Val d'Isere Apres Ski Report: 9th February 2012

We met up at about 8pm and headed to The Blizzard Hotel. It’s located on the right hand-side of the main street as you head up towards the second roundabout. Enter the hotel and just up the stairs on the right is a lovely bar.

It’s a stylish affair in the bar with smartly dressed serving staff and super comfortable seating. With comfy couches that you really sink into and the low tables to put your drink on, it’s a great place to have a chat and a catch up whether it be with a friend, partner or even a group, there’s plenty of space in this bar. Even with the large crowd next to us we didn’t feel crowded or drowned out in noise.

We chose to have cocktails as I’ve had the Mojitos there before and they were divine. The cocktail list has all the classics and some more too but I had to go for a Margarita as I adore them. They have to be good though; lots of real lime juice, not too sweet and with a kick, not forgetting of course the salt rim. I can tell you that the Blizzard’s Margarita is perfect.

There’s also a good selection of quality wines, whiskeys and other spirits and beers and, with a great atmosphere, what’s not to like? As well as our drinks we were offered olives and nuts to nibble on and even though we were talking a lot, they vanished pretty quickly.

Next it was time to move on as we had our table booked in La Casa Scara, opposite the church in the centre of town. I’ve eaten here a few times before and it’s become one of my favourite restaurants in town. Owned by the Scarafiotti family who are long term Val d’Isere locals, as the name suggests this restaurant is all Italian. It’s a cosy, unassuming restaurant which is great for an intimate meal whether with friends or your partner. All the pasta is homemade to perfection and Matthieu, the chef, offers a range of sauces all based on traditional Italian recipes.

The service is friendly without being intrusive and after an exchange with the waitress who recommended a good bottle of Italian red, we ordered and were then left to our own devices.

We decided to share a starter of the Fritto Misto which is deep fried calamari and prawns with a delicious tartare style dip. For mains, we were both agreed in choosing the Seafood Tagliatelle which along with the homemade tagliatelle came in a light, creamy tomato sauce with plenty of mussels, prawns, calamari and more. It was more than we both could finish as the portions were a really good size and unfortunately neither of us could manage a dessert.

I’ve had the risottos and the gnocchi before as well and can totally recommend them too. There’s a good selection of desserts too, all homemade, if you have room of course.

Overall, the food and service were both fantastic and with its cosy atmosphere it's perfect for a catch up meal with friends or, with Valentine’s Day around the corner, I can totally recommend this place for a romantic night out.

Bookings are essential though as this place is small and popular. The restaurant is open evenings from 7pm until 10pm and you can phone on 04 79 06 26 21 to reserve your table.

If you’re looking for some other romantic hang-outs to take either your loved ones or potentials, try the Avenue Lodge in the main street with its funky bar which offers cocktails in a modern environment. Then you can finish off in the restaurant next door which has a good selection of dishes away from the usual pizzas and fondues that Val d’Isere has to offer. You can even get oysters which are apparently an aphrodisiac!!!

If you’re free and single, then remember for Valentine’s the Moris is having a school disco so bring your tie, drink some cider (or 20/20) beforehand and get ready for some flashbacks with the music and costumes. It’s gonna be fun.

So that’s it from me this week, Happy Valentines kisses to you all, TTFN.