Meribel Snow Report : 4th February 2013

What has all this varied weather done to our snow pack? Well, to be honest, not a lot of good. Skiing conditions are variable. The upper runs, where plenty of fresh snow has fallen since last week’s rain, are generally great and there is some nice powder off-piste at high altitude. The lower slopes, however, are hard in places, with only a thin layer of groomed snow over the toughened stuff below. Fortunately, loads more snow is forecast all this week so the icy bits should be covered up soon.

The wind and snow did bring us one magical scene yesterday when the top lifts opened and the sun finally came out. The wind-exposed summits had been transformed overnight into a Christmas-grotto-style white world. Snow had been wind-blasted onto every upright surface so ugly metal pylons and signs and piste poles all were thickly encrusted in white on one side. It was simply too cold to take many photographs, but these snaps give an idea of how beautiful it was for a brief few hours.

What should you do when the wind is blowing, the temperature is minus 15C and you are losing all feeling in your extremities as well as the desire to ski? To my mind, the only sensible thing to do is warm up with a hot drink somewhere a little bit special. I’ve spent hundreds of hours and consumed tens of thousands of calories in search all the best hot chocolate stops in the 3 Valleys. Apologies to coffee drinkers for not including ‘le café’ in this list – I don’t drink the stuff - but I’m told the coffee is good in all these places too. (I haven’t been given a descent cup of tea on the pistes yet, so I’ve stopped asking for it).

Most piste-side restaurants offer bland, oversweetened lukewarm chocolate made in a machine, no doubt because they don’t have time to make the proper stuff. Hotels, I’ve discovered, usually make the real deal and offer much nicer surroundings to drink it. Here, then is my personal list of the very nicest places for special hot choccies on the slopes.

Méribel valley.

1) Adray Telebar Hotel. A cosy, old-fashioned hotel on the Doron piste. Curl up on leather sofas by a fire in the lounge bar where you are served a silver jug of hot chocolate with complementary cakes or biscuits.

2) Altitport Hotel. Smart, newly redesigned hotel at the foot of the beginner’s Blanchot piste. Great hot chocolate served with a tiny bar of Valhrona for an extra chocolate hit, served in the swanky modern lounge bar.

3) La Maison. The new tea-rooms/wine bar in Méribel centre. Okay, it’s not actually on the slopes, but it is only one-minute away from the Doron slope and is work the short walk. La Maison is open every afternoon and serves jugs of lovely hot choccie and home-makes cakes. The tea is great too.

Courchevel

4) Hotel Portetta in Moriond 1650. My personal favourite. The Portetta is just the right skiing distance from Méribel to merit an indulgent mid-morning stop. There is a beautiful lounge or you can snuggle up outdoors on leather sofas with fur rugs next to the fire pit. The drinks are delicious and served in big, fine bone china mugs. The lemon cake is to die for too. In Courchevel 1650 resort, at the foot of all the runs, just below the children’s kindergarten.

5) Hotel Courchneige in 1850. Perfect on a bad weather day. If you are with a big party, bag the three leather sofas by the fire. This is best on a really filthy day – it is dark and snuggly and warm and I defy you not to fall asleep on the squidgy sofas. Pancakes are served from 11.00am, should you need more energy to face the slopes again. On the Bellecote piste.

Val Thorens

6): Oxalys. Super-smart hotel with 2-Michelin-starred restaurant. There is a fabulous view from the terrace and the enormous hot chocolates are served with delicious little chocolate fishes on the side. Not cheap, but worth every centime. Take the main blue run into VT, go over the skiers’ bridge, carry on down a short way and the Oxalys hotel is on your left.

Les Menuires

7) La Grange restaurant, at the foot of Grand Lac piste. This is not quite as swanky as the previous venues, but it’s the only descent hot chocolate I’ve found in Les Menuires. Ask for the ‘chocolate chaud a l’ancienne’ – the old-fashioned, thick sort.

Now, you will notice that this Top Ten is missing a few entries, especially in Les Menuires. I’d love to hear about your favourite places for an indulgent mid-morning drink, especially if it is the real stuff, not made in a machine. Please do share your favourites in our comments box below.

Coming up in my next report: how to stay happy during half term – all the best insiders’ tips on finding quiet slopes during the busy school holidays.