Where to eat and drink in Courmayeur: lunch on the col, dinner in town
Lunch is part of the day here rather than a stop, and dinner is in the town or a short hop out. Rifugio Maison Vieille is the lunch to book, Cadran Solaire on Via Roma is the dinner, La Maison de Filippo in Entreves is the long running Valdostan room, Fuoripista is the easy night, and Caffè della Posta is the aperitivo.
Courmayeur plans the day around lunch, and it is worth going along with it. Up on Col Checrouit, above Dolonne, Rifugio Maison Vieille is the one to book: a loud, friendly hut where the bar is also the front desk, and the cured meat and cheese board is the thing to share. Chalet Chez Croux is the easy stop before lunch or after it, self service, skis off at the table, a pastry and a cappuccino in full sun.
Dinner is in the town or a short hop out, and you can go formal one night and simple the next. Book Ristorante Cadran Solaire at the end of Via Roma: three rooms, one of them a small cellar in hand cut stone, Valle d'Aosta classics alongside reworked ones, and a window table to ask for. La Maison de Filippo in Entreves has been going since 1965 with the decor left alone, and the staff talk you through each dish as it arrives. It is an easy bus ride from the centre.
For the night nobody wants an occasion, Fuoripista in Dolonne does pizza through to dry aged meat on the same menu, and it fills later on, so book early. The bar to know is Caffè della Posta on Via Roma: dark wood rooms in two parts, cocktails, and an aperitivo with a spread of food that carries the early evening. It takes no bookings and it is always busy, so go early or be patient.
In the peak weeks book whatever takes a booking, the huts included. The town is compact and walkable, Dolonne is a short way out, and Entreves is the one to take the bus for.
Mountain lunch
A loud, friendly rifugio on Col Checrouit facing the massif, with the cured meat and cheese board to share and a table worth booking.
Rifugio Maison Vieille
Sits on the col with the massif on one side and Courmayeur below on the other. Book, because two separate people say it is always packed. The cured meat and cheese board is the signature and the tagliatelle with mushrooms got called the best plate of somebody's trip. Busy, loud and friendly, with the bar doubling as reception.
Dinner
Valdostan cooking in Entreves since 1965, three rooms at the end of Via Roma, and pizza or dry aged meat in Dolonne for an easy night.
Ristorante Cadran Solaire
At the end of Via Roma, the pedestrian street, in three distinct rooms including a small cellar with hand cut stone walls. The menu is Valle d'Aosta classics plus reworked versions, so a savoury tarte Tatin with Aosta blue cheese sits next to homemade agnolotti and the local favo. Deep wine list, and there is a window table worth asking for.
La Maison de Filippo
Open since 1965 with the decor deliberately left where it was. Valdostan ravioli and polenta are the traditional orders. Family run, and the staff introduce and explain each dish as it lands. It is in Entreves rather than the centre and easy to reach by bus, which is why one guest found the room almost entirely Italian.
Fuoripista
Spans cheap pizza through to properly served dry aged meat on the same menu, which makes it the relaxed option on a night when nobody wants an occasion. The caprini pizza and a meat escalope are the orders, with a caramel flan after. It fills after eight, so book earlier than that. About half a kilometre out on the Dolonne side.
Bars
Dark wood rooms on Via Roma, no bookings and always busy, and the aperitivo spread is the reason to be there.
Caffè della Posta
Dark wood historic rooms in two parts, a formal front with the bar and small round tables, and a back room with soft seating. No reservations and always busy. Cocktails are the strength and arrive with snacks in the quiet hours. Aperitivo with a food spread is the main event, and there is a light lunch too.
Cafes and quick bites
Self service on a terrace in full sun facing the massif, a pastry and a cappuccino late morning and a beer later on.
Chalet Chez Croux
Self service, so you collect from the counter inside and carry it out to the terrace, which is the whole point. Full sun, facing the massif, and you kick your skis off at the table. A pastry and a cappuccino is the order, and one guest rates the hot chocolate the best they have had. It works twice a day, late morning and again for a beer.
These are our own picks, not paid placements. Opening times and ownership change, so it is always worth checking before you set off.