Skiing and snowboarding holidays are about more than just hitting the slopes. These resorts will reward you with artisan cheese feasts, fine wines and Michelin-starred meals.
Gooey fondue. Molten raclette. Crisp rösti, slivers of air-dried ham. If there’s a ski spot that nails comfort food, it’s Zermatt. It’s true that this photogenic resort has one of the highest concentrations of Michelin stars in Switzerland, but after a day tackling the epically long pistes – the snaggle-toothed Matterhorn rising high in the distance – nothing beats warming up over unfussy, rib-sticking fare. Some of the finest iterations are dished out in the wood-lined environs of Schäferstube, including raclette made with flavourful mountain cheese.
Gooey fondue. Molten raclette. Crisp rösti, slivers of air-dried ham. If there’s a ski spot that nails comfort food, it’s Zermatt. It’s true that this photogenic resort has one of the highest concentrations of Michelin stars in Switzerland, but after a day tackling the epically long pistes – the snaggle-toothed Matterhorn rising high in the distance – nothing beats warming up over unfussy, rib-sticking fare. Some of the finest iterations are dished out in the wood-lined environs of Schäferstube, including raclette made with flavourful mountain cheese.
The skiing is, of course, first-rate – you’re in the world’s largest ski area, Les Trois Vallées. But if you love to eat, glam Courchevel really holds all the aces, because it has one buzzy gourmet dining scene too. With 14 Michelin stars spread across eight restaurants – including three-starred Le 1947 à Cheval Blanc – you can expect the same standard you’d find in foodie cities such as London or New York. Add in a thriving après scene, where you can sink crafted cocktails and rare Champagnes until the early hours, and it’ll be an accomplishment if you make it onto the slopes at all.
Home to the celeb-studded Sundance Film Festival in summer and some of America’s finest skiing in winter, Park City has a thrilling dining scene that belies its petite size. One of its biggest selling points is its diversity: whether you fancy a charcuterie board with vino, New England-style lobster rolls, sizzling Thai stir-fries or virtuous veg-packed grain bowls, you’ll find it in town. And with Park City’s top-quality powder and pistes to suit all abilities – not to mention a great ski school at Deer Valley – you won’t have any trouble working up an appetite for a six-course feast at The Viking Yurt, a mountainside eatery at 8,700ft/2,652m that is only accessible by sled.
Expert snow bunnies make for St. Anton to tackle its rambling off-piste terrain, blanketed in perfect powder. And in between the thrill of weaving down rolling peaks or riding the challenging moguls, those skiers and snowboarders clink glasses and share stories over long, lazy lunches in the resort's many restaurants. Cosy mountainside haunts dishing out hearty sausages, soups and dumplings are the perfect place to warm up before you return to the wintry adventure, carving beneath a tumble of flurries. Just be sure to save some energy for après later on – this Austrian resort has a legendry nightlife scene.
If there’s one word to describe Whistler, it’s ‘big’ – this is North America’s largest ski resort, with two mountains and over 8,000 acres of patrolled terrain. The word also applies to the resort’s dining scene, with around 200 eating spots to choose from. Whether you’re seeking that no-holds-barred special occasion meal with top British Columbian wines to match – say, at the swanky Araxi – or just a fabulous breakfast spot (there’s no beating the pastries from Purebread, one thing is certain: you’ll never go hungry.
A jewel in the Italian Dolomites between La Villa and Cortina, mixed-ability resort San Cassiano in Alta Badia has more to appeal to hungry skiers than just good pasta. Three-Michelin-starred, 100 Falstaff point restaurant St Hubertus, in the landmark Rosa Alpina, has been wow-ing with crafted seasonal mountain produce since the 1990s. There are other Michelin-rated haunts here too, as well as some ace spots for epically long lunches featuring postcard-perfect mountain scenery. Don’t leave without sampling south Tyrolean mountain speck ham, washed down with local wine, in a simple wood-panelled hut.
With plenty of reliable powder, it’s little wonder that Niseko normally attracts crowds of Asian and Australasian skiers – particularly those who appreciate a spot of tree skiing. But, this being Japan, you’re also guaranteed a great meal, in cosy traditional restaurants where only the finest ingredients are used. Devour delicate buckwheat soba noodles, handmade at Rakuichi Soba, and ultra-fresh Hokkaido seafood at Ezo Seafoods Oyster Bar. Or just warm up over gently heated sake in a friendly izakaya, where a variety of nibbles from sashimi to croquettes will refuel you after a day on the slopes.
