This gem of a Maisonneuve mountainside restaurant is owner-run by a husband and wife team – Claude runs the dining rooms, Julie the kitchen – and their dedicated staff. Tucked away among the trees at Les Houches between two ski lifts, this low-roofed, 250-year old Alpine farmhouse is easy to miss.

While it doesn’t have the most extensive menu in the Alps, discerning diners can choose between no less than five meat dishes, five accompaniments and a vegetarian option, many of which benefit from the speciality slow-cooking process. All dishes are made on site using fresh produce – no pre-made, packet or frozen fare here. Try the much feted façon – a potato dish prepared using a traditional press – for which Les Vielles Luges is famed.

No matter how good the food, it’s ultimately the atmosphere that draws locals back day after day – ski bunnies flock from far and wide to enjoy a languid lunch. Given its popularity, telephone bookings are recommended for lunch. Bring cash – the restaurant doesn’t accept bank cards.