FOR FOODIES SAINT-MARTIN-DE-BELLEVILLE
In the first of a new series, we celebrate the Savoie resort that promises mountain fare that’s a cut above…
WHERE IS IT?
Saint-Martin-de-Belleville is located in the Savoie region, adjacent to Les Menuires, and is part of the enormous 3 Vallées ski area. Offering a radically different experience from the fast-paced commercialised resorts of Val Thorens, Courchevel and Méribel, it’s a proper, authentic alpine village. Think small-village charm, big-resort skiing.
WHY IS IT SO GOOD FOR FOODIES?
Simply because the restaurants here are some of the best you’ll find in the mountains. St-Martin boasts the only 3* Michelin restaurant in the 3 Vallées: La Bouitte (la-bouitte.com). Here you can expect languorous four-course lunches that last all afternoon and a delightful sense of Savoyard tradition – think foie gras paté served on rustic pottery with a wood-handled Laguiole hunting knife.
But it's not all about fine dining; alongside the fancier restaurants there are some wonderfully charming farmhouse inns, like Le Montagnard (le-montagnard.com), which is housed in a converted stable and serves up Savoyard classics that are as tasty as the setting is rustic.
WHY GO NOW?
The resort has hit the ground running after its Covid closure, with a host of exciting new restaurant openings. In the heart of the village is the new L’Art B restaurant (lartb.org; the word ‘arbé’ in Savoyard dialect means ‘mountain chalet’; ‘Art B’ sounds the same as ‘arbé’ in French). Refuel after a hard day’s ski with one of their signature burgers with local sérac (ricotta-style) cheese. Also on the menu is homemade ice cream using milk from the Chantacoucou farm, wines from the Perrier estate, and craft beers by the Brasserie Alpine.
On the hill, you can dine at the La Bouitte's new sister restaurant Simple & Meilleur (simple-meilleur.com). Located skier’s left as you descend the piste towards the main bubble, the mountain bistro is run by La Bouitte father and son chefs René and Maxime Meilleur. Offering hungry skiers tapas-style bites with a Savoyard twist, it serves up dishes like oven-baked whole brown trout, goat’s cheese raclette, and blueberry tart.
Work off lunch with some laps of the new La Masse area in Les Menuires, which has been completely rejuvenated with one of the fastest and most efficient cable cars in the French Alps. Here you’ll find some pacey reds and thrilling blacks, which trickle down from the 2,804m Pointe de la Masse.
DON'T MISS…
With an incredible 600km of groomed runs to ski, and of course acres of off-piste that lie in between, choosing a ‘best run’ in the 3 Vallées is no easy feat (apparently, if you laid the pistes out end to end, they’d run from London almost as far as Aberdeen). But many locals and regulars agree that one of the most spectacular runs in the area is Jerusalem. Located just above St-Martin, it has gentle twists and turns and simply stunning views.