ONE OF THE BEST SELECTIONS TO BE FOUND IN THE ALPS

Courmayeur has about as many mountain restaurants and bars as it has pistes. Gastro-skiers tend to take an aperitivo in one, lunch in another and a digestivo in a third. This can be done with minimal or even no skiing around Plan Checrouit, where many of the restaurants are grouped. Chiecco is popular with locals and regular visitors. It serves splendid anti-pasti and home-made pasta. The Christiania includes both a formal restaurant and a more casual pizzeria equipped with an excellent wood-burning pizza oven.

Just between the summits of the Pra Neyron and Maison Vieille chairlifts is the Maison Vieille restaurant, otherwise known as Giacomo's. The patron is a real mountain man and is passionate about huskies, horses and snowmobiles. Indoors there is a wood-burning stove, but this place is at its best in sunny weather when the huge terrace is packed, an open air grill is fuming away and loud music is being pumped out of the speakers.

The restaurant at Courba Dzeleuna is still referred to by some as the Australian, because about 20 years ago it was actually run by some Australians. On a clear spring day here you have wonderful views of the south-facing Brenva glacier and you can often see (and hear) ice seracs breaking off the glacier and causing big avalanches down into Val Veny. Just below this restaurant is the exclusive members-only V.I.P. club, which is packed with any leading Italian politicians, industrialists and magistrates who are not currently in prison.

Down at the afternoon sun-trap of Zerotta in Val Veny, the better of the two restaurants is Le Petit Mont Blanc, alias Livio's, on the left as you ski down. This has wonderful views of the south wall of Mont Blanc and the Aiguille Noire.