About Les Houches
The village resort of Les Houches is located located at the beginning of the Chamonix valley in and is under a ten minute drive from Chamonix centre. Situated at an altitude of 1000 metres and lying at the foot of Mont-Blanc (4807m), Les Houches offers an exceptional panorama of the peaks surrounding Chamonix.
The village is made up of a number of hamlets, with oratories, chapels, old bread ovens and farms bearing witness to its past. Due to the amalgamation of the different hamlets, today the village has several centres which are focused around the two lift stations, Bellevue and Prarion, and the Marie (town hall). The village is a popular residential for ex-patriots in the valley and has a slightly slower pace to Chamonix although there is still plenty of life to be found in the bars and restaurants.
In the winter, other than skiing and snowboarding, the village offers an indoor climbing wall, outdoor ice rink and cinema which occasionally show films in English (VOST). In the summer Les Houches gets a little busier as main route for climbing Mont Blanc is accessed via the Prarion lift. The village is also home to the Tramway du Mont Blanc, the Adventure Park in Le Coupeau and the Merlet Animal Park where you can see Marmots, Ibex and Chamois. You’ll also find the Lac des Chavants at the far end of Les Houches which has a fantastic lakeside restaurant, outdoor climbing walls and tennis courts.
Restaurants in Les Houches
Les Houches has a good selection of restaurants ranging from local Savoyarde cuisine all the way to Indian. Here are a few we’d recommend:
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Le Basilic | French | Small cosy restaurant opposite the Bellevue lift serving good traditional French cuisine
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La Chavanne | Savoyarde | Situated opposite the tourist office with a lovely terrace serving mainly heart, cheesy Savoyard dishes.
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Le Delice | International / Vegetarian & Vegan | This is a fantastic restaurant with an excellent reputation serving a good range of freshly made dishes with vegetarian and vegan options
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Le Ferme des Agapes | Savoyarde | Just across from the Bellevue lift, this restaurant offers delicious local cheese dishes such as fondue, raclette and tartiflette
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Ghandi | Indian | Good value Indian restaurant with lunchtime specials towards the beginning of the village, close to Super U
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La Guinguette des Chavants | French | This charming lakeside restaurant serves a selection of Galettes and Crepes
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Kitsch Inn | British / Vegetarian & Vegan | Based at the bottom of the Bellevue lift this restaurant and bar offers a superb varied menu with vegetarian and vegan options.
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Rocky Pop | American | At the entrance of Les Houches this hotel restaurant features several sections with a gourmet burger bar, a pizzeria and local Savoyarde kitchen.
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Le Saint-Antonie Pizzeria | Italian | Great value hotel pizza restaurant towards the beginning of the village
Bars and Nightlife in Les Houches
The tone in Les Houches is relaxed and more geared to towards families. The bars therefore tend to have a tranquil, easy-going ambience. If you do like a bit of a party, the Kitsch Inn does have regular live music sets. Here are a couple of bars to try:
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Le Delice | Popular with locals, this is the bar to party at later on in the evening
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Kitsch Inn | Ski to the door for some laid back apres ski with regular live music sets
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Le Spot | A lively bar just opposite the Bellevue lift with regular parties and DJ sets
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Le Solerey | This micro-brewery offers a good selection of locally brewed beers and has a lovely sunny terrace next to the outdoor ice-rink at the bottom of Le Tourchet nursery slopes
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The Wine Factory | A brand new wine bar opposite the tourist office where you can take you pick from a large selection of wines and enjoy a chilled drink with friends
You can also head to
Chamonix where you’ll find a more lively nightlife scene.
More Information On Les Houches
For further information about the resort please visit Les Houches
.