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Val Thorens Apres Ski Report: 7th March 2012

Musical bar crawl

featured in Nightlife reviews Author Andy Wilson, Updated

The little snowfall that we have had over the last few days has reinstated the wintery cheer of Val Thorens, not to mention covered up some of the patchy areas and the muddy snow. With the warm afternoon sun that has returned, it is looking rather gorgeous in our fair resort. What better conditions to enjoy some of the lively, friendly après-ski activities and entertainment that are on offer.

With the warm afternoons of the past week, many have enjoyed sitting outside and indulging in some live music in many of the bars and restaurants in town. After a day on the slopes on Monday, we made Plein Sud our last run, stopping for a drink in La Folie Douce at the top of the lift. Whilst the Folie is always fun (if a little exhausting), we decided to sample what was on offer further down the hill. Since many of the bars have live bands playing in the après hours, you can do something of a musical afternoon bar crawl, also making use of the various drinks promotions. Taking the route off Plein Sud that lands you bang in the centre of town at Place Caron, we made Le Galoubet our first port of call. The wide open decking at the top of the slope made for an ideal venue to soak up the sunshine and enjoy some live music with some pals and a frosty beer. The outdoor setting lent a jubilant vibe to the whole square and the music from the resident four-piece funk band could also be enjoyed from the nearby waffle stand or a quiet spot on the hill.

A few beers later we made a move around the square to Face West, a restaurant located just below the tourist office, to catch a musical duo that were halfway through their afternoon set. With one chap on guitar and another manning what appeared to be a small synthesiser/drum-machine, these guys were a refreshing change of sound. Both harmonised on the microphones and treated the crowd to some relaxing ambient tunes which they performed with a welcoming sense of humour and fun. Much of their material was their own and it went down a treat, particularly since the majority of live music to be found in Val Thorens is from cover bands.

Place Caron is more of a dining area than it is a drinking area (despite housing the largest nightclub in resort, Malaysia) and as such the restaurants that line its boarder tend to experience a generally calmer vibe and clientele than the establishments higher up. It’s a great place to go on a warm afternoon as the majority of venues boast large outdoor seating areas, and there is also a number of fast-food joints dotted around if you’re feeling peckish after a day out.

Up on Rue de Gebroulaz you will find the strip of bars that are more popular with the younger crowds and are generally a livelier affair. Tango is the most chilled of the cluster so we head there first. The freshly renovated bar gets blasted by the last of the afternoon sun which floods in through its glass walls, lighting up the stage for the resident jazz band. These guys, who also perform during some evenings donning smarter attire, have a particularly refreshing sound. Covering unlikely pop, rock, metal and hip-hop songs with a jazz flair, they were a crowd pleasing act which got us in a great mood. From here we continued to The Frog and Roastbeef where a very talented three-piece cover band were easing people into the evening with some chilled out pop-rock.

After the band finished we were feeling more than a little peckish, the effect from the early afternoon waffle having subsided by this point. A short stroll back down the hill took us to John’s, an American style (yet Scandinavian run) diner. The restaurant is quite small, only seating a maximum of around 30 people so an early booking is essential. As long as you don’t mind rubbing shoulders with the other diners then this is a fantastic place to eat because the food here is phenomenal. There were BBQ ribs, chicken wings and double decked burgers gracing our table, with a few of their proper milkshakes to wash it all down. This is no cheap diner and a meal with all the trimmings will set you back at least 25-30 Euros. But by God is it worth it.

Location

Map of the surrounding area