The Chamonix Pub Crawl!

The Pub Crawl


Hello all you skibums out there! This is for the die-hard fans of exhausting holidays. That's right, I mean you. Imagine (cue harp music) you've skied all day at the Grands Montets, your cheeks are tanned (well, sunburnt for me!), your feel fit (exhausted...), and you just can't wait to get into a warm bath, maybe read a little, then have a good night sleep....BUT NO!
Not satisfied with being one of the best skiing resorts in the world, Chamonix also boasts a highly active social side! Gilles and me did the tour of the pubs in Chamonix just for you, tasting the beer, judging the audience, tasting the beer, and getting trashed (it started out as cultural sortie!).
Read this and you shall know where it's happening, where to go, etc...
Note: The order of the pub is the actual order we went to them, not preference...check out the overall mark for our grading.
Click here for our favorite.
If any other bar/pub/nightclub wants a mention here, please email me. Bar Tab credit...£50???

First Stop:


As always we usually start with Le Choucas. This is a friendly-french-bar-type thing, entirely wood-panneled, with pictures of famous visitors and cow-skins all over the place, the decor in this bar is excellent. It also boasts two wide screens, on which they show images of extreme skiing, climbing and outdoor activities (great if you ever get bored!). The problem with the screens is that many people tend to watch them instead of talking, so keep that in mind! The beer is pretty cheap (for Chamonix standards!) and good. Waiters are friendly.

Next Stop:

This place sounded quite promising...a pub in Chamonix? The best of both worlds: the warm friendly feel of a british pub, surrounded by skiers! Unfortunately, this failed to deliver, and is a bit of a tourist trap. If you're over 30, you'll quite like it here, since it's calm, and has that sort of aged-people (have I offended ayone yet??!?). Doesn't look like a pub on the inside at all.
: It's alright, but a. it lies about being a "pub", and b. people are too old in there for me.

Next Stop:


The Waliby. Now this place is where it's happening. You have to go beyond the "cute marsupial" name and the rather uninviting outside and get in to find a really packed bar full of young people (well, about my age, twenty). The music is cool, with grunge on at full blast, the beer is also at reasonable prices, and they have a couple of pool tables. Definitely a cool place (this change is quite recent!).
: Shame about the name, otherwise I'd give it a 5. So cool I couldn't take a picture.

Next stop:


The Ice Rock(s):
This is quite a cool place if you like to go clubbing (there are plenty of clubs inside Chamonix, but we were on a pub crawl, so it's not the same. We still stopped here 'coz the entrance is free and it has a "bar-ish" area, where you can have a "demi" (a beer in French...good to know, pronounce "duh-mee"!). The music is quite good usually, and it's ultra-low ceiling gives it the feel of a student flat party. I quite like it, even if it is often full of Italians. If you like clubbing, I recommend the Blue Night, and other night spots...maybe I'll do a club section next term.
Friendly, yet not a place where you can really chat.

Next Stop:


The Bowling:
We didn't even stop to go in this time. It's a nice place if you like bowling (I'm crap at bowling...so I don't love the place), and you can have a good time with a good number of friends. On the second floor there are 6 pool tables and 4 SNOOKER tables...so it's pretty good.
. It's alright if you want to go out with the lads!

Next Stop:

This place is excellent when it's packed (which it was!). They almost always have a live band playing there (and some famous names if you're lucky!). There's a dance floor, the whole interior is wood-panneled, and the waiters are quite friendly. A lot of French people here, which is always appreciable (I'm french if you hadn't noticed!). Almost every year, the world famous Maceo Parker does a concert here...
. If you like live music this is the place to go to!

Final Stop:


Last but definitely not least: the Jekyll
We "discovered" this place by accident last Christmas. I spoke to the Manager who was one cool Irish guy, and I think he acquired it recently...which would explain it. This is a REAL IRSIH PUB. They serve you your pint in a pint glass (actually I think it's 0.5 litre glass shaped as a pint...but it fooled me anyway!). They have Guinness and Caffreys...what more can you ask for? A great place, it was always packed when we went, lots of english speaking people, friendly. We stopped our tour there, had three pints and staggered back home, feeling incredibly happy! What a night.
. Great place, we ended up going there for New Year.
We then got back home, well-pissed, and walked all 2 miles back to Champraz under the snow (it was snowing if you haven't noticed from the pics!). Have a good time. Other places we usually go to, but didn't go this time: La Carpa (friendly small place), le Driver (big screen TV strikes again.pretty good), and others that I'll probably remember once I've sent this file away.
During New Year '98 we went to Le Refuge (night club). It was alright, although people only started turning up around 1 AM, and the entrance was 300 francs! It was a good night anyway. We also went to the Queen Vic, an "traditional" english pub. It's a nice place, but not as warm as the Jekyll (too spacey).

Warning: pub crawling in Chamonix can seriously affect your sobriety!

Background from Beers is my life

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