Val Cenis Mountain Restaurants
Val Cenis is not a place for long, languid boozy mountain lunches. Val Cenis has relatively few mountain restaurants, but that said, all are charming in their own way, and they all offer something different.Mountain restaurants in Lanslevillard
As with most things in Val Cenis, Lanslevillard has the most to offer. The two mountain restaurants in the ski area above Lanslevillard not only have the most ambience, they serve the best food too.
La Fema (Tel: +33 4 79 05 90 98) at the top of the Vieux Moulin gondola is also accessible for hikers. The outside terrace at La Fema begins to trap the afternoon sun in late February. Before then, the terrace can be cold, but inside there is a clean, if not a little Spartan, dining area with good views down the valley towards Bonneval. For those skiers who like to indulge in a Chartreuse or Genepi between runs, La Fema also has its own bar. La Fema daily specials include Pot au Feu and roast rack of lamb, but it also caters at the cheaper end, with generous portions of spaghetti as well as salads. The buffet also offers a decent cheeseboard and dessert trolley – the wild strawberry tart is divine.
La Ranova (Tel: +33 668 407 5001) off the six-man Arcelle chairlift is extremely cosy – all exposed stone, wood and a wood burner – and worth visiting in to enjoy the sun terrace with soaring views of the valley up to the Dent Parachee. La Ranova menu is small, with entrecȏte and dish of the day for carnivores, as well as bowls of pasta for under €10 and a choice of meat or cheese fondues.
La Crêpe des Glaces (Tel +33 618 078 784) is barely out of Lanslevillard village, but it’s the perfect place to stop for a quick vin chaude and a pancake if you are a beginner and have just tackled the 10km long L’Escargot green run. It’s also got a good view of the main mountain, but the downside is that it doesn’t get much sun and is often in the shade.
Fleurs et Neiges (Tel: +33 4 79 05 93 34) on Rue des Rochers is a bar restaurant at the base of the Lanslevillard slopes offering a wide selection of snack food, but for those who just want a fill up on the cheap, their steak haché baguette with chips needs to be seen to be believed. The bar also has Wifi access.
Pub Bowling Le 1480 (Tel: +33 4 79 05 21 87) is similar to Fleurs et Neige but cheaper. The menu boasts pizza, sausages, crêpes and ice-creams. It also has a terrace, and is at the foot of the slopes in Lanslevillard. It probably also comes the closest to what might be described as après ski in the whole of Val Cenis.
Mountain restaurants in Lanslebourg
Bar Le Refuge (Tel: +33 4 79 05 82 49) at the top of the Ramasse chairlift lies is not much more than a bar, but it is by far the best place to trap the afternoon sun on a mountain that rarely sees it. The sun hits the terrace just after noon, and the prices of drinks there are extremely reasonable. Inside, it is cosy and rustic, with Himalayan Buddhist prayer flags adorning the bar and the simple eating area. Snacks include soup, and fries with just about everything – ham, sausages, eggs, cheese.
Relais du Col (Tél: +33 4 79 59 47 84) is a mountain restaurant set against a backdrop of the Lac du Mont Cenis and nestled amid stunning scenery that looks out over Italy. If you are a guest at Le Relais des Deux Cols in Lanslebourg, you get your lunch here as part of your full-board lodging. Le Relais du Col also acts as a refuge, but you need to book.
Mountain restaurants in Termignon
L’Arole (Tel: +33 4 79 20 53 57) in Termignon is the cheapest mountain restaurant in Val Cenis. The L’Arole sits at the top of the Roches Blanches chair at the base of Termignon’s intermediate section off Le Grand Coin. It’s a basic place to go, with good value omelettes, steak haché and even paella. It has an outside terrace as well as a 270 degree glass-fronted section with views of the ubiquitous Dent Parachee for eating inside.
L’Escale (Tel: +33 4 79 20 46 29) near the bottom of the Girarde chairlift at the base of the Termignon ski area is the most accessible place for skiers to get a proper lunch in Termignon. The restaurant has an open terrace, a covered terrace and a dining room inside and offers four or five different pasta dishes, salads, bruchettas, savoury galettes and four meat dishes, as well as a choice of hamburgers.
Petit Ferme II (Tel: +33 4 79 20 53 80), opposite L’Escale, offers the usual selection of pizzas, as well as a few Savoyard specialities. It’s conveniently close to the pistes and is a decent place to have lunch in Termignon.