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tripstations · 5 years ago

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Top Restaurant Recommendations at Tremblant

Our friends at Expedia.ca sent tripstations on a three-day, long weekend to Eastern Canada’s premier ski resort, Mont Tremblant as part of their #BigWorldExplorer campaign. My initial response was, ‘but I haven’t been on skis in 25 years!!’ but upon arrival, I was soon caught up in Tremblant’s charm, excitement, joie de vivre and intoxicating energy. And yes, I did get up on skis again!

you have to take some time to eat, unwind and in my case, lubricate my out of shape, weary legs. Will it be in and out fast food, fine dining, or perhaps a local gastropub? In-hotel room service, close to the slopes or outside of the village? So many choices to satisfy a hungry skier! Here are some Tremblant Restaurant recommendations both close to the hill and further afield.

La Forge

My first-night welcome to Tremblant dinner is spent upstairs at the clubby, wood and leather La Forge in their popular Grill. Françis welcomes me with a relaxed, Quebecois sense of ‘I’ve met you before’ and makes me feel entirely at home. I perch myself at the bar with views of their maple-fed open fire grills and Alex from New Brunswick, walks me through the menu, intermittently telling me what brought him to Tremblant some fifteen years earlier. I decide on an entirely beef night and start with a traditional tartare: quail- egg topped and toasts on the side, pickled, acidity caper berries countering the rich, raw meat. Splashes of sriracha and spicy olive oil topped with a tasty garnish of cilantro make this dish sing! I pause and sip my Henry of Pelham 2014 Baco Noir before enjoying refreshing kale, red cabbage, and green apple salad. Everything is relaxed and well-timed. Finally le piece de resistance: Japanese Wagyu ‘aux fillet’ cooked medium rare over the wood fire, a separate sea salt bowl for seasoning. The meat is buttery-rich and tender with full-on flavour in my mouth; a tablespoon of pickled, salty, gingery slaw cleanses the palate between each wonderful, beefy bite. Sides of hand-cut fries, garlic or smoked cheddar (how Quebecois!) mash or simple green beans round out my meal. The dress is casual, aprés ski wear: boys in hoodies and girls in cashmere. Dress comfortably and enjoy the candle-lit ambiance watching the groomers zoom back and forth across the mountain in preparation for tomorrow’s crowds.

After a morning on the slopes, stow your skis at the Ski Valet and head downstairs to La Forge’s Bistro-Bar, conveniently located between the ski slopes and 2 ski-boot steps to Place St-Bernard. Right in the heart of Tremblant’s pedestrian village, La Forge’s Bistro-Bar-Pub provides a convenient and yummy break from the hill. Some fairly standard bistro pub food offerings are offered including sandwiches, bread bowls, pizza and burgers with kids and gluten-free options as well. Beer is the beverage of choice here, but wine and popular mixed drinks are available for the non-hop lover. Saturday nights the bar turns the volume up with live music from local musicians. If the weather is glorious, as it was for my visit, sit outside on their sunny patio and people-watch Place St-Bernard and sip and nibble your way through a burger and a beer or some savoury BBQ duck confit poutine.

Microbrasserie La Diable

This popular micro-brewery hangout has a big lunchtime buzz with skiers in their boots and locals alike dropping by for a beer and some traditional and not so traditional pub food. La Diable offers 100% natural, brewed on-site blondes, reds, whites, darks and stouts with monthly beers on offer, (March was their IPA month). I start with une ‘Diable’ (of course), this micro brasserie’s most popular ale. Very smooth with a nice balancing of hops and malt. Some very UN-pubish food offerings here at La Diable: ‘Toulouse and Octoberfest sausage with house-made sauerkraut”: some Québecoise Charcuterie which I wash down with my second glass of suds, the monthly IPA choice. In the mood for more traditional pub fare? Croque-monsieur, burgers and traditional Montréal smoked meat will sate your skiing hunger. I could have wiled away a few hours sipping the entire beer menu at La Diable, but alas I was on a schedule!

La Savoie

I recently returned from a trip to EvianlesBains and the French Alps and was totally taken by a fantastic post-Alpine hike lunch of Raclette Royale at the family-run Le Relais de la Chevrette . I have been on the lookout for this cheesy wonderfulness since my return. Tremblant friends and regulars mentioned that I had to visit La Savoie during my stay and am happy I did. This little bit of French/Switzerland heaven, on Chemin de Kandahar in the pedestrian village, offers an authentic Savoyard experience. Both cheese and broth fondues, grill stones offering duck, chicken, shrimps, scallops and filet mignon are popular, but really, one has to have the Raclette Savoyard with either Raclette Cheese or Raw Milk Cheese (lait cru) imported from Savoie. Of course, add some boiled potatoes, Parma Ham, Rosette de Lyon (cured pork sausage) and a green salad to make you feel just a little saintly and your evening is complete. An excellent French Alpine experience close to the slopes.

Restaurant Patrick Berman

Make sure you include some time away from the busy Tremblant Village and take a short drive to Old Tremblant and spend some adult time at the Restaurant Patrick Bermand . My last night in Tremblant was spent at this lovely, warm candle-lit room set in an original Quebec farmhouse, aptly named,”House of Happiness’ in Old Tremblant. General Manager Marc Bujold ‘amuses’ me with a typical Quebec tasting: Duck Foie gras, local goat cheese, tartare and lovely gravlax that took me back to my Montreal of the late 1970s. Ginger ice follows to cleanse the palate. Patrick Berman is personally in the house this Friday evening, and in the typical French style, working the room, welcoming guests and thanking them, and me, for coming. A truly gracious and generous host. I continue with a beautiful free range chicken, perfectly roasted, thyme ‘au juice’ with roasted carrots and simple green beans, a touch of roasted fennel to make it sing, all sitting on a pillow of caramelized onion cauliflower purée. Such welcoming staff, wonderful food, intimate atmosphere. Get out of the hectic pace of Tremblant’s ski village and enjoy a true a taste of simple, joyous hospitality.

Many thanks to Expedia.ca‘s #BigWorldExplorer program. tripstations would love to know where your favorite Tremblant experiences are, both on and off the slopes and in any season via the comments below! Need to do more research? You can always find a great flight, rental car and hotel deals to Montreal and Tremblant here . Certain meals and activities were generously sponsored by the Tremblant Resort Association who did not approve this review. Many thanks for their generosity and support.

World Traveler, Writer, and Blogger, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the tripstations.com travel blog. A former Actor, current shower-singer, and non-hipster foodie. Loves his week-end house in St Marys, Ontario. Dad to Sophia, Ariel, and Hastings three of the best cats in the world.

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tripstations · 5 years ago

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Enjoy Tremblant in Any Season!

where you can enjoy fine dining, a stay at a luxury hotel and of course exhilarating four-season activities including world-class skiing? Pack your rental car and enjoy the sunny ride up from Montreal and enjoy North America’s premier eastern ski resort, Mont Tremblant.

From the very first installation of their elevated passenger ropeway in 1939 until today, Tremblant has grown its allure and polished its reputation as the largest and most varied skiable terrain in Eastern Canada.

And Tremblant is not just a ski resort as I quickly discovered: year-round, Tremblant shines as an incredible four-season experience of cultural, sporting and family activities.

Summer offers lake-filled Laurentian days with activities such breathtaking (literally) zip line adventures with Ziptrek Eco Tours Tremblant, exceptional golf, luge, the Parc Plage on Lake Tremblant, cycling and rollerblading. The season heats up with the beats of Tremblant’s Summer Festivals: Rythmes Tremblant, the Tremblant Blues Festival and Music on the Mountain. Tranquil canoeing and trekking in nearby Parc National du Mont-Tremblant is a must and for the very adventurous, an eight-hour climb on her steep Via Ferrata du Diable. End your summer and start your fall with Tremblant Beneath the Stars in August and Symphony of Colours in September. Tons to do 365 days a year! Easy to see why Tremblant was named No. 1 Ski Resort in Eastern North America by Ski Magazine for the seventh consecutive year! Need new equipment like I did? click here!

Rent a car to Tremblant

Rolling mountains greet you as you pass through la Porte-du-Nord and the 1.5-hour drive up from Montreal can be spectacularly beautiful, particularly on a blazing sunny day. Cascading waters are frozen mid-fall creating gorgeous ice cliffs clinging to the rocky outcroppings. You’ll want to get off the hectic Tremblant Village and do some exploring after all so rent a car and utilize your hotel’s Valet Parking Service. The Westin Tremblant offered a super fast and friendly service, which I took full advantage of.

Take a lesson at Tremblant

I haven’t been on skis in 25 years so my new friends at the Tremblant Resort Association set me up with Normand, who patiently gave me a two-hour private lesson. The Tremblant Snow School offers pretty much every kind of lesson for every kind of skier: adults, kids, ski and snowboard, ski and snow weeks, right up to adult ski racing lessons! No excuse not to get up on those skis! And for those of you, like me, who may be hesitant about jumping on that ski-horse again after falling off, our friends at Sports Fitness Advisor offers a multi-page guide on ski training that is packed with practical tips and advice. No excuse not to get up on those skis!

Go Off-Site at Tremblant

Now that you have a car at your disposal, make sure that you get out of Tremblant’s busy Pedestrian Village and enjoy some of the beautiful Quebec countryside to savour a meal, cheese shop, a late spring Cabane a Sucre or simply enjoy a romantic dinner for two. I got to zoom my fat tire bike around the extensive grounds surrounding Tremblant, sharing the sunset trails with the occasional cross-country skier. Great first-day arrival work out!

Enjoy some Aprés Ski at Tremblant

A long day on the slopes is bound to make you thirsty; so take some time to aprés and in my case, lubricate my out of shape, weary legs. There are a ton of options available to you before, during and aprés your ski day. On especially sun-filled days, bars fling open their sunny patios welcoming aprés ski revelers and lunchtime sun worshippers. Summer patios on Tremblant’s Pedestrian Village including the popular La Forge Restaurant host impromptu concert goers for the many summer concerts Tremblant hosts Have a ski-boot clomp around the pedestrian village and park yourself in one of the pubs, bars or coffee shops and enjoy the winter sun!

Eat at Tremblant

After a long day on the slopes, you are bound to be hungry, right? Will it be in and out fast food, fine dining, or perhaps a local gastropub? In-hotel room service, close to the slopes or outside of the village? So many choices to satisfy a hungry skier! Here are some recommendations both close to the hill and further afield.

Take some Spa Time at Tremblant

Recently renovated, the Tremblant Spa at The Fairmont and Westin offer in-hotel spa facilities and experiences that are second to none and easily accessible in Tremblant’s pedestrian village. But for a truly luxurious experience, head down the road to Spa Scandinave and enjoy a total zen experience nestled on the banks of the Riviere Diable. Make sure to pre-book your luxurious experience before you arrive to ensure availability of this popular spa experience. And remember to enjoy in absolute silence!

Many thanks to Expedia.ca‘s #BigWorldExplorer program. tripstations would love to know where your favorite Tremblant experiences are, both on and off the slopes and in any season via the comments below! Need to do more research? You can always find a great flight, rental car and hotel deals to Montreal and Tremblant here. Certain meals and activities were generously sponsored by the Tremblant Resort Association who did not approve this review. Many thanks for their generosity and support.

Please note: This post contains product links from Amazon.ca which are affiliate links, meaning if you click over and purchase something, we will receive a tiny percentage of the purchase price (at no extra cost to you) which goes towards maintaining tripstations.com Thank you in advance!

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