This article was previously published by Capital trip 19.11.2020
Skiing in Tignes, a couple of hours by taxi from Geneva, we knew was good from before. Here you will find a varied and snow-safe facility in a high-lying area, and with over 300 kilometers of trails, there is something for everyone.
But what about the food?
When we went to the Alps for the first time almost 25 years ago, we were content with a bed to sleep in and a breaded wienerschnitzel on our plate. But we have become somewhat better accustomed over time – and so have most other tourists.
Many alpine destinations are constantly evolving and now offer a number of luxury options also in accommodation and dining options. And Tignes is no exception. We went there to combine a couple of days of gourmet food with world-class skiing.
Tignes ski Photo: Cande / STGM
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World-class skiing
The gourmet experience starts already in the middle of the day. After a couple of hours of skiing in very good conditions, we take the train up to the restaurant La Panoramique at 3,032 meters altitude.
– It is the world’s tallest gourmet restaurant, we are told.
On the menu we find – of all things – pigeon. Something we rather associate with a little annoying birds that fight for food and rubbish leftovers in big cities. But to our great surprise, the pigeon was beautifully cooked with a wonderful mashed potato.
– The secret with this mashed potato is a lot of butter, they tell us from the kitchen.
The dining experience is a good break from skiing, and on the way down from the restaurant you can choose a long blue trail if you like nature experiences, and want to rest your legs a bit. For the speed-loving, you can whiz the relatively steep, red hill down around 1,000 meters to the city. We chose the latter and used the extra energy the pigeon had given us. It is impressive to run a gourmet restaurant at an altitude of over 3,000 meters. It must require some logistics.
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Tignes Cocorico Photo: Andy Parant
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A necessary après ski
Before the corona pandemic broke out in full force in Europe, many people preferred a stop at après-ski between the battles of skiing and dining experiences.
One would like to meet like-minded people and have a glass in good company. Until last year, this has been a hole in Tignes’ program. Our visit to the area is the fifteenth in a row. And even though we have had great visits in the past with good food and skiing, we always felt there was something missing. Namely good après ski.
On the other side of the valley, Val D’Isère has had the après-ski resorts Cocorico in the center and La Folie Douce on the mountainside. While there have only been a few small bars in Tignes until last year, when a department of Cocorico moved across the mountain. With a large après ski area, live entertainment and a good atmosphere, this can help make Tignes an even more perfect alpine destination – the day the ravages of the virus are finally over and we may get to experience après ski in its full form again.
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Tignes restaurant Ursu Photo: Pierre-Marie Gaury
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Michelin star in height
At 2,100 meters above sea level, Tignes is one of the highest alpine destinations in Europe. It provides good snow security, and also means that Tignes is one of the highest places in the world with a Michelin restaurant. Last year, the gourmet restaurant Ursus opened as part of the five-star Hotel Les Suites. The restaurant recently received its first star in the Michelin Guide.
The Michelin guide was started by the tire manufacturer Michelin to help people travel more and in turn consume more tires. What better way than to get people to travel far south in France and up the mountain for a bite to eat and some skiing?
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Tignes restaurant Ursu Photo: Pierre-Marie Gaury
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On the way into the restaurant, it strikes us that a lot of emphasis has been placed on getting in touch with nature. The restaurant is decorated with trees and we get the feeling of sitting in a forest. We go for the restaurant’s three-course meal, and the dishes come in a row. Even though we ordered a three-course dinner, we are served, with all the medium and tasty dishes, more than a ten-course dinner.
At Ursus you get a three-course meal for 98 euros, or just over 1,000 kroner – and given the scope of this three-course meal, it appears to be a bargain. Not only is the food excellent, it is the details and the journey through the meal that make this an experience a little out of the ordinary. It is very far from the time we started with alpine trips and lived on breaded wienerschnitzel.
Our visit shows us that it is entirely possible to have gourmet experiences and several good ski trips on one and the same trip.
Kapital Reise was on a trip with the French Tourist Board last winter.
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