Best restaurants in the Portes Du Soleil – Around the Portes Du Soleil in 6 local traditional dishes

Why 6 dishes? Most of our guests come for 6 skis days so that is 6 lunches. In our catered chalets we cover breakfast and dinner however, what about the lunches? We have a lot of foodie guests so I thought this might be a popular post.

#1 Rosti. A Swiss dish. A bit like a potato pancake often served with local toppings.

Le Relais Panoramique, Les Crosets (1a) specialises in rosti and has an award-winning chef however the access is a little tricky since it is a short path off piste, then a bit of a pole push to get back to the piste. We are sure you would find it worth it however for ease of access and equally delicious, is Chez Gaby, Champoussin (1b). Justifiably mentioned in most guidebooks. You have to walk through the main restaurant to get to the rosti restaurant. Enjoy!

#2 Raclette. A Swiss dish. Raclette means to scrape and in this case, it means to scrape delicious melted cheese typically over potatoes. Yum!

Since there is a World Raclette Championship, it makes sense to recommend some of the winners that you can ski to! La Ferme a Gaby, Champoussin (2) came 3rd and is a lovely visit. It is a working farm that even has a little museum on the top floor! We highly recommend accompanying your raclette with a glass of Fendant, a local dry Swiss white wine and Steph’s and Dom’s favourite.

#3 Fondue. A Swiss dish. Fondue means melted, and in this case a blend of melted cheeses. Served in a cauldron-like bowl over a heat source like an open flame. Accompanied by squares of bread and a fork to dip into the communal pot.

There are many blends from motie-motie meaning half and half consisting of the Swiss cheeses Gruyère and Vacherin. To a regional French variation – Savoyarde which has the French cheeses – Comté, Beaufort and a French equivalent of Gruyère like Abodance.

The Alpage Du Caux, Morgins (3) serves ‘Oui Pa pa’ the 2019 World Champion so would seem like a GREAT place to start 🙂 We have yet to try it and you will want to check the menu on their Facebook page in advance as they do update the menu regularly. In any case it is a beautiful building to visit.

The Frutiere, Morzine (3b) makes their own cheeses so is a good place to start. One of our favourites is also La Grenouille du Marais, Morzine (3c).

The dish has been around since 1700 so has become steeped into folklore such as the forfeit for losing one’s bread in the pot varies from running a lap of the outside of the restaurant … naked, to in ‘Asterix in Switzerland’ a character is sentenced to be drowned in Lake Geneva after losing his third piece of bread! Another etiquette is always stirring in a figure of 8. Often it is recommended to only drink alcohol with Fondue as allegedly it helps cut through the cheese.

#4 Beignets. A French dish. Deep fried, crispy, grated potato batter. Nom, nom, nom!

I love a good beignet. They do vary from good to great. They are a real labour of love as they are very time-consuming to make so you don’t often find them on a menu. In the summer hands down the Freterolle Farm, Morzine makes a great beignet however in winter the farm is submerged in snow! So we can work together on this one to find a great winter beignet, I have seen them on the menu at The Grand Cry, Les Gets (4) under the name local name rapin.

#5 Saucisse au choux. A French regional speciality. Sausage with cabbage in this case cooked over an open flame.

We love anying BBQed. Not the most common method for cooking in the winter so when you do find a restaurant utilising open flame it is real treat. Chez Nanon, Nyon (5) is a lovely retreat. Also famed for their patate au reblochon, they are the only place that we know that serve saucisse aux choux.

#6 Potence and incidentally also grolle. A French dish. Potence meaning gallows. Consists of a spiked bell shape (cloche) suspended by a gallow over an open flame. Meat is then put on the spikes and often flambeed at the table.

The dish is a real spectacle and quite a rare find. L’Etale, Morzine (6) does a great all you can eat Potence. And also serve the even rarer grolle. Grolle is a mutli spouted mostly ornately carved wooden bowl. Traditionally filled with a fiery mixture of coffee, liquor and citrus. Each person has their own spout. The bowl is passed from person to person, with thumbs over neighbouring holes to stop spilling. Of ancient origin, legend say the bowl must not touch the table once started, always be passed in the same direction and turned the same way. Cheers!

Closing thoughts would be – Tartiflette a dish of baked potatoes and cream which is perhaps most of the most popular regional dishes. And saucisse de veau, a Swiss veal sausage. Bon appetite!