La Bergerie, Chamonix
The greatest horizon in the Alps awaits those sitting on the terrace of La Bergerie, high above Chamonix-Mont-Blanc. The Aiguille du Midi, Mont Blanc and glacial ice and peaks as far as you can see are something that you could stare at Ad infinitum. Located at the top of the Planpraz gondola, foot passengers have immediate access to the restaurant. With beginner slopes on a plateau just a few metres above the restaurant and some great tough skiing from the top station of Le Brévent, La Bergerie is one of the best lunchtime meeting points in the Chamonix valley for mixed ability groups. Not only is La Bergerie an outstanding lunch venue, it can be booked as a venue for night time dinner parties.
Seegrube, Innsbruck
Dominating the skyline to the north of Innsbruck, the Nordkette range hosts one of the truly iconic mountain restaurants in the region – the Seegrube. Located at the top of the Seegrube cable car, the restaurant can be accessed from the centre of Innsbruck via underground funicular – itself a marvel of engineering. The Seegrube restaurant features a famous, stone terrace, overlooking the Innsbruck valley and the glacial peaks on the Italian border to the south. Wonderful, traditional furniture complements the Tirolean food and along with a fire basket and Glühwein reception on the terrace, the place is truly special by day or night. The Cloud 9 igloo venue is now a fixture on the plateau during the winter months, for drinks under sculpted icy domes.
Ice Q, Sölden
A twin stage lift from Sölden rises 1.7km in altitude to the rugged peak of the Gaislachkogel, where the ice Q restaurant clings to the jagged granite. A stunning, contemporary structure, the ice Q offers indoor and outdoor seating as well as viewing platforms and Austria’s highest wine cellar, located at over 3000m. Internally and externally, the ice Q is a remarkable structure with a series of angular structures providing venue space, platforms and overhangs. The venue can be booked at night, whilst guests, especially non-skiers may want to explore the adjacent 007 exhibition centre, a similarly dramatic structure that houses James Bond exhibits relating to the filming of Spectre in Sölden.
Gornergrat, Zermatt
Unusually (or maybe not for Switzerland) the Gornergrat is accessed by train, which climbs out of Zermatt and resides in the middle of the ski fields above Zermatt. With the remarkable Matterhorn sitting bang in the middle of the horizon, the vistas are truly mesmerising. The complex features a number of restaurants, whilst the stone terrace adorns many national marketing campaigns – it really is glorious. The Gornergrat makes for a great lunchtime rendezvous for skiers and non-skiers, with non-skiers taking the train back to Zermatt, winding through the ski pistes and tunnels, to arrive back in the heart of the resort.
La Folie Douce, Méribel
Après doesn’t necessarily require ski or snowboard boots – non-skiers are often great exponents of the art of après ski. And in France there are no more iconic venues for après ski than the La Folie Douce mountain huts. Les 3 Vallées boasts La Folie Douce outposts in Val Thorens and close to the Méribel – Courchevel border. Accessed from Méribel by the Burgin gondola non-skiers can arrive and depart the mountainside location and sample the stunning spectacle of the La Folie Douce afternoon, live performances. Dining is available on their outdoor terrace, as are La Folie Douce mementos from their shop. Anyone visiting Courchevel or Méribel has to experience an afternoon at La Folie Douce.