Where to eat - Belle Plagne New Years Eve

A snowHead

First year self catering. Do I need to book a restaurant for New Years Eve before we go? Any suggestions...?

A snowHead

Shimmy Alcott,
When I went the cooking facilities worked and you could selfcater all week, don't know if they turn the electricity off for Hogmanay though.

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Don't know many restaurants in Belle Plagne but can recommend one in Plagne Bellecote. It is the restaurant next to the outdoor ice rink, I'm sure somebody on here will know the name of it. You can use the gondola between Bellecote and Belle Plagne in the evenings so transport shouldn't be a problem. You will probably have to book, we have only eaten there at lunchtimes and even then you sometimes have to book a table.

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There is a really nice resturant next door to the ski pass office but you will probably have to book. General menu so good selection as well. If you like your Cheese style food there is a fantastic resturant called the little red riding hood (Or at least the french translation) in plange 1800. You can ge the free bus to plange centre and then down to 1800 so its no real hasstle. Very small and cosy so you definatly need to book.

You can ski down there during the day to book and it really is worth it.

All the best

Martin

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Shimmy Alcott, The one thing we actually loved about our first self catering trip last year was not eating out Laughing

. You get in from skiing, you have a bath, open the wine, look outside at Ice station Zebra aka Belle Plagne (New Years Eve in Belle Plagne it will probably be about -20) and check the fridge for some baguette and cheese. Planned to eat out one night, never bothered.

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Shimmy Alcott, Choose a restaurant and book as soon as you arrive! But be prepared to pay over the odds!
I would invite you over to ours but what with MIL, BIL etc staying we are fully booked already, even the prime spots on our balcony have already been reserved for Mouth for the New Years Eve firework spectacular Very Happy

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Shimmy Alcott, it's been a while since we ate there, but there were a couple down in Bellecote that were good, La Ferme is one I remember. Have to get the gondola down though, and it can be freezing cold. Best in Belle Plagne was always the Eldorador, sadly no longer I suspect, but the best of the rest was La Matafan. My only New Year in La Plagne was in Champagny at the Hotel Ancolie, very good, but not feasible to get to from Belle Plagne.
We're probably eating in one of the hotels in Monetier on New Years Eve, probably the Europe. Expenisve, at about 70€ a head, but that includes all the aperitifs and hors d'oeuvres, almost unlimited wine with dinner, and quite a lot of champagne as well as 6 or 7 courses including venison, foie gras, and all sorts of other lovely stuff (dessert is stunning).

After all it is free

Shimmy Alcott, I went to Belle Plagne way back when as my first solo trip to the Alps. I hoped to meet some like minded skiers to share some skiing time even though I was probably a very early intermediate at the time.

So there I was installed in the apartment after a long coach trip over. The first two who arrived in the shared apartment were a couple of guys who had brought their own food and weren't interested in any socialising at all, but give them their due they were good company anyway. Next a young ice hockey player turned up but he wasn't into any any socialising either, but again a nice guy.

Finally the door opened and the last occupant arrived and plonked his bottle of duty free whiskey on the side. Phew. Toofy Grin

We had two weeks in the resort and we invariably ate in the Matafan and the food and welcome we got was fantastic. We even got drinks on the house for our custom. I've since been back and the Matafan has moved to a different part of the Belle Plagne complex, but worth considering for New Year. I would have thought that booking is essential though.

I also had probably one of the best meals I've had on a skiing trip in a restaurant in the Alps in Plagne Bellecote. I think it was in the Piano bar in Bellecote, which is a favourite Apres ski place but was also a good restaurant.

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Bergmeister, when we add in the cost of drinking for the evening though, it turned out to be surprisingly good value, as all alcohol is included in the price. Three or four cocktails before, red and white wine with dinner, bottles replaced when empty, and there's a lot of champagne flowing during the dancing afterwards.
We spent over 60€ per head on another occasion just eating from a standard restaurant menu, with a couple of bottles of wine, aperitifs, and one glass of champagne each.
We always see in the New Year in the square with a snowball fight , and head home about 1am, having gone to the local bar to sing Auld Lang Syne and celebrate UK new Year first. On the slopes for the peace and quiet in the morning.

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the restaurants really push their luck at New Year - you'll pay a fortune and it'll be poor value. Why not go out on another, quieter, cheaper night?

It's always funny when people say "we're self catering in resort X this year; where are all the good restaurants?" wink

The Matafan without a doubt- you can get their number online and book now

You know it makes sense.

pam w, can't agree about the poor quality it hasnt been our experience. Cant say i see the point of going skiing for new year and spending it sitting in while everyone is out enjoying themselves. Resort restaurants wouldn't be there if it wasn't for self caterers. Even on a budget you can treat yourself to a meal out

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

The last time we ate out on NYE in Les Gets was about 9 years ago - and it was about £50 a head then, didn't include the wine I am sure - and we footed the bill for 7 as we had the 'young grown-up' children with us then. We probably made a mistake in leaving it quite late to book, it was our first year there so didn't know our way around very well - but it was the last time we have eaten out.

We always celebrate at home now, last year we had 19 in for dinner + three babies - and then have our own fireworks with us all out spectating from the balcony. Probably smaller numbers this year but I would rather splash out on really good food. With the numbers last year one lot brought a doz Champagne, another lots of wine, and others cheese and puds and it was brilliant.

Having said that though, if we were on our own, I would be tempted to slide down the hill and eat out. So good advice to book as soon as your arrive - if not sooner by phone - I am sure you will always be able to cancel if you don't like the look of it on arrival.

A snowHead

Helen Beaumont, our local restaurants are very basic - they do OK but when they try an expensive New Year special they tend to fall on their faces a bit. We like the deserted slopes first lift on 1 January - so we save our eating out budget for other nights. Except when we lived in Scotland we've never made much of New Year anyway - so I don't feel at all hard done by. In "my young day" New Year was no big deal - most folks stayed in and watched "Jimmy Shand and his band" and pissed Scottish comedians on the telly. Dire. An early night and first lift in the morning is a most attractive alternative!

I suppose I'm just mean - I really object to spending £60 euros a head to have a meal which would cost half that any other night. And I do enjoy cooking "celebration" meals, and fetching the cold bottles of champers which have been stuck in the snow outside the terrace.

A snowHead

pam w, as it happens, unless julesb seriously objects, we may not be going to the hotel for dinner this New Year. As he missed last years celebration because of his accident, and spent it in hospital, it is his choice what we do this time. The group of friends we usually go with won't be going, so it's a bit up in the air. The alternative will mean driving down the valley to a party, and guess who will have to do that !!! I enjoy cooking celebration meals myself, but with not enough room for a crowd, it's more sociable to go out. WE'll do Christmas Eve in the apartment, with lunch out on the slopes on Christmas Day.

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Helen Beaumont, New Year 2010 will be pretty special for you, won't it? We might do our big night out on Christmas Eve, in the very small local resto, just a man and wife. We'll have 3 kids with us, the youngest only a year old, so it will be an early one and simple - probably a Pierrade, with plenty of chips and gratin dauphinoise. And the extremely cheap house wine, which tastes fine after un apéro chez nous. Approximately 40 metres to stagger home.

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pam w, I guess it will be.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

€70 for NYE entertainment doesn't sound too bad to me and quite reasonable given that it covers decent quality full bib and tucker - maybe I spend too much time in overpriced London and have a warped sense of value rolling eyes

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I would suggest Matafan too

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Arno, food is excellent and beautifully presented. It really is good value.

After all it is free

Thanks for all the great replies.

We will eat in on every other night but I do fancy NY out.

thefatcontroller, I am also looking forward to slobbing out in the evenings instead of getting dressed up for dinner.

Matafan rings a bell...I will go in search. snowHead