Les Arcs - eat, drink, party

Mountain restaurants

One of the most popular mountain dining spots in the whole Arcs domain is Les Chalets de l’Arc (00 33 4 79 04 15 40), up at Arc 2000. The restaurant is a traditional wooden chalet decked out with cowbells, stuffed animals and crackling open fires. They bake their own bread and chaussons, a large, bready Cornish pasty stuffed with cabbage, sausage and Beaufort cheese. The vats of bubbling tartiflette are excellent too. It has a sunny terrace too but is enormously popular so expect to wait for your food.

A must visit is Belliou La Fumée (00 33 479 07 29 13), a 15th century mountain hunting lodge built for Italy’s Victor Emmanuel. Cosy venue and hearty food cooked over the fire.

L’Ancolie (00 33 4 79 079 320) in the village of Nancroix is a real treat. For around (gulp) €35 a head for lunch, you can munch on rustic terrines, pork cheek and locally foraged mushrooms and berries in a very romantic setting. To get here, book a guide to take you on the off-piste Rosset route down to the restaurant. Take it easy and then get the shuttle bus back to the lift (check the timetable before you dine). Reservations essential.

Restaurants in town

There are many good value restaurants in all of the resorts so finding a pizzeria or Savoyard restaurant is not a problem.

If you have skied the 7km long run down from the Aiguille Rouge to the hamlet of Villaroger, you deserve to stop off at the cosy La Ferme in La Pré de Villaroger for a fondue. In Arc 1950, try the Northern Italian specialities in the restaurant of Chalet de Luigi. Up at Arc 2000, the Red Rock Cafe serves good burgers and chips.

Après-ski and nightlife

Les Arcs has a reputation for being a little quiet at night which is undeserved. It’s not on the scale of a Val d’Isère but there are some lively bars.

Arc 1800 is the liveliest of the bunch and much of the noise comes from the Red Hot Saloon in the Villards quarter of the resort. It has long happy hours, live music, dancing and fast food.

Most nights, there is live rock or pop music at L’Ambiente Cafe from 10pm. Earlier on in the evening the bar runs après-ski happy hours from 4 till 6 when you get a pint for the price of a half. If you want to dance till the morning, the best bet is Le Carré.

In 1950, Les Belles Pintes is the place for a few good pints; an Irish bar on the snow. Up at Arc 2000, the liveliest place is El Latino Loco – head there for live music and fantastic fajitas. Nearby, Chalet de Luigi has a cool bar downstairs.