Oh Après. That special time in the day when skiers and snowboarders head to the resort bars for pitchers of beer and jagerbombs as they show off their spectacular panda-inspired goggle tans and try to master the art of dancing in ski boots. For others, it’s a more sophisticated affair with canapés and kir royale back at the chalet.
Either way, Après forms part of the day’s agenda to celebrate those fresh tracks, landing your first 3 or just getting down the hill in once piece. However you wish to do it, Après is the wind down at the end of the snow-filled day, often starting at 3/4pm and in bed by 10pm (because first lifts await!)
Whether you’re after shots of espresso, or just standard ski shots, Après is a core part of the ski and snowboard lifestyle. In fact, some European resorts have become renowned for providing some of the best Après in the world. And what’s the best way to determine Europe’s Best Apres Ski Resorts? Well, we thought we’d ask around the Surfdome office for the definitive guide to Europe’s Best Apres Ski Resorts. After all, we’ve had our fair share of epic Après-soaked evenings between us…
Check out our Post-Piste Picks….
Photo Copyright: Melody Sky
Corvara, Italy
‘If in need of a pick me up, order an espresso and a grappa. Drink the espresso, pour the grappa in the espresso and swill to get all the leftover caffeine and neck it’
Name:
Jon Lane
Role at Surfdome:
COO
Favourite Après Ski Resort:
Après highlight:
Italian food and wine
Top recommendation:
Local grappa. Try the frutti di bosca grappa.
Top Après Tips:
Peak early so can hit the slopes first thing.
If in need of a pick me up, order an espresso and a grappa. Drink the espresso, pour the grappa in the espresso and swill to get all the leftover caffeine and neck it.
Val D’Isere, France
‘Pace yourself – It’s gonna be a long night’
Photo: Molly O'Malley, taken at La Folie Douce
Name:
Rick Hutchings
Role at Surfdome:
Ski Buyer
Favourite Après Ski Resort:
Après Itinerary:
Après starts on the hill at the La Folie Douce with banging tunes and great atmosphere and then back into town to keep things going.
There’s lots going on and Happy Hours seem to be staggered so you can move from one bar to another and get the best deals in what is generally a fairly expensive resort.
Top Recommendation:
Falline bar, Blue Note and Bar XV are great spots to catch up with locals.
Top Après Tips:
Pace yourself – It’s gonna be a long night! Cafe Face and Victors have good happy hour/après deals, but get in early as Cafe Face gets really busy!
If you’re finishing your day on the Solaise, or skiing the famous Face de Belvarde run, then head to Doudoune bar at the Place du Rond Point de Pistes. All buses coming from each end of town meet here so it’s an easy point to meet up.
Tignes, France
‘Trying to look awesome walking into the bar with a pitcher of beer, only to then slip and throw the whole thing directly into your own face is not such a good look’.
Photo: Anthony 'Mitch' Mitchell, taken at Loop Bar & Restaurant
Name:
Loulou Baylis
Role at Surfdome:
Copywriter
Favourite Après Ski Resort:
Après Itinerary:
After spending four seasons in Tignes you could argue that I’m pretty biased, but Tignes is honestly one of the best resorts for Après. 3pm always sees everyone struggling to stay on the tables at La Folie Douce before hacking down the black run Trolles to carry on at Loop Bar. Live bands, lots of seasonaires and drink deals: prepare to get messy. Wednesdays tend to be the rowdiest Après as it’s day off for most of the seasonaires in town!
Of course if you’re after a more quieter Après, the fantastic bar/ restaurant La Queue D’Cochon opens its doors for some sophisticated 1920s-influenced glamour! Think candles, cocktails and incredible food!
Top Recommendation:
Loop Bar. No where else compares for Après, (especially when you can sit in the sun on the terrace). Stop by Tignes Cuisine right next door for some ridiculously good Thai noodles to soak up the Après-fuelled headiness. Head to Marmot Arms for the after party and TCs in Lavachet for the after-after-party, if you’re still awake!
Top Après Tips:
Careful attempting Apres with ski boots. Trying to look awesome walking into the bar with a pitcher of beer, only to then slip and throw the whole thing directly into your own face is not such a good look. Dancing in ski boots is also a skill. Do not trip up over your own feet and fall onto the live band’s drum kit: it does not make them happy! (Not that I’m talking from experience or anything…)
My top Après tip is probably to always wear a beanie under your helmet to avoid the dreaded helmet hair once in the bar! Apres is never about heading back to the chalet to re-apply makeup or change into comfortable shoes. For the hardcore Après-goers, it’s all about unclipping straight from your bindings and heading straight to the bar.
And last but not least, use a ski lock! With everyone getting merry in the bar, it’s a perfect time for thieves to pounce on your gear left outside! If you forget your lock, switch your skis with a friend and place them far apart, (so that you have two different skis in a pair).
Meribel, France
Be a nice guy -Watch out and help out people on their own struggling to make it back down the slopes to resort after the aprés bar closes!
Copyright: La Folie Douce Meribel
Name:
Maria Summers
Role at Surfdome:
Buying Admin Assistant – Outdoor department
Favourite Après Ski Resort:
Why is it so good for Après?
Merible is right in the heart of the 3 Valleys, the biggest ski area in Europe! You can end an epic day of skiing or snowboarding at either Meribel’s Folie Douce or the seasonaire’s favourite: Le Rond Point. Great ski area, great bars with live music, atmosphere and big beers.
Cant get much better than that!
Top Recommendation:
Le Rond point for Aprés ski, ‘Le Restaurant‘ in the centre of town for dinner – order ‘the fondu of kings’!
O’Sullivans bar is awesome if you want a classic Alps night club.
Top Apres Tip:
Be a nice guy -Watch out and help out people on their own struggling to make it back down the slopes to resort after the aprés bar closes!
Val Thorens, Les Deux Alpes, Tignes and Morzine are also excellent for Aprés.
Other Aprés Highlights:
St. Anton, Austria
Photo: Naomi Scale
With the general consensus to ski hard, but party harder, St.Anton delivers some spectacular Aprés. Our top tip? Head to The Mooserwirt for some loud Austro/German pop and German cover bands. Here, you can watch from wooden balconies and soak up the Aprés vibe.Our only word of warning is that you have to ride back down the mountain once the bar closes at 8pm, so be sure you can handle your Jägermeister or don’t drink and shred.
As Mooserwirt is located on the piste, so is another of our favourite spots: Krazy Kangaruh. Both places offer cranking music and swigs of the local Fohrenburg beer. Be sure to join in, get up on those tables and stomp those ski boots! The KK offers a ridiculously awesome sun terrace, aka. an open dancefloor, with amazing views overlooking St. Anton.
For the hardcore Aprés-goers, head to Kandahar for the after-after party as it’s open until 6am.
Verbier, Switzerland
Copyright: Melody Sky
It may be pricey, but Verbier certainly knows how to provide a good Aprés! The Pub Mont Fort pub is where to go for a mellower couple of sessions, but our favourite by far has to be the Farinet Bar, with fairly priced drinks believe it or not. There’s no need to worry about over-heating as the roof opens to let the steam out. It’s always fun to be dancing to a Swedish cover band as the snow falls through the open roof.
The Farinet has one rule: only girls are allowed to dance on the bar! Our top tip? Clock the new ledge above the bar: the best place to stash your drink so you won’t knock it over while you’re shaking those salopettes on the bar.
If you’re after a mix of rubbing shoulders with aristocrats and ski bums alike, head to the Farm Club. If chasing down the locals is more your thing, you can’t go wrong run by heading to Fer à Cheval.
What if crepes and a chilled out vibe is what you’re after? The Milk Bar on Rue de Médran and La Monde des Crêpes on Rte de la Poste, serve pretty amazing cakes and crepes…the icing on the cake to a perfect snow-filled day!
Front image: Matt Andrews
