence, beef or prawns flambées with whisky or pastis. Unusual twists on classic French dishes and international touches makes this a memorable dining experience - for all the right reasons.
Open every day from 11:00 to 22:30.
Le Chalet des Colosses Restaurant
Local specialities and international cuisine located close to the Bellecôte pistes
Find it just above the gondola and close to the ice rink - look out for the red phone box.
Chalet des Colosses has a varied menu of local delicacies and is very much famed for its food and reputation.
The views are great looking directly up the mountain or over to Bellecôte itself and the Arpette chair in the distance. Unlike the majority of other businesses and eateries in Bellecôte, the Chalet is separate to the main structure, sitting up the hill a little from the main Roche de Mio gondola station.
They serve a mixed international menu including vegetarian options and curries, as well as traditional mountain dishes such as fondue, raclette or pierrade.
There is also a small ice rink by the restaurant to start burning off those cheese calories.
Open in winter and summer for breakfast, lunch and dinner
La Marmotte Qui Fume Restaurant
Restaurant located in 'the ship' gallery in Aime 2000 with homemade, locally sourced dishes
Favoured one of the best restaurants in the Aime 2000 gallery, it's a great location for dinner if you're staying locally. Elevated in the resort, enjoy excellent sunset views over the mountains and valley below as you eat.
The menu is home-made and full of locally-sourced products, with a speciality for local Savoyarde options such as raclette, fondue or pierrade. There are also plenty more internationally-inspired plates and traditional French meat and fish dishes. Delicious home-made deserts and an excellent cocktail menu will complete your meal nicely.
Enjoy your meal in the cosy and laid-back restaurant atmosphere, enjoying views over the mountains.
The friendly owners and front of house staff will give you a warm welcome and an excellent, professional service.
Open summer and winter.
Le Grizzli Restaurant
Cosy atmosphere in this wooden ski chalet serving local dishes in front of a roaring log fire
It is recommended by locals for its hearty Savoyard dishes and meats grilled over the open fireplace.
It’s well known across the resort for its excellent food and warm, cosy ambience. In particular, the cheese fondue here is delicious and the staff are always welcoming and friendly. Located at the foot of the Plagne Village ski slopes, this restaurant is specialised in raclette, Savoyard fondue with Beaufort cheese, tartiflette and cold meats. They also serve selected meat cuts grilled over the open fire and there is a children's menu. Their wine list is extensive and includes local Savoy wines, as well a selection from Côtes du Rhone, Burgundy and Bordeaux.
Plagne Villages is probably the quietest of all the La Plagne satellites, so this restaurant can get surprisingly busy, particularly in the early evening as there’s really not much else by way of places to go in Villages.
Open in winter from 11:30 to 14:00 and from 18:00 to 22:00. Booking in advance is highly recommended to avoid disappointment.
Au Coin du Feu Restaurant
Traditional Alpine restaurant serving flame-grilled meats, traditional cooking within a cosy atmosphere
You'll find modern décor and food that is a bit more sophisticated that the usual "steak-frites".
Open for lunch and dinner, this restaurant offers a hearty menu of traditional French cuisine such as escargots (snails cooked in garlic butter), roasted bone marrow, duck, gratin dauphinois (creamy potato gratin) and beef grilled over an open flame.
Slightly more expensive than your average omelette and chips restaurant, but no more than you'd expect for a good quality meal in a ski resort.
Definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area, it’s located above the Cinq à Siete bar in the middle of the village and is open daily throughout the winter. It's worth noting that this restaurant is small and can get very busy, as it’s one of the few places in the relatively quiet Plagne Soleil to enjoy a night out. You are best advised to book early to avoid possible disappointment.
Le Plan Bois "Chez Laurette" Restaurant
Typical Savoyard mountain restaurant near to the top of the Lac Noir gondola
They serve traditional specialities as well as children's menus. Alpine and country skiers, as well as pedestrians can access the place.
This very quiet altitude restaurant located at about 500 meters from the arrival of the Lac Noir gondola and Plan Bois lift is connected to the Pierres Blanches lift, the Vanoise Express and Montchavin Les Coches.
Open from late December to late April in winter, and in the summer season.
La Taverne du Monchu Restaurant
Savoyard restaurant with large south-facing terrace and good atmosphere
Enjoy the terrace at this Les Coches restaurant, which serves local Savoyard dishes such as cheese fondue, raclette and tartiflette.
Many of the dishes are made with local ingredients such as Alpine cheese and wild mushrooms, freshly prepared seasonal produce.
Open every day from 08:00 to 01:00. Great place to enjoy lunch, apres-ski or dinner.
Chez Marie Restaurant
Cosy French restaurant and crêperie full of traditional Alpine charm
A cosy restaurant decorated in wood and sheepskin serving traditional local specialities.
They offer a range of Savoyard specialities, including raclette, fondue and steaks, as well as range sweet and savoury pancakes and galettes with lots of fillings.
Open for lunch and dinner daily throughout the winter season.
Make your own fondue
If you've been inspired whilst eating out in resort and fancy giving it a go yourselves, hosting your own fondue night can be fun. Everything you need is readily available in town and if your accommodation doesn't have a fondue set tucked away somewhere, most supermarkets and épiceries - shops selling local farm produce - will loan you a set if you buy the cheese from them.
The supermarkets are cheaper but the specialist épiceries and cheese shops will offer a better choice of good-quality, local cheese. You can find plenty of recipes online but the method is fairly simple and yummy - so get stuck in.
