2 Best Restaurants in Courchevel, Lyon and the Alps

This is hardly a jacket-and-tie kind of place, as the clientele often come straight from the slopes. The laid-back atmosphere, congenial staff, and simple wood tables are among the joys of L'Azimut, where chef François Moureaux's cooking has earned the place a Michelin star. The dishes are updates of the classics, with some truly amazing flourishes, so look for panfried foie gras with passion-fruit foam, roasted breast of chicken with truffle cream, or turbot with a Champagne sauce. Don't pass up the cheese course; sample as many of the local favorites as you like, and they're all sliced for you tableside.

An amazing view of Mont Blanc is yours at the Cave des Creux, opened by a couple of ski instructors on top of what was once a shelter for shepherds and their flocks (you can still see some of the old cheese cellar and its equipment on the lower level). It's hard to resist the stone-trimmed dining room, where huge iron beams, industrial lighting, and a sleek fireplace give the place a modern feel. The menu is also forward-thinking—consider the pumpkin soup with foie gras shavings as a starter, then move on to lamb chops with wild garlic. Organic wines from the region make it hard to say no to a glass or two before heading back to the slopes. On sunny days, the wraparound deck is packed elbow-to-elbow, even when temperatures drop below freezing.