Your guide to après-ski in Meribel – find out where to go, the best bars and best music to see in Meribel, Three Valleys.

Méribel après ski: best bars

The reason that Meribel is known for its amazing après-ski is because there are options for all preferences, it’s not just a one-trick wonder!

Wild cabaret shows, live rock bands, amazing DJs, classy cocktails, chilling with a hot chocolate – the choice is yours. You can even mix it up and do all of them during your week’s ski holiday!

What is après-ski? A brief intro for the uninitiated

If you’re new to the concept of a ski holiday, then you have probably been introduced to the idea by skier/snowboarder friends who have persuaded you that you’ll definitely fall in love with winter holidays as much as they have! And that might in part be due to the enduring appeal of après-ski.

Of course, mastering the sporting side of things is your main daytime challenge. To become a skier or snowboarder you need to go through the steep learning curve which might involve some frustrating and/or ridiculous moments of feeling like a fish out of water, but once you start linking those turns, you’ll see what all the fuss is about!

Building up that control and muscle memory takes a lot of effort, so it’s only natural that you’ll want to celebrate your success at après-ski: basically, “after skiing”.

Ski lifts usually close between 4.30-5.30pm, which means it’s time to leave the ski slopes to the piste maintenance team to smooth over for the next day. This leaves you a few hours to kill before you eat dinner, and this time is called “après-ski”.

There are many ways to “do” après. Some prefer a long soak in the hot tub and lounging around the fireplace in their chalet before dinner, others prefer to stay fully dressed in ski wear and dance on tables. To each their own, we say. But if you want to get fully involved in the ski lifestyle, you should probably try the latter option at least once during your ski trip to Méribel!

Good to know: Après-ski finishes! Around 7pm, the music stops, the party winds down and the bars either close or set up for dinner service. As there are so many catered chalets in Meribel, usually people head back to their chalet to eat, then (energy permitting) hit the bars from 10pm until late!

Best things to do at après-ski o’clock

Here are some ideas for things to do during this “après-ski” time, before dinner:

Head back to the chalet for afternoon tea and a brew
Have a sauna or relax in the hot tub
Go sledging!
Take an early evening stroll or do some yoga and stretching
Hit the local shops
Get a takeaway snack: crêpes and waffles are readily available from stands in resort
Go for a hot chocolate (if you like squirty cream, say “oui” to the extra Chantilly!)
Visit one of the bars on the slopes/in the resort for a drink and to see a band/DJ

Watching the sun set from Chalet Brigitte hot tub. Image credit: Rich Roberts

Is Meribel good for après ski?

European ski resorts are the original home of après-ski, and all the big name ski destinations have their unique “scene”. St Anton in Austria is arguably the most famous place to experience wild après, but wherever you pick for your ski holiday, there will be something going on (ask your chalet host/ski instructor or follow your nose!)

Méribel is up there with the best après-ski destinations and will be on most people’s bucket lists alongide Val d’Isère, Ischgl, Verbier and Val Thorens.

Méribel ’s après-ski scene: where to go

To give you some insight into the different après-ski styles and best bars in Méribel, let’s categorise them by venue type…

Dancing on tables at Méribel’s legendary après-ski bar terraces

The Folie Douce

This small chain of ski resort bars has cornered the market’s enthusiasm for dancing in ski boots.

In the Three Valleys, there are not one, but two Folie Douce bars – one in Val Thorens, the other at the mid-station ski lift of Saulire Express in Méribel. That’s right, it’s half-way up the mountain! It is accessible on foot as a pedestrian, or you can ski there.

What to expect: There are different ‘zones’ to the Folie Douce – the far end has tables which are part of La Fruitière restaurant. In the middle there are bar tables, and the higher terrace is the VIP area. In the centre of all this is the stage – there are dance shows every afternoon and a DJ set. Dance away in your ski boots and enjoy the show – the cabaret dancers are genuinely amazing and it’s a not-to-be-missed Three Valleys experience.

Don’t miss: Watch out for the tandem paragliders flying over the bar and give them a wave!

Closing time: 5pm

Le Rond-Point aka “The Ronnie”

The Ronnie has been at the heart of Meribel’s après-ski scene for years and years, and one of the great things about it is that it’s really friendly and open to all ages. The huge terrace has rows of massive picnic tables under a gigantic parasol and a stage/DJ decks. The party starts from around 3.30pm every day of the season. Look out for some of Meribel’s best après-ski acts: Al Jones, Bubble & Crisp, La Fox, Revolverlites, Pink Miami and Sian Hayley Smith.

What to expect: Put your ski stuff somewhere safe, get a round in and find yourselves a good spot. Table dancing, crowd surfing… When it all kicks off it can get pretty wild, no matter whether it’s a sun-baked afternoon or dumping with snow.

Don’t miss: The slide down to the toilets!

Closing time: 7pm

A gentle word of warning! You don’t have to ski back down to resort as long as you don’t miss the last lifts! If you’re a beginner, DEFINITELY get yourself onto the lift instead of skiing down (Check the times on the 3 Valleys app or on the piste map.) The lifts also usually have signs to say the last lift times. If you do ski down, we strongly advise you to take it very slowly, because at the end of the day there’s less light, and the slopes have become a lot bumpier, so it’s not easy going. Even the most experienced riders struggle and you don’t want to ruin your holiday with an injury!

Pubs and bars in Meribel: best places for après

Jack’s: Expect regular live bands, live sport, craft beer and cocktails at this après-ski hot spot just across the road from the bottom of the ski slopes. On Wednesdays, catch Pink Miami for Extended Après!
Lodge du Village “LDV”: Catch singers or bands on stage, then head upstairs for extended après DJ sets. Located in Meribel Village (catch the free bus to and from Meribel Centre).
Le Rambler: Sports bar with live music a couple of nights per week. Located in Meribel Mottaret (catch the free bus)

Chilling and cocktails: civilised après-ski

Copiña: truly delicious cocktails and tapas with a Galician twist
Barometer: head here if you fancy a spritz (0% versions too)
L’Abreuvoir: a French vibe with great cocktails and wine selection

What to drink at après-ski: the most popular options

Jugs of beer are the go-to refreshment choice at après-ski, and most bars have special offers or happy hour prices. You’ll also see people milling around with Aperol or Hugo Spritzes. At the Folie Douce you’ll spot magnums of Champagne poured with abandon, or ski boot “jugs” of beer. For shots, the classics are all available but you can also try the local herbal spirit, génépi for a change, or perennial alpine favourite, toffee vodka.

If you’re looking for low or no alcohol drinks, then in French you could ask for a panaché which is a beer & lemonade shandy, or a sirop for a drink of squash. French bars also usually serve sparkling water and coke/tonic/lemonade and Orangina, of course! Many bars sell decent alcohol-free craft beer (eg. Jacks and The Den) and Barometer also has low/zero alcohol drinks including spritz.

[*Please drink responsibly and consume in moderation*]

Late drinks: where to go in Meribel

Click to go to each bar’s insta page to see what’s on during your week. Expect band nights or DJs somewhere in town on every night of your stay!

Le Taverne “The Tav”: Beers, bands & beats from 10pm. Don’t miss DJs Bubble & Crisp if you can catch them.
Le Doron Pub: DJs or bands start at 10pm. We recommend the Revolverlites, the Lunettes or Sian Hayley Smith!
O’Sullivan’s “Sully’s”: Opens at 10pm but as it’s open until 5am it gets busy from midnight. DnB, Techno, Disco Inferno – keep an eye on their Insta to see what’s on.

Meribel’s best live bands and DJs

These are some of the DJs and bands that play regularly around Méribel – this is by no means a complete list, and there are lots of other amazing artists to explore on your Méribel ski holiday.

Bubble and Crisp on the decks at le Rond Point (image credit: Gemma Ward, Wardette Studio)

Other events in Meribel

Riders Film Festival – an annual event held in March each year, this is an event for local and not-so-local film makers to submit and show their films – mostly about winter sports/mountains – which are judged in different categories.

Ronnie Loves Music festival – if you visit in March, don’t miss one of Europe’s biggest outdoor music festivals. And it’s free! Ronnie Loves Music has seen headline DJs such as Jamz Supernova, Norman Jaye, DJ Yoda and Craig Charles play alongside some of Meribel’s best local bands and DJs.

Meribel Sound Clash – the ultimate street party! Usually in early April, the Taverne and Abreuvoir bars near Meribel’s Tourist Office go head-to-head with 20 minute DJ sets on opposite sides of the street.

Getting around Meribel for après-ski

Méribel is not just one big town, it has a few different “villages” which are all part of the overall ski resort. These are:

Meribel Centre
Meribel Mottaret
Meribel Village
Meribel Les Allues

Each of these villages has its own bar/s for après-ski, and it’s good to know that you can use the free ski buses to get around.

Meribel Centre is the largest area and is easy to get around on foot although a bus does go to the Rond Point (home of The Ronnie bar) so you can hop on that to get back into the main centre if you want.

Looking for somewhere to stay in Meribel?

Central, spacious and right by the slopes, Chalet Loden is a six bedroom ski chalet in the heart of Meribel Centre. Contact us for a quote for your group or check available dates and pricing.

Chalet Loden in Meribel

Header image: Gemma Ward, Wardette Studio)

Guide to après-ski in Meribel

Méribel après ski: best bars