EMPIRE TRAVELLER

TO STAY

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LE LODGE PARK: As one of Mégeve's top reccommended hotels, Le Lodge has been remarkably pleasant throughout my holiday. I visited during the Christmas weekend, so it was particularly crowded and festive. The hotel certainly earns its name as it offers the perfect winter lodge experience and holiday atmosphere. Le Lodge is designed as a rustic-chic chalet with wood-laiden interiors, animal-skin furniture, fur blankets, and deer head wall-mounts. The lounge-area in the lobby is warm and lively, with upbeat music late into the night; this is where all the guests tend to hang out for snacks & drinks, so it's a very friendly atmosphere. Try their warm mulled wine and white truffle pizza - so delicious! As for the rooms, unfortunately they were not the best part of the stay. The rooms are cosy, but can seem a little tight at times; the lighting is also inconveniently dim. The bathroom arrangement is particularly uncomfortable, with the toilet locked up in a tiny stall. Don't fuss over the window-views either, because most rooms overlook the hotel garden or village as opposed to the mountain. On the upside, however, you can enjoy your own little fireplace in the room. The hotel services make up for this, however, with a very delightful and polite staff team always at your leisure. The concierge has been particularly helpful throughout my stay, landing dinner reservations at busy restaurants, organizing ski passes, and mapping out different mountain trails/routes. Overall, I would reccommend considering Le Lodge for your stay in Mégeve - it works for both families and young couples, and offers a memorable chalet experience. It also has an ideal location in the village, only a few minutes away from the center. Make arrangements early in advance, because it tends to book out quickly during in-season months. 

 

FOOD & DINING

 

IDEAL 1850: (Mountain Restaurant) White Truffle Pizza - Tagliatelle Carbonora - Caesar Salad - Chouqette et Chocolat - Chocolat Chaud

This is probably the most memorable dining experience in Mégeve. Located 1,850 km above ground level, the restaurant overlooks the mountain tops of Mont Blanc; the terrace view is absolutely breathtaking, and probably the best you'll find in town. There are tables both indoors and outdoors, but the view outside is not to be missed. As a mountain rest-stop, Ideal 1850 certainly exceeds expectations in both quality and cuisine. The White Truffle Pizza is a staple classic and the perfect little snack between slopes - squares of soft bread dough with a light creamy spread and rich truffle shavings. The Tagliatelle Carbonara is heavenly - fresh pasta cooked in a flavorful sauce, tossed with crispy bacon chunks and topped with egg yolk to give it that extra creamy texture. The Caesar Salad is not particularly remarkable, but a good choice for something light yet filling. They also have great dessert and hot chocolate. To get to the restaurant, take the chairlift up to Mount Ideal and the restaurant should be located a hundred or so meters down from the station. It's easily accessible to skiiers because it's located at the start of the slope. As for pedestrians, make sure to dress appropriately because you'll have to walk down a slope. Also be ware of their serving hours, because their kitchen closes for lunch at around 2:00 PM. Definitely a must-do.

 

LE CHAMOIS: (Lunch) Truffle Fondue - Pomme Frites - Chicken Pâté

If you're looking to satisfy your cheese cravings, look no further. Le Chamois serves some of Megéve's best fondue pots and raclette wheels. Their menu offers various dishes, though cheese is definitely their highlight. The Chicken Pâté was surprisingly tasty, but the fondue stole the show. Since black truffle is a regional staple during the winter, go for the Truffle Fondue pot and order a side of french fries for dipping. You just made your very own truffled cheese fries! Trust me, this is such a good combination. You could also order a charcuterie platter, or go for the raclette option: a plate of salad, cold cuts, and boiled potatoes topped with melted cheese. I reccommend ordering both options and sharing. 

 

LE BISTROT: (Lunch/Casual Meal) Escargots - Three Cheese Fondue - Viennoise de Volaille (Breaded Chicken) - Coquillette (Mac n Cheese) - Mousse au Chocolat

This is a convenient go-to spot for a casual, hearty meal; and it's also one of the very few restaurants that stays open throughout the day. It's usually quite crowded, but the food is pretty good. The Escargots and Three Cheese Fondue were excellent starters to share - the snails were tender and tasty, and the fondue pot was really appetizing. For mains, the Viennoise de Volaille was a good choice (served with green salad & sun-dried tomatoes), but the Coquillette is definitely a better choice - a very generous portion of creamy Mac n Cheese served with smoked ham and black truffle shavings. Do no miss out on dessert, because they have the most sinfully delightful Mousse au Chocolat: a large bowl of rich and dense chocolate mousse, with a perfectly crisped face, and scrumptious madeleines served on the side - the perfect dessert to share between 3-6 people! Unmissable.

 

LA FERME DE MON PÈRE: (Dinner) Velouté of Artichoke - Octopus a la Plancha - Black Truffle Risotto - Dover Sole - Savoy Tartare - Transalpine Tartare - Lemon Meringue Tart - Floating Island Bourbon Vanilla

Charming in its aesthetic simplicity and its innovative approach to classic cuisine, La Ferme de Mon Père reintroduces French tradition through a refined-farmhouse experience. Constructed as a rustic-chic bistrot with stone walls, wooden tables, and animal head mounts, La Ferme de Mon Père combines a nostalgic atmosphere of "my father's farmhouse" with upscale dining. The menu is concise but diverse, based on a farm-to-table concept. To start, the Velouté of Artichoke (a type of thickened French soup) was surprisingly tasteful and very well accented with truffle chantilly; both creamy and frothy, with some floating crisps for texture. The Octopus was also delicious and definitely worth a try - very tenderly cooked and served on a bed of buttered cabbage, great for sharing. I also reccommend ordering the Truffle Risotto to share. As for mains, the two tartares offer interesting twists on a classic dish - the Savoy is prepared with cheese, walnuts, and truffle; whereas the Transalpine is tossed in pesto and parmesan shavings. Both were flavorful and tender, but I would order them as starters. The Dover Sole is definitely the star-dish of the night - prepared Meunière style, the sole is slightly browned in butter and accented with parsley and lemon, served on a bed of light olive oil. Superb. As for dessert, the Floating Island is basically frothed egg whites in a sea of vanilla cream - too sweet and lacking texture. The Lemon Meringue Tart, however, was incredible - sweet but zesty, with light creamy meringue served on a buttery biscuit base. Overall, a very pleasant experience. Be patient with the service, because the French tend to take their time between courses. The atmosphere is also very quiet and intimate, so I would reccommend going in smaller groups. 

 

LE 1920: (Dinner, Michelin) White Truffle Bucatini - French Salmon - Sea Scallops - Miéral Bresse Chicken - Wagyu Beef - Venison 

A two Michelin-starred restaurant from the Rothschild family heritage, Le 1920 offers an upscale dining experience in Chalet du Mont D'Arbois. Despite its excellent ratings though, Le 1920 was not a particularly remarkable experience. The menu sounds intriguing, with heavy accents on black truffle and dishes combining French cooking with global flavors; but the execution was not up to its full potential. To start, the White Truffle Bucatini is a tart-like dish of pasta and spinach filling with egg yog froth and truffle shavings from Alba, paired with a small plate of steamed spinach, creamy orzo, and buttered crouton gratings - this was an excellent starter. The French Salmon seasoned with Japanese flavor (sandwiched between gelatine-like layers with soy, yuzu lemon, and wasabi) was probably the most innovative dish of the night. Worth ordering. To follow, the Wagyu Beef and Venison were shockingly disappointing - both meats were dried out and juiceless, carrying unpleasant aftertastes. The Sea Scallops cooked three ways (salt crust, broth, and truffle foam) were all chewy and flavorless. As for the Miéral Bresse Chicken, roasted on the spit for 1.5 hours for two persons, this was an interesting dish more so for its slow and heavily seasoned preparation. It was cooked very well with notable aromas of fresh herbs, but ultimately just a whole roasted-chicken - safe, but boring. Perhaps it was an off-night for the kitchen or a bad combination of dishes, but Le 1920 did very little to prove its reputation. The out-dated interiors and improper service also completely threw off the experience, and were generally uncharacteristic of Michelin standards. 

 

LES ENFANTS TERRIBLES: (Lunch/Dinner) King Crab Salad - Tuna Tataki - Lobster Roll - Lemon Meringue Tart - Chocolate Millefeuille

This is a good spot for lunch or dinner located in the center, at Hotel Mont Blanc. The restaurant has a bar-like atmosphere with dim lighting, upbeat music, and lots of options on the menu. Maybe it was the bustle of Christmas Eve that night that the service was unpleasantly slow; but the staff was generally unattentive and hard to communicate with, only one waitress came to the rescue every time we tried to order something. The food makes up for it, though; it's not particularly remarkable, but not disappointing either. To start I had the King Crab Salad, served on a bed of crisp iceberg and wasabi/avocado cream - this was a good combination of fresh greens and tender fish brought together with flavorful dipping sauce. The Tuna Tataki is also a good option, served with beetroot and soy-like sauce. As for mains, I went with a safe option and ordered the Lobster Roll - the lobster salad was fresh and creamy, but I wish the brioche roll was more notable. The dish is served with french fries, but I reccommend asking for thick-cut wedges instead. For dessert, skip the Lemon Meringue and go for Millefeuille - the pastry was slightly flaky, but the chocolate cream was good. 

 

PLACES TO VISIT & THINGS TO DO

 

VILLAGE CENTER: Start at the center point of Mégeve by the Saint Jean Baptiste Church. From there on you can walk in any direction, and make your way around the village. On both your left and right you'll find various boutique stores and cafés. Almost all the major shops and hotels are concentrated in the center, so you'll find everything you need without having to venture too far off. The further down you walk, the closer you'll get to the more residential outskirts of town. 

 

EGLISE SAINT JEAN BAPTISTE: If you're starting the day in the center of town, make sure you visit the church. It's quite small but beautiful, especially during mass on Sundays. 

 

MUSÉE DE MEGEVE (HAUT VAL D'ARLY): This is a locally-founded museum that takes you through the history of the village. The museum showcases Mègeve's past as a mountainous countryside, originally inhabited by farmers. On display you'll find various objects from the past (all originally owned by locals) that capture the essence of rural life - farming tools, household items, religious artifacts, creative crafts, and so on. It's like walking into a family farmhouse, so you'll really get a sense of village life in the past. 

 

MONT D'ARBOIS: A beautiful mountaintop that you can make your way up to by either skis, car, or telefrique. The best transportation to take is of course the telefrique, because you'll get to ride through beautiful forest scenery and have a proper view of the slopes. If you're starting at Chamois, take the telefrique up to Rocharbois, change telecabins to Mont D'Arbois, and then change telecabins once more to ride up to the top. At this point you should find yourself at Ideal. 

 

LUNCH AT IDEAL 1850: Whether or not you're skiing, make your way up to the very top of Mont D'Arbois and enjoy lunch at this beautiful mountaintop restaurant. The busiest but liveliest time to visit is between 12:00-2:00 PM. Reservations are not required, but it's always better to make one just in case the restaurant gets too crowded. If you're having lunch, make sure to go before 1:30 PM because this is when the kitchen takes its last food orders. After 2:00 PM, the restaurant is open only for drinks & desserts. You can go just before sunset to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate and some choquettes on the side.

 

SPA: Beyond winter sports and activities, Mègeve offers many options for pure relaxation. Check out some of the more luxurious hotels and chalets for an indulgent spa experience. A few places worth noting: Chalet Zannier, Chalet du Mont D'Arbois, Le Lodge, Les Fermes de Marie, and M de Mègeve.

 

DAY AT LES FERMES DE MARIE: This is one of Mègeve's most popular hotels, designed as a collection of small farmhouses and chalets. If you're not staying there, you could still treat yourself at the luxurious Pure Altitude Spa to a variety of treatments, massages, and wellness facilities. You could also go for one of three restaurants: 1) Le Restaurant Traditionnel serves local and regional dishes in a familial farmhouse atmosphere; 2) Alpin is known as La Fromagerie at Les Fermes De Marie where you can experience Savoyard folklore at its best with a large selection of cheeses for fondue & raclette; and 3) La Salle à Manger is the black truffle destination for foodies, with a menu specially curated to spotlight the strong aromatic flavors of "the black diamond" (seasonal opening times). 

 

TRAVELING TIPS

 

1. Book months in advance to secure good hotel deals, especially during major holiday seasons.

 

2. Unless you're looking for quiet, peaceful seclusion up on the mountains, I reccommend staying at a hotel in the village center. It's much more convenient than having to ride into town every time you want something. Things are easier to access from down there and all the shops/cafés are walking distance.

 

3. Check the weather forecast throughout the month you're visiting Mègeve, especially if your holiday plans revolve around heavy snowfall & winter sports. I went during Christmas-time and there was no snowfall; it was actually pretty sunny throughout my visit. It tends to get much colder throughout February-March. Some ski slopes were open, but the lack of snow was not very ideal. So make sure the anticipated weather suits your holiday plans!

 

4. Skiiers, don't worry about having all the right equipment beforehand. There are plenty of good rental shops around town that will have anything you could possibly need.

 

5. Always carry a map of the ski slopes and telefrique stations; the map is easy to read and will help you get around the different stops on the mountain. 

 

6. Check all closing times for restaurants, rental shops, and telefrique stations beforehand. You don't want to miss lunchtimes, be stuck with your ski gear all night, or miss your only ride home from the mountains!

 

7. If you do miss the last telefrique back, make your way to the closest bus station and you can ride back to town. At the very worst, call for a taxi or transportation service to pick you up from a main driving road.

 

8. Take a few hours on your first day in Mègeve to walk around and familiarize yourself with the village; and from then on you'll be able to locate things immediately.