Méribel is the heart of Les Trois Vallées (the Three Valleys), the largest interconnected ski area in the world, with 600 km of pistes linking the resorts of Courchevel, Méribel, Val Thorens, and Les Menuires. The skiing is world-class (Méribel sits at the centre of the system, you can ski to Courchevel in the east and Val Thorens in the west from the same lift network), but Méribel’s après-ski scene is one of the great attractions of the resort, a British-inflected party scene (Méribel was founded by a British colonel, Peter Lindsay, in 1938, and the British influence, the pubs, the live music, the après atmosphere, remains strong) combined with the Savoyard restaurant culture of the French Alps. Here is a guide to the best après-ski and evening experiences in Méribel.

Quick Facts: Après-Ski in Méribel

• The classic après-ski: The Rond Point (the “Ronnie”, the most famous après-ski bar in Méribel, at the bottom of the Rhodos piste. Every afternoon from 3pm, the terrace fills with skiers dancing in their boots to live bands, the beer flows, the sun sets over the mountains, and the atmosphere is one of the great après-ski experiences in the Alps. The toffee vodka is the house speciality, it tastes better than it sounds). Jack’s Bar (in the centre of Méribel, a more civilised après, with a real fire, a cocktail list, and the best people-watching in the resort. The White Russians are legendary). The Folie Douce (at the top of the Saulire Express gondola in the Méribel-Courchevel sector, the famous Folie Douce franchise, with DJs, dancers, and a champagne-spraying party atmosphere from 3pm. The last gondola down is at 4.30pm, miss it and you are skiing down in the dark, which is less fun than it sounds)
• The restaurants: La Fromagerie (the essential Méribel dining experience, a Savoyard cheese restaurant in a converted barn, serving fondue, raclette, tartiflette, and pierrade, hot stone cooking, in a wood-panelled dining room with a roaring fire and the best cheese-based meal of your life. Book 2–3 weeks ahead in peak season. ~€35–45 per person). Le Clos Bernard (a magical restaurant in the forest above Méribel, accessible by ski or by a 15-minute walk from the Altiport. The setting, a sunny clearing in the woods, a log fire outside, and the mountains beyond, is one of the most beautiful dining experiences in the Alps. The food is grilled meat and fish, the côte de boeuf (rib of beef) for two is the essential order. ~€40–50 per person. Book weeks ahead). Le Cepe (the gastronomic option, a Michelin-recommended restaurant in the centre of Méribel with a modern, inventive menu that is a welcome change from the cheese-heavy Savoyard norm. ~€50–70 per person)
• The pubs and late-night: The Scott’s Bar (the British pub of Méribel, live sport on the screens, live music most nights, and an atmosphere that is more London pub than Alpine chalet. The burgers are excellent). The Tsaretta (the best bar in Méribel for an evening drink, a cave-like space in the basement of a chalet with a fantastic cocktail list, a DJ, and a speakeasy atmosphere). The O’Sullivans (the Irish bar, live music, Guinness, and the most reliably late-night bar in the resort. The party continues until 2am)