Le Cap Horn

Le Cap Horn is a former mountain refuge at 2,100 m, turned into a restaurant in 1954 by Jo Claret-Tournier, the Chamonix-born pioneer who had arrived in Courchevel in 1948. His son Eric started working here in 1988 and still calls it his favourite house. It belongs to Maison Tournier, the family group, and serves more than 300 covers a day in winter, by the family's own 2024 count.

The day has its own rhythm. The first service, from noon to 2 pm, is for serious skiers and families across generations. From 2 pm the music starts to rise, by 3 pm it is well up, and around 3:30 to 4 pm it turns into a party that can run until 6 or 7 pm. On some days a third service keeps going until 8 pm.

The menu is huge, and deliberately so: Asian, Italian, American, French and Mediterranean dishes from a very large kitchen team. One person at the table can have sushi, another a pizza, another a big piece of wagyu. Eric Claret-Tournier's line is 'the product for the product': well-sourced produce, cooked without fuss. He describes a restaurateur as 'an artist and an artisan'.

Inside, the room is a cross between a yacht club and an alpine farm: polished brass, ships' lanterns, old wood.

What makes Le Cap Horn is that it does not run like clockwork. It is not a place where the music hits at 2 pm sharp every day. The atmosphere builds, or it doesn't, and that is the magic. Still, it is an institution, so the pattern is fairly constant: people know the first service is calmer and that they come to the second and third to party.

Big menus are usually a warning sign. Here it works, because the kitchen behind it is enormous and the rule is simple: good product, treated properly. It is not fine dining, and it does not pretend to be.

In our rankings

• No.1 Lunch on the slopes
• No.1 Ski-in, ski-out
• No.1 Daytime party & après-ski
• No.1 Historic & family houses
• No.3 Groups

Questions

What time does the party start at Le Cap Horn?

The music rises from 2 pm and the party usually starts around 3:30-4 pm, during the second service. It can last until 6 or 7 pm, sometimes 8 pm with a third service.

Is the Cap Horn terrace sunny in the afternoon?

In December and January the sun goes behind the mountain around 3:30-4 pm. From February it stays on the terrace until much later, and the terrace is enlarged from mid-February.

Is Le Cap Horn good for families?

Yes, at the first service (12-2 pm), which is calmer and popular with families and keen skiers. Later services are louder and younger.

Where is Le Cap Horn?

Le Cap Horn — 2029 Route de l'Altiport, 73120 Courchevel 1850. Altitude restaurant, Courchevel 1850.

What is Le Cap Horn best for?

First service: a long ski lunch with family. Second service: the afternoon party.

Anything to know before going to Le Cap Horn?

In December and January the sun drops behind the mountain around 3:30-4 pm. From February it stays on the terrace much later, and from mid-February part of the covered room is removed to extend the open terrace. If Le Cap Horn is full, Le Mille Sabords shares the same terrace.