Local alpine classics with a twist to fill you up after a day on the slopes
Courchevel proudly sits in the Savoie region of France. The mountainous area is famed for its distinct mountain culinary treats designed to keep you warm and fueled even on the harshest of winter days.
You’ll find it a tough task to find any truly local restaurant without a combination of fondue, raclette, or tartiflette on its menu.
All of these recipes indulge in a healthy portion of local melted cheese and delicious cured meats. Of course, you are in France so it wouldn’t be complete without a few bottles of wine to soothe the legs after a day on the slopes.
If that whets your appetite, then keep reading to discover the Courchevel world of melted cheese. Bon Appetit.
Fondue
What do you need to say about fondue?
It’s simply a pot of melted cheese ready for you to dunk bread, meat, and veggies into.
Originally a Swiss staple, fondue oozes its way throughout the mountains like the glaciers. You’ll move at the same speed as a glacier after one too.
Local Savoyarde cheeses like Beaufort make the perfect meltiness texture for a fondue, especially when combined with a dash of white wine and garlic.
Traditionally, the cheese is served in one large pot over heat for everyone to dip into with bread and cured meat.
It’s one of the world’s most sociable dishes as you fill up and laugh over the day’s skiing adventures.
Raclette
This dish is simply known by the cheese you are eating. Raclette.
Raclette is another French-Swiss creation involving melted cheese.
Traditionally it is served as a half-wheel of cheese with a melting grill for you to melt the cheese as you go. It can also be served slice by slice to make lift a little easier.
Raclette cheese is a semi-hard cheese designed for perfect melting consistency. Plus it’s absolutely delicious. And it’s all guilt-free thanks to an energy-sapping day out on the slopes in the cold!
The meal is generally served with boiled potatoes, cured meats, pickled cucumber, and some fresh salad.
If you want a little lunchtime treat then try a ‘raclette cheese sandwich’ from a number of stops around Courchevel.
Tartiflette
No guesses for the main ingredient in Tartiflette. You guessed it. Melted cheese!
Tartiflette is an iconic Savoie dish to fill your boots with after a day on the mountain. Or even to refuel at lunch. Beware, you may be a little sluggish after a full serving.
Tartiflette is made using another local cheese called Reblochon.
Of course, it has magical melting properties and is combined with potatoes, lardons (bacon bits), and onions. It is baked in the oven and served piping hot, ready to eat.
Cheeses of Courchevel
Cheese is everything in this area of France. You’ve seen above the delicious treats served in the local restaurants.
Walk the mountain routes in the summer and you’ll quickly stumble upon herds of dairy cows and even a hidden remote fromagerie (cheesemaker.) Here’s the cheeses to try for a true local culinary experience:
Raclette – An iconic alpine firm cheese combining tradition and delicious meals. It should be made naturally without additives. It already has enough flavour
Beaufort – A cheese from the Savoie mountain peaks is made in alpine chalets above 1500 metres with cows from nearby herds. Often the choice for Fondue.
Tomme de Savoie – A soft yet firm cheese with ancient routes. The cheese has a low-fat content with a thick rind and distinctive flavour.
Reblochon – A creamy soft cheese almost exclusively produced in the Haute-Savoie. The choice of cheese for Tartiflette.
Best Courchevel Fondue Restaurants
| Restaurant | Contact |
| La Fromagerie – Courchevel 1850 | +33 4 79 08 27 47 |
| Le Petit Savoyarde – Courchevel Moriond 1650 | +33 4 79 08 27 44 |
| Le Caveau – Courchevel Village 1550 | +33 4 79 08 09 42 |
| Cave des Lys – Le Praz | +33 4 79 00 23 36 |
| La Taiga – La Tania | +33 4 79 08 80 33 |
