Where to eat in St Foy en Tarentaise

 Having visited St Foy every year for the past decade and suddenly realising that there was absolutely no literature about where to eat in this rapidly expanding town - it was time to make the ultimate guide on where to dine. Please note - all prices for dinner are estimates and include significant amounts of alcohol and that bookings in high seasons are a good idea - think a couple of months in advance for La Colonnes or a year in advance for New Years Eve.





On the way...
Le Grange - St Foy Town 

Situated in St Foy Town as opposed to the ski resort further up the mountain, it is a pretty good spot to stop on the way to St Foy or if you feel the need to venture out of the village. Our group checked it out en route from Geneva to St Foy, for dinner. We started with mixed starters, three between 11 of us, which left all of us happy and full. Main courses took a while to show, but when they did were worth the wait. The assortment of local sausages was incredibly satisfying and arrived looking beautiful. 
Damage? 40 Eur pp 
Who to go with? Smaller groups
What to wear? Alpine Chic
Once you're there...
L'Iceberg
More bar than restaurant, L'Iceberg is situated in the same Les Balcons building as Le Bergerie, with a terrace overlooking the nursery slope, which is a plus as watching people learn to ski is always good entertainment. Alternatively, it acts as a sledding slope for kids whose parents are engaged in drinking at L'Iceberg. Food is average to say the least; it is all hotdogs, burgers and croque monsieur, which make an okay, if unhealthy lunch. It is also a post ski school place, as ski school finishes right next to the terrace.
Damage? 10 eur pp 
Who to go with? Kids who want to sled / adults who want to drink in the midday sun 
What to wear? Ski gear
L'a'cour
The newest addition to the St Foy scene, L'a'cour, is opposite Pichouli. It serves as an apres ski drinking whole but also according to one of the locals the best restaurant in St Foy. It is tiny, so I am guessing bookings are necessary. The menu looked reasonably priced and rather interesting - Foie Gras Covered in Nuts was one of the items on the board outside the place. It is a welcome addition to the rather limited dining scene. 
Damage? 
Who to go with? Adults with an interest in wine 
What to wear? Anything goes
La Bergerie

Situated in "Les Balcons", two minutes from Maison La Colonnes, La Bergerie is a beautifully designed restaurant. It is all wood, stone and an imposing fireplace, with alpine but not kitsch decor. If only the experience lived up to its looks. La Bergerie is always painfully under staffed - whilst we were there only one waiter was working at the bar and covering for about 30. So it is a slow experience, which is fine because it really is quite a nice place to kill a couple of hours, just don't go starving. The food quality was mixed last time we went, tartiflette, was devoid of any seasoning but other dishes, like lamb shank were devoured by the rest of our group.
Damage? 40 eur pp aprox 
Who to go with? No one hungry 
What to wear? Anything ski chic 


Maison a Colonnes 

Is pretty much St Foy. It can be seen from pretty much every angle of the town, is next to the chairlift and is pretty much impossible to avoid. It is also the only restaurant that has universal appeal. It is as entertaining for children as it is for adults thanks to the many options that allow for "playing with your food" - Raclette, Pierrade, Chapeau and Fondue and in general the food is of a very high quality. It is the only restaurant that requires very advanced bookings for dinner - think one year ahead for Christmas or New Year, and three months ahead for "peak weeks". In our week in St Foy, we luckily were able to go three times. The one advice - don't bother with starters, the portions are so hefty and the desserts so good they aren't worth a look in .The best bets when it comes to the Maison are Raclette, (impossible to get wrong), or the Chapeau or Pierrade both which involve cooking your one's own small cuts of meat. Tartiflette here is flavourful and thankfully, seasoned. For those not feeling the Savoyarde vibe, there is a selection of pastas - which are surprisingly good; perhaps proximity to the Italy, 20km or so, helps. Service is charming, wine is reasonable and atmosphere lively. It is pretty much a perfect ski village restaurant.
Damage? 40 eur pp 
Who to go with? Anyone 
What to wear? Layers that can be easily removed when the various cooking instruments increase the temperature and shoes that won't slide when climbing the slight snow covered incline to the restaurant.

Up the Mountain...
Chez Leon

Located at the top of the first chair lift, and next to Les Brevettes, Chez Leon isn't really worth a look in. It requires a reservation, or so an angry sign outside the front door told us, and so we shouldn't bother asking. When we did reserve for the next day we were told to be there on the dot or our table would be given away - to whom? - is my question, since this sign is pretty off-putting. Service however, does actually come with a smile. Sadly the food is dismal to say the list. Steak Hache was underseasoned, undercooked and had a "from the freezer" taste to it, fries were of a similar quality. 
Damage? 10 eur pp 
Les Brevettes 
Next to Chez Leon , is the much more satisfying Les Brevetttes - they take no booking so get here at 12 on the dot for a guaranteed spot, either in the sunshine or in the tiny cabin like restaurant. It serves a selection of raviolis that arrive in skillets, with molten cheese bubbling on top, omelettes and soups. Plats of the day are generally wonderful, and well balanced - Veal in a white sauce, with sweet potato and brocolli set me up well for an afternoon of skiing without sending me into a food coma or making me feel the need to ski off the extra calories. Service is friendly and food arrives quickly. It is pretty much the only place worth stopping for.
Damage? 15 eur pp 
La Foglietta 
More of a hut then a restaurant but they serve a selection of sandwichs, paninis, hot dogs and slices of pizza and a very good vin chaud. They have sun chair's facing the mountain and if the weather is right, it is a great place to sit and watch people attempt some impressive off-piste. 
Damage? 5 eur pp 
Further afield...
Chez Merie
Michelin starred restaurant about 15 minutes away from St Foy serving simple french dishes. Impeccably executed, with a non too hefty price tag it is definitely worth venturing out of the village for. 
Damage? 50/60 Eur pp 
Who to take? Anyone who enjoys the idea of watching their meat cook on an open fire in the restaurant 
What to wear? Ski chic