If you’re looking for a rave, you’ll be hard-pressed in this relaxed, family-friendly resort. However, for a few quiet beers after a long day’s skiing (perhaps combined with a trip to the spa), Saint-Gervais is the perfect spot.

Mountain restaurants

You’ll find dozens of excellent eateries on the slopes of Mont d’Arbois, with most offering Savoyard classics like tartiflette and crêpes.

Perhaps the biggest culinary news for Saint-Gervais's slopes came with the reopening of the celebrated Relais des Communailles, nestled in the forest at the foot of the Communailles gondola. Now under Belgian ownership (with a fantastic range of Belgian beers to match), Le Relais des Communailles’s terrace and grill is the perfect spot for a family meal and a great venue for private events.

Sous les Freddy's, just below the Bettex Arbois lift, is as convenient as it’s cute, offering local charcuterie and potato fritters. On a sunny day, the views of Mont Blanc from the terrace are some of the best in Saint-Gervais, while in whiteout conditions there’s a large log burner for you to cosy up to with a mug of hot chocolate.

Towards Saint-Nicolas, Le Gouet is a great place to enjoy lunch halfway up the mountain, offering great food at fair prices on its panoramic terrace. Try l’Assiette Savoyarde with a pint of Brasserie du Mont Blanc beer for a smorgasbord of authentic Alpine flavours.

Photo: Boris Molinier

Restaurants in town

As with its accommodation, Saint-Gervais provides a good range of dining experiences to suit all tastes and budgets.

For fast food at no cost to flavour, Pizzeria l’Éterle has some of the best wood-fired pizza in Saint-Gervais-les-Bains. They have plenty of vegetarian options and offer takeaway too. Right next door is Restaurant 4 Épices, highly commended for its crêpes and tartiflette amid cosy, rustic décor.

Down the road, Le Galeta offers the ultimate Savoyard fondue experience in a beautiful old chalet. If you’re no fromageophile, they have a wide selection of local grilled meat and fish, perfect to wash down with their homemade kir cocktail. Approaching the St Gervais-Bettex gondola, Boulangerie la Max Burry bakes the best bread in-resort, and if you’ve overdone it on the apres-ski, treat yourself to a fabulous organic brunch at Rond de Carotte.

If you want to while away a whiteout with a good companion read, look no further than the Lovegood Café in Le Fayet. With over 800 books to borrow (in English and français), great coffee, and a range of GF cakes, it’s the perfect place to hide away for a day. For something more exotic, Du Côté de Chez Xuan combines Vietnamese and French flavours. Chef Xuan’s innovative menu caters for all ages, with the added spectacle of karaoke and café theatre throughout the season.

Finally, for those with a taste for the finer things, Michelin-star Source is a must-visit. Ran by veteran chefs from Annecy, their signature dish of calf’s sweetbread exemplifies the restaurant’s simple, yet impossibly delicious fare.

Après-ski and nightlife

Although Saint-Gervais is more picturesque than party, the Oboose Café at the base of the St Gervais-Bettex gondola is your best bet for some live music and DJ sets après-ski. It’s popular with saisonnaires and locals and is good for watching sports. On the slopes, the iconic La Folie Douce is your go-to lunchtime lark, located at the top of the Mont Joux chair 1945m up. If you’ve been to their other locations in Tignes or Les Arcs, you’ll know the drill.

At night, Le Nordique is a beautiful, Scandi-style cocktail bar located on Saint-Gervais-les-Bains’s main strip. Meanwhile, Les 3 Mousquetons looks like something straight out of Paris, offering a great range of local beers and wines. From hearsay, it’s a fantastic place to ring in the new year.

If you’re staying towards Le Fayet or stopping off after an afternoon riding the Mont-Blanc Tram, Bar Le Marie Paradis is an elegant hotel lounge to relax in, perhaps with an Aperol spritz in hand.