Where to Eat and What to do at Christmas in Morzine

We all love a white Christmas but staying in the UK means your chances of having snowball fights and making snow angels are quite slim at that time of year. However, spend Christmas in a ski resort like Morzine, part of the Portes du Soleil, one of the largest ski areas in the world, and you can expect loads of snow to play in! Christmas in Morzine is superb for all the family. This is because the tourist office put on lots of activities to get you into the Christmas spirit.

What is there to do for Christmas in Morzine?

How does a spectacular fireworks display with a glass of vin chaud sound? There is always a ‘spectacle’ as they call it in France, to see in the festivities! Morzine transforms into a Village Enchante for two weeks over the Christmas period and you can meet Father Christmas or watch him approach the tourist office from the Pleney Pistes on a speedy sleigh. There’s also the fantastic ESF torchlit descent of the Pleney which is a Morzine must see! 

There is a real Christmassy ambience throughout Morzine in the evenings, with all the bars and restaurants opening their doors to everyone. You can be sure to enjoy some great eats and drinks in the crisp mountain air! This is the perfect end to your day after you have built up an appetite on the mountain.

It’s not Christmas without a Turkey!

Christmas dinner is a huge part of Christmas day. But, you don’t have to swap turkey for tartiflette when you come to Morzine.

Traditionally in France Christmas dinner is eaten on Christmas Eve and is usually based around seafood. Fish, fruits de la mer and oysters are often served during the festive season. You will see restaurants displaying their catch outside in the streets to lure you in. But there are lots of other options that will make your Christmas dinner amazing in Morzine.

The region is famous for its meat and cheese dishes. Great examples are fondue, tartiflette and Cote du Boeuf. Most of the restaurants in Morzine serve these and are well worth trying.

In Town or on the Mountain?

The great thing about Christmas in Morzine is that you can choose whether to eat on the mountain or in town.

Eating on the mountain means you can ski straight to the restaurant. If you have never skied to a Christmas dinner before, this is a really fun and exciting thing to do. Have a few runs in the morning with your family and friends, before sliding up to the restaurant. Here you will be welcomed with a cosy log fire, a hot glass of vin chaud and a paper hat.

If you've never been to Morzine before, here's our handy guide to navigating your way around the different areas of the mountain.

Not all the mountain restaurants serve food buffet style, and the food in proper mountain restaurants is as good as the ones in town. Here are our top picks for mountain restaurants for Christmas in Morzine, even those for non-skiers. Just remember, you may have to ski back down the mountain afterwards, so go easy on the festive tipple!

Avoriaz

Avoriaz is a great option for Christmas dinner on the mountain because it is very easy to get to the restaurants for both skiers and for those on foot. Pedestrians can get on the Prodains lift, which takes you straight into Avoriaz. At the top of the lift there are some great restaurants within walking distance, while skiers can ski right to the door.

Les Trappeurs

Les Trappeurs is the first restaurant you see when you get off the Prodains lift. The food is typically Savoyard with plenty of local specialities. They also have daily chef’s specials.

Chez Flo

Chez Flo is similar to Les Trappeurs by way of style of cuisine and quality. Therefore, you can have an equally good time at either. But Chez Flo is probably the best option for a pre Christmas dinner drink because they have the Round Bar: An igloo shaped conservatory bar outside the restaurant, which is a nice little stop off before dinner. If the weather is good, they remove the roof to let in the sun, making it great during spring too.

Lindarets

Lindarets is the area of chairlifts and restaurants at the top of the Ardent lift. It is easily accessible from Avoriaz or Chatel too. Its accessibility makes Lindarets a great meeting point for many groups of people, especially for those that have non-skiers in their party.

Les Marmottes

Les Marmottes is a little characterful restaurant in Lindarets and one of our regular stop offs as the food is great and reasonably priced. At the very least, it is the ideal place to warm up on a cold day with hot chocolate.

Chaudron

Le Chaudron is in the Lindarets Goat Village. This is the small village you will come across as you ski down to the Ardent car park. The Chaudron is very popular with More Mountain guests thanks to its fantastic food, which is typically French with traditional Savoyard dishes. The Chaudron is perfect for a cosy lunch on the mountain this Christmas.

Plaine Dranse

Plaine Dranse is the area above Chatel and is accessible from the top of the Chaux Fleurie chairlift in Lindarets. This area tends to be a bit quieter than Lindarets, and has some great pistes, so you can have a good ski in the morning before your Christmas dinner.

Chez BaBeth

Our pick for restaurants in the Plaine Dranse is Chez BaBeth. If you are looking for an experience, you will get one here! Babeth herself will entertain you with her outgoing personality and showmanship. If you are lucky she will even give you a Christmas present! Babeth serves a set menu for Christmas. In the past, we have experienced goose and turkey Christmas dinners, served with Champagne and canapes.

Pleney

The Pleney side of the valley has some great tree lined pistes, which are great for all abilities. Riding around snow covered trees makes it feel a bit more Christmassy too. The other advantage of being on Pleney is that it is very easy to get back to the village after dinner. Either take one of the blue runs or the Pleney lift back down.

Le Vaffieu

Le Vaffieu is located at the top of the Belvedere chairlift. Non-skiers can walk up to it from the top of the Pleney lift. The menu is very traditional but high quality Savoyard style. This place has a great atmosphere too. You will easily spot it from the top of the Belvedere lift, as it usually is the one playing music outside.

Nyon

Nyon is the big pointy mountain accessible from the Pleney side of the valley. There is lots of snowy terrain for beginners and experienced skiers alike. Therefore, it is a great place for families to have a pre-Christmas dinner ski. Also on a clear day, you can be treated to stunning views of Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva from the top of Nyon itself.

Chez Nannon

Chez Nannon is one of those places returning More Mountain guests go to every year. Again, they serve fantastic traditional Savoyard food. Think local meat and cheese with a lot of wine! The great thing about eating at Chez Nannon is that if you eat later in the afternoon, by the time you are ready to leave the pistes are deserted. This means you have them to yourself for the ski back down to Morzine.

Eating in Morzine

If you want to ski all day and eat in the evening, or if you have members of your party that are not skiers, eating in Morzine itself is a great option. Taking a stroll into town from your accommodation, you can stop off for a pre Christmas dinner drink at one of the many bars. This is a more relaxed way of spending Christmas in Morzine. However, you will be able to continue the festivities in town until the early hours of Boxing Day if the mood takes your fancy.

La Grange

La Grange is the only restaurant in town where you get what Brits would consider a real traditional Christmas dinner. Owned by Alex and Fred, La Grange is a fantastic restaurant that we recommend to all our guests all winter. Their service and standard of cooking is something all More Mountain guests should experience. It’s easy to get to, especially for our guests staying in The Crows Nest or Apartment 101.

Le Clin D’Oeil

The Clin D’Oeil is located near the large Carrefour supermarket in Morzine. This makes it ideal for guests staying in La Poste. The food here is excellent, as is the fantastic service, making the Clin D’Oeil one of our favourite restaurants. The owners are from the South-West of France, therefore this is the place to go if you like hearty meals and superb duck dishes. Their Christmas menu always looks pretty special and you can guarantee it will be a good one.

L’Étale

L’Étale is one of the staples of the Morzine food scene. Normally I don’t like restaurants with huge menus, however L’Étale is the exception to the rule. It has something for everyone and it is all great food. You can order the usual Savoyard dishes, but they also serve some great food from all over the world. This makes L’Étale an ideal choice if you have fussy eaters in your group.

La Rotonde

La Rotonde has the same owners as L’Étale, therefore you can expect similar quality food. The style is a bit different to L’Étale though: Yyou can enjoy French and Italian food with a twist, in their large heated conservatory area. It is also worth noting that their steaks are fantastic!

In your More Mountain Luxury Accommodation

Of course, if you are staying in one of our fabulous catered chalets, you won’t have to go anywhere for Christmas dinner. In the morning, you will have a Buck’s Fizz and smoked salmon breakfast before you head out on to the mountain.

Once you return to the chalet after skiing, you will be treated to mince pies and vin chaud. Then you will tuck in to the main event of Christmas dinner with all the trimmings (even pigs in blankets!). All served up by your fantastic chalet hosts.

Self Catered

If you are staying in one of our self catered properties, you can cook your own Christmas dinner in your well equipped kitchen. You can order your turkey from Boucherie Dominique in Morzine. Just give them a call on: +33(0)4 50 79 06 66. Just make sure you order your bird at least four days in advance.

However, if you don’t want to cook, we can organise alternative options before you arrive.

Private chef

Why not book a private chef to do all the hard work while you open your presents? Our favourite private chefs are Alps2Atlantic and Chez Toi. These guys make superb food and are a great company to have any day of the year, let alone Christmas.

If you are staying with us this Christmas and this sounds like a good idea to you, give them a call. I advise you to do this as soon as possible as they do get booked up very quickly.

Meals on Wheels

La Grange offer a great service all winter of pre-prepared restaurant quality meals delivered direct to your apartment. Christmas dinner is no exception. Place your order with us and a member of the More Mountain Apartments Team will bring it to you. All you need to do is follow the instructions supplied and enjoy. This takes out the hassle of shopping and cooking allowing you to enjoy your Christmas.

As you can see there are lots of different ways for you to make your Christmas meal in Morzine special. The only question is which option will you take?