The dining room at Cucina Angelina
Go beyond fondue in the Alps
This winter’s ski season got off to a slow start in the Alps, but now that the snow has arrived, the region’s high-altitude villages are once again seeing their chair-lifts and outdoor terrace bars fll up. Courchevel, in the French region of Savoie, is one resort that defnes itself by its height, with its sub-villages known in shorthand by their altitude: 1300, 1550, 1650 and 1850. Eight is another number to remember: that’s the tally of local Michelin-starred restaurants. One gastronomic newcomer this winter is Cucina Angelina – a venture by top British chef Angela Hartnett. Based inside Portetta, a hotel in Courchevel 1650 (also known as Moriond), the restaurant brings a burst of Italian favours, and a few local Savoyard ones: pumpkin risotto, veal casserole, and tartifette with reblochon cheese melting through. The hotel is set up to be ski-in, ski-out, and, even after a thorough overhaul in 2008, has an old-time appeal, with plenty of dark-wood décor to frame views of solemn peaks and zigzagging skiers.