La Terrasse du Mottaret restaurant review

Grab your closest friends and head to La Terrasse du Mottaret for a cosy evening of homemade comfort food, friendly service and fabulous live music under the restaurant’s latest feature, the big red tent.

Perfectly located right beside the Plattiers lift, La Terrasse is the ideal pit stop for an active day’s skiing in Meribel. Offering a range of refreshing drinks and a €12 plat du jour, soak up the rays over lunch on the venue’s more-than-spacious outdoor terrace. With freshly prepared salads and generous burgers on offer across the lunch menu, daytime dining at La Terrasse means a relaxed meal in the sun with an atmosphere to help you unwind. However, once the sun disappears and the temperature drops, La Terrasse cannot be overlooked as a local hub for impeccable service, eclectic mood music and cosmopolitan dining in Mottaret.

Struggling in the past to combine al fresco dining with winter evening temperatures, restaurant owner Steph has come up with an innovative solution for her business. A first of it’s kind in resort, La Terrasse turns red at night with the addition of a large, heated marquee that surrounds the outdoor terrace.

To celebrate the introduction of it’s latest feature, La Terrasse is offering a night of evening music under the marquee with well-known local band, The Illusions. Soirée Sunday’s means a night of soulful vocals and acoustic contemporary tunes from a wide-genre spanning set list of French and International music. Kicking off from around 7.30pm every Sunday, the red tent will play host to an evening of Alpine entertainment and good vibes, complimented with excellent food and creating an all-round ideal dining experience.

Along with the added nighttime structure, La Terrasse boasts a diverse evening menu to accommodate for a changing atmosphere from daytime dining. Traditional pasta dishes including tartiflette, lasagna and bolognese are what’s on offer alongside an array of homemade pizza’s and savoyarde menu options.

At €16 as a main (€9.50 for entrée size), the Salad Bergere is ideal for a lighter evening menu option. Large in portion size, the salad is presented colourfully with ample greenery and a balsamic glaze. Festive and fresh, the shredded carrot and hidden apple pieces bring fruitiness to a familiar dish without taking away from the ‘main act’, the star-shaped goats cheese pastry puffs. An explosion of goats cheese flavour with each bite, the sweetness of the fruit and honey glazed ham compliments perfectly with the crunch and sharpness of the cheese pastries.

If in search of something slightly more filling, a pizza is always a go-to. Alongside a list of classics including the reine, margarita, vegetarian and four cheeses, La Terrasse boasts a unique pizza menu by giving diners the choice between a traditional tomato sauce or crème fraiche base. Creamy and warming, the Happy Pizza is best described as tartiflette on dough given its mozzarella, smoked diced bacon, potato and onion toppings. At €17, the Happy Pizza with crème fraiche base is the ultimate comfort food and a sure family favourite.

Leaving the palate with something sweet, the affordable dessert menu includes a varying dessert du jour, €8 crepes, €7 chocolate fondant or a traditional crème brulee. Served with a crunchy dark chocolate wafer cigar, the crème brulee comes presented with a flamed top creating a hard sugary casing with creamy base – a definite crowd pleaser.

With all the food homemade, friendly service and a warm, homely al fresco dining atmosphere on offer, La Terrasse du Mottaret is the perfect evening venue. Don’t forget to book a table for Soirée Sunday’s to catch some fabulous local music talent and why not introduce yourself to owner, Steph, or nighttime manager, Ulf – he speaks seven different languages so won’t struggle to keep the conversation flowing. Keep an eye out for restaurant mascot, Da Dou, who wanders amongst the outdoor tables in search for a friendly face.