A beautiful resort located in the heart of the Three Valleys in the French Alps, Meribel has a reputation for great skiing opportunities, ideal for all ages and abilities, and for a relaxing holiday. But there’s another, wilder side to the ski resort that emerges only when the sun goes down.
Some resorts have one or two token bars, cozy in their own way, but not so much providing the opportunity for a pub crawl as a brief wobble from one bar to another. Other larger resorts have more variety, but are often spread across vast isolated satellites, making it difficult to visit more than one in one night, especially if you don’t walk in a straight line!
Meribel couldn’t be more different, with an attractive range of establishments packed close together to satisfy even the most die-hard clubbers and bar lovers.
The fun begins when the slopes get thinner and skiers from all over the world can join in for a bit of après-ski. Le Rond Point, halfway up the mountain (you can walk across the track from the “Rhodos” way station) has become legendary with its raucous post sessions with Mullit and Livewire playing 5-7 every day of the week. week. If you prefer to leave the slopes for the day before grabbing a drink after the action, try Jack’s in the center of Meribel (opposite “L’Eterlou” hotel), which is home to a growing roster of talented instrumentalists like Mikey Gray and Daisy B. These acts get everyone on their feet and create a lively atmosphere to kick off the evening.
Lodge de Village (LDV) in the separate area of Meribel Village hosts equally friendly après-ski events, the highlight of which is the Bring Your Sisters group that plays Tuesday nights from 5-7. the ground floor and it’s only a two minute walk from the Golf chairlift so easy to ski in for after. Meribel Village has a regular bus service to Meribel proper, which takes just a few minutes, so it’s easy to get back to the center too.
After dinner around 9:00 the action begins once more. Jack’s offers a happy hour from 9-10 pm that virtually coincides with frequent theme nights that start around 10 pm… Sunday’s Toss The Boss and Thursday’s Bar Stock Exchange are popular regular events. Comedy nights, with line-ups including Al Murray and Marcus Brigstocke, plus costume nights (eg Back to School), take place regularly here.
Barometer, another central bar, often has special offers on its drinks (examples: Mutzig for 1 euro and jaegerbombs for 2.50), while Scott’s offers a 2-4-1 cocktail menu between 10pm and 11pm: 00, but make sure you arrive well in advance. from 11pm – there may be queues. The pub’s happy hour is also from 10-11pm and bands like Livewire and Fourplay perform most nights, bringing the crowds up and creating a lively atmosphere. Le Poste is opposite Pub and Scotts and is frequented mainly by a more French and elegant clientele.
La Taverne (Tav) is a cozy and friendly bar with free wifi and use of computers, serving burgers, paninis etc. in the bar and has a restaurant on the ground floor with a reasonable and varied menu. The Taverne has live music and accommodating DJs like DJ Danz. Drinks are also very reasonable here with 1080s (a Meribel specialty of white wine, lemonade and a selection of fruit-flavoured syrup) costing four euros compared to at least six elsewhere.
As it gets later and the bars start to close, the clubs come to life. There are two very different nightclubs in Meribel: Dick’s Tea Bar is at the bottom of Meribel, plays mostly DnB and is mostly frequented by English people. Dick’s offers free admission before 1 am -although before this time it can be very quiet- and 10 euros after. Les Saint Peres, on the other hand, is very French and often features DJs like Kraftikuts on Monday nights.
So remember… once you’ve had your fill of the Three Valleys slopes, try to keep some energy in reserve – you’ll need it with so much variety. Meribel, with its varied bars and clubs that go virtually non-stop until the early hours, means you really can ski all day and party all night. As they say in these parts, chin-chin!