Eating & Drinking in Val d’isère
04. Nightlife
Bars and Nightclubs in Val d’Isere
After dinner, Val d'Isère changes gear once again.
The lively après ski terraces gradually empty as people head back to their hotels and chalets to shower and change, and for a short while the village becomes surprisingly quiet. Most visitors are sitting down to dinner, so if you're looking for a relaxed drink or a quiet cocktail with friends, this is one of the nicest times of the evening.
Later on, though, the bars begin to fill once more and Val's nightlife really comes alive.
One of the great things about the resort is that there isn't just one scene. Whether you're looking for a quiet glass of wine, expertly made cocktails, live music, a traditional pub atmosphere or somewhere to dance until the early hours, you'll find it somewhere in the village.
A Quiet Drink
If your perfect evening is catching up with friends over a drink rather than shouting over loud music, there are plenty of welcoming bars where conversation is still the main attraction.
Blue Note has long been one of Val d'Isère's hidden gems. Tucked away opposite the ESF office, it's easy to walk straight past if you don't know it's there. The cocktails are excellent, the atmosphere is relaxed and it's one of those places where the staff always seem happy to chat when they're not too busy.
There's also a huge projector screen showing major sporting events, together with a pool table, darts board and regular pub quizzes.
If wine is more your thing, there are several excellent wine bars around the village where you can sample everything from local Savoie wines to some of France's finest vintages.
After a day out in the fresh mountain air, settling into a comfortable chair with a roaring fire and a good bottle of wine can be every bit as enjoyable as a late-night party.
Cocktails, Music and Late-Night Bars
As the evening goes on, the atmosphere changes once again.
Petit Danois is a popular place to start the evening, with live bands, happy hour prices, a DJ every night and a separate pool room (stick and ball—not swimming!).
Across the road, Victors is another Scandinavian-run favourite with a relaxed restaurant, excellent cocktails and early evening two-for-one offers.
A little further out towards the Medical Centre is Hibou. It's only a five-minute walk from the centre of town but is especially popular with seasonaires, particularly for Wings Wednesday, when you can eat your fill of home-cooked chicken wings, or Sunday Funday, with happy hour prices all day.
Later in the evening many of the younger crowd head back into town to Hibou's sister bar, Black Sheep. It's a huge underground venue next door to our Streetside shop with pool tables, Guinness on tap, live music, DJs, giant screens showing live sport and plenty of comfortable seating if you'd rather chat than dance.
The Baraque is another favourite. It's a lovely restaurant while dinner is being served, but once the plates have been cleared away the band turns up the volume, the tables are pushed back and it transforms into a lively late-night party.
Into the Small Hours
For many visitors, a drink or two after dinner is the perfect way to end the day.
Others, however, are only just getting started.
As midnight approaches and some of the bars begin to wind down, the night owls make their way to Val d'Isère's clubs, where the music carries on well into the early hours. During the busiest weeks of the season you'll find an international mix of holidaymakers, ski instructors, chalet staff and locals all celebrating together before somehow managing to do it all again the following morning.
Once upon a time Val d'Isère had no fewer than seven nightclubs. We think we can still name them all, although there are one or two we're fairly sure we never actually made it into!
These days there are just two: Doudoune beneath Cocorico at Rond Point des Pistes and IMA (formerly the legendary Dick's Tea Bar), just off the main road. Both stay open until the wee small hours, with DJs—sometimes world-famous ones—and regular special events.
Fortunately, both also run a free shuttle service back into town because, by the time you leave, there's a pretty good chance the last bus will have long since gone
