Méribel portraits – Creators of enjoyment

That your holidays in Méribel are always a delight is thanks to the natural beauty of the mountains and, especially, to the men and women who love them, live and work in them and bring them to life throughout the year. We call them restaurateurs, hoteliers and ski instructors but, above all, they are happiness-creators who are demonstrating creativity and unfailing optimism to offer you pleasure-filled holidays, whatever the circumstances!

Take a look behind the scenes of our “enjoyment factory” with these portraits of Alain Plouzané, a chef and forager, and Fabrice Bonnet, a talented hotelier for visitors who appreciate authenticity.

Passionate about the resort and its forests, this adopted son of Les Allues opened his own restaurant seven years ago. With the same elegant simplicity of his cooking, he named it « Le Cèpe » (porcini), reflecting his love for this mushroom.

Now a Méribel institution for all epicureans, this gourmet restaurant has adapted to the current situation and each day offers a take-away version of its elegant cuisine based on local produce.

This thoughtful variation of the menu is perfect for all those who are embracing the joys of ‘off-piste’ mountains and who want to indulge themselves at home. This passionate chef has even taken advantage of the situation to offer a more spontaneous cuisine, more closely based on the seasons.

The menu changes each week and each day the dishes featured on the blackboard are inspired by the whim of the Chef and his faithful clients.

“I have set my heart on maintaining the bond with our regular customers, and the people who are taking advantage of this ‘slow altitude’ to discover our gastronomy. That’s why I often ask our clients to let us know what they would enjoy. We are all enriched by these discussions.”

Fabrice Bonnet, a happy, second-generation restaurant and hotel owner, maintains the legendary reputation of this family institution on the slopes amongst the fir trees.

For 70 years, lovers of the mountains and the old-school way of life have stayed in one of this small alpine hotel’s 27 rooms. Although impacted by the health crisis, Fabrice Bonnet has remained as nimble as a mountain goat, creating tailor-made room service for his customers on holiday with family or friends: rather than dining separately at the foot of one’s own bed, a bedroom is used as a private dining area, promoting safety and conviviality for holidaying groups.

As for restaurant customers, lunch and dinner menus have been adapted to the new “click and collect” eating habits. “There is no question of lowering the quality, so we now offer our beautiful, traditional cuisine in a version that is easy to reheat,” he explains.

As a result, even if non-resident cannot enjoy the restaurant’s famous escalope à la crème, they can make up for it with the blanquette de veau which remains as tender as ever, or the rabbit which improves the more it is reheated, or the gratins, including a hearty tartiflette.

Snacks are still available for hikers that pass by along the footpath, who can treat themselves to a gourmet picnic, with a foie gras terrine or salad of crisp vegetables.

“Holidays that are too complicated no longer feel like holidays: so we endeavour to enhance the lives of people who make the effort to come to the resort to see us ” enthuses Fabrice Bonnet, the incorrigible optimist.