Where to eat in Courmayeur, the best restaurants picked by Gambero Rosso

Great for enjoying enchanting landscapes, good air and excellent gastronomy. Courmayeur, a municipality in Val D'Aosta at the foot of Mont Blanc, is a must for mountain lovers. A renowned location for skiing and mountaineering, in summer it transforms into a paradise for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts. Here are the best addresses to taste typical Aosta Valley dishes and discover Alpine cuisine, which offers unique delicacies based on cheeses, cold cuts and traditional regional recipes.

Here the addresses of the best restaurants of Courmayeur

Auberge de La Maison

Against the backdrop of one of the most evocative panoramas in the Alps, the Auberge de La Maison welcomes its guests to a space where the most traditional architecture is reflected in an ambience of great charm. The hotel's popular restaurant tells the story of the territory through typical flavours such as mountain salad, polenta made from wholemeal flour, and Arctic char. Sumptuous is the 'Walk in the Valley', a journey of cheeses and their accompaniments. For vegetarians, Pocké Bowl with brown rice and grilled vegetables. Aubergine proposal of an Anniversary 25 years dish and a glass of wine for 25 euros. Evergreen the Auberge ice cream, with wildflower honey and hot chocolate. It is also drunk (well) by the glass.

Auberge de La Maison - via Passerin d'Entrèves, 16a – 0165869811 – www.aubergemaison.it

Le Cadran Solaire

The Leo Garin family has returned to the management of one of Courmayeur's finest establishments. Here the protagonist is the 'history' of hospitality, declined in the best dishes of Alpine cuisine - created by the talented chef Jean-Marc Neuville - paired with wines of substance (also offered by the glass). An interesting start is the mountain cod, whipped with potatoes and polenta; then the spaghetti Maison with guanciale and Pecorino or the classic Favò with broad beans, sausage, Fontina and herbs. Try the Gran Matzon (snack) with typical cured meats and pickles. For vegetarians, proposals from L'Orto and dal Bosco (in season and 0 km). Unmissable sweet memories, such as the family's apple fritters. Bonus for the remarkable terrace overlooking the pedestrian street. Punctual and smiling service.

Le Cadran Solaire - via Roma, 122 – 0165844609 –  cadransolaire.it

Pierre Alexis 1877

In a pedestrianised town centre maison dating back to 1877, a charming 'salon' combines mountain details with modern design elements. The cuisine emphasises regional recipes (alpine fondue), revisited recipes (mountain ramen) or traditional Italian dishes, such as beef tartare, foie gras terrine and baccalà mantecato. The wine list, which also includes references from beyond the Alps, is good. For lunch, a dish and a glass of wine costs 30 euro. Theme lunches and dinners, banquets and refreshments are also organised by prior arrangement. Small outdoor area in fine weather.

Pierre Alexis 1877 - via G. Marconi, 50a – 0165846700 – pierrealexiscourmayeur.it

Courmayeur’s best pizzerias

Du Tunnel

By entering Courmayeur, the sign immediately strikes you: a very special place, in which, in addition to the main room, customers also have at their disposal a characteristic mezzanine and a pleasant tavern. All the rooms, finished in stone and wood, retain the typical mountain atmosphere. The pizza is prepared with great care and baked in a wood-fired oven. The careful choice of ingredients guarantees a remarkable result. The menu offers more than thirty pizzas, from the classic to the fancier ones; there are several choices, but you must try the Valdostana, with tomato, mozzarella, cooked ham and Fontina DOP, and the Monte Bianco, with tomato, mozzarella, Fontina DOP and Mocetta (a typical Valdostan sausage made with dried meat); the Antica pizza is also special, with goat's cheese flakes and dried tomatoes. Paired with local craft beer. At weekends, takeaway service is also recommended.

Du Tunnel – via Circonvallazione, 80 – 0165841705 – pizzeriadutunnel.it

Fuoripista

At the foot of the winter ski slopes, near the Dolonne gondola, a restaurant designed in full mountain style: run by the Grosso family, Maria Casella and her sons Roberto and Angelo. Upon entering, the intense, heady scent of the wood-fired oven immediately entices you to order pizza, although the choice is not obvious, since the restaurant also specialises in grilled meat (and more). The doughs of the round pizzas are made with organic and wholemeal flours, the leavening is good and allows for excellent digestibility, the ingredients are super fresh and seasonal, tasty and rich in flavour, typical of high mountain eating. Not to be missed is the Renetta pizza, with mountain apples, Fontina DOP, speck and walnuts, or the Courmayeur, with Fontina and mocetta, and the San Bernardo, with Saint Oyen charcoal-browned ham. Also of good quality is what ends up in the glass, the result of careful selection.

Fuoripista – s.da delle Vittorie, 13 – 0165842118  - losciatore.com