Best Food and Drink on the Tour du Mont Blanc

Where can you find the best food and drink on the Tour du Mont Blanc? Here are our recommendations for all stages of the journey!

One of the highlights of the Tour du Mont Blanc is, without a doubt, the food. This trail weaves through the French, Italian and Swiss Alps, and provides many, many opportunities to taste the local delicacies.

On our trip in late summer 2025, we made sure to sample plenty of local food and drink while camping the Tour du Mont Blanc (while also trying not to spend too much). Here are my suggestions for how to do the same!

Ways to Eat on a Budget

Of course, the more specialty food (or food from mountain refuges) you purchase on this trail, the bigger your budget may need to be. Some options for limiting your expenses include the following.

Bring (some of) your own food from home

Bringing all your own food from home is less than ideal, because it would add a lot of weight to your pack. And that is weight you'd need to carry for over 100 miles.

We opted to bring a few snacks (these waffles for breakfasts), some instant coffee (these chili mocha latte packets and this Ascent instant coffee), and our favorite electrolytes from home.

I've also written about food-related and other gear you might consider for the TMB!

Shop at the supermarkets along the way

We picked up snacks (gummy candies, chips) and sandwich ingredients (a baguette, cured meat and cheese) for our lunches. On really challenging days we sometimes brought along some juice or soda as well.

Beware the stinky cheese while backpacking! This, along with our other lessons learned, can make a big impact on your experience.

For easy and quick dinners, pick up instant rice meals, ramen or quick-cooking pastas at the supermarket.

At refuges, check the prices before buying. Generally beer will be much less expensive than wine or a cocktail.

That said, we weren’t attempting to do this on a strict budget, and we often stopped for treats on trail. (It was part of the experience!)

Buying Food + Drink on the Tour du Mont Blanc: Cash or Card?

Many of the mountain refuges or small food stands are cash-only. We found this to be true especially in Switzerland, but there were also cash-only locations in France and Italy.

For cash, keep in mind that France and Italy use the euro, but Switzerland uses the Swiss franc. That said, many places along the trail in Switzerland accept euros in addition to francs. Keep in mind that items in Switzerland will cost more in euros than in francs because of the exchange rate.

Timing Food Stops

Many of the mountain refuges and restaurants in this area only serve food during certain hours. (And of course they aren’t all on the same schedule.)

If you arrive outside of food hours, you can probably still buy a drink and possibly (but not always) a pastry that’s already prepared.

Favorite Food + Drink on the Tour du Mont Blanc: Stage by Stage

Here are our favorite food stops in each hiking stage. Obviously we couldn’t stop at each and every possible location, but we gave it a good try!

Food in Chamonix

Looking for somewhere to eat before or after your hiking adventure? Here are our favorite spots in Chamonix.

• Cool Cats Hot Dogs (casual)
• Big Mountain Brewing Co (casual)
• Les Comptoir des Alpes (fancier)
• Casa Nonna (also fancier)

Stage 1

We had lots of great food during Stage 1 of our hike!

When you reach Les Contamines, this is also a good stop to visit a supermarket to pick up anything you need.

Col de Voza

We had a fabulous blueberry pie here, one of my favorite treats of the whole trail! We also had a panini and beer, and everything was fantastic.

(They accepted credit cards.)

Refuge de Miage (on the Stage 1 variant)

This refuge is famous for both its blueberry pie and its enormous omelettes. I felt sure I would not be able to continue hiking after eating a huge omelette, so we just got a beer and pie here.

(We paid cash, so I'm unsure if they accept cards.)

Refuge de Miage does not allow picnicking at their tables, but there was a lovely creek nearby where we stopped and ate our packed lunch.

Chalet du Lac in Les Contamines

We intended to stop here for dinner, but we timed things poorly and they weren’t serving food when we arrived. Instead, we enjoyed beer and some really delightful ice cream.

Stage 2

We only had one food stop on stage 2 because we were struggling to make good time through this section, so we kept hiking instead of stopping at refuges. But our one stop was a good one!

Le Relais Montagnard

Le Relais Montagnard is the camp store and pizzeria at Les Chapieux.

I was blown away by how good the pizza was here. Yes, I was also absolutely starving and had just had one of the hardest hiking days of my life over the Col du Fours variant (one of the ways of shortening the TMB), but still. This was amazing, I’m sure of it.

The woman at the counter also very helpfully let us know (when we ordered beer), that even though pizza wasn’t available until 6 p.m., we could put our order in early and be at the top of the wait list. So we did.

I also appreciated how when we asked if the pizzas were big enough to share, we were given a resounding “no,” and then they turned out to be huge. BUT in the end the employee was absolutely right: we demolished both pizzas without issue.

The camp store premade food was also fabulous, and I count this sandwich I bought there as the best I ate on trail. (It had pickles, lettuce and condiments, a rarity on this trail.)

Stages 3 + 4

We were attempting a 16-mile day during these stages and mostly ate packed food. Initially we’d planned to stop for lunch at Refuge Elisabetta, but ended up walking right past it and eating our packed sandwich (pictured above).

Later in the day (around 4 p.m.), we stopped at our only refuge of the day.

Maison Vielle

Maison Vielle wasn’t serving food when we arrived and didn’t have any pre-made treats to buy. But we did get a much appreciated beer here before beginning the long descent to Courmayeur.

Maison Vielle accepted credit card payments.

Stage 5

After skipping multiple food opportunities during stages 2 - 4, we made up for it in Stage 5. Stage 5 includes Courmayeur, which has multiple supermarket options if you need to restock.

Restaurants in Courmayeur

Stage 5 goes through Courmayeur, Italy. Many hikers choose to take a zero day (a rest day) here, but even if you don't, make sure to try the food! Our favorite food here included:
        ⁃       La Remisa
        ⁃       The breakfast at Hotel Bouton d’Or

Refuge Bertone

Once we passed Courmayeur, our next food stop was Refugio Bertone.

It was still early when we got here (about 9 a.m.), but we stopped for cappuccino and pie to celebrate our climb up the mountain.

(Refuge Bertone was cash-only when we visited.)

Refugio Bonatti

I was having a rough day on trail. The UTMB 100k hikers had started in Courmayeur about an hour and a half after we began our hike, and while I was thrilled for them, it was difficult to move down the trail for more than a few seconds without needing to move off to the side for the 3,000 trail runners going past.

By the time we reached Bonatti, I was stressed out and in tears. An aperol spritz and their wonderful blueberry pie cured all my ails.

I count this as the second best pie I had on trail, behind Col de Voza on stage 1. Or maybe the two tie for first (it’s unclear).

We ended up waiting here while the rest of the 100k runners filed past, and opted to have a cappuccino as well. It was perfection.

Bonatti accepted credit card payments.

Chalet Val Ferret

This was one of the few refuges we stayed in, since we camped most of the route. Of the ones we stayed in, it was not only the best overall experience, but it also had the best food.

Our dinner here included a choice of vegetable soup or lasagna.

Next, we had the choice of polenta and sausage or a carpaccio salad.

And for dessert, pie.

Chalet Val Ferret had a small restaurant next to the refuge, so you can enjoy their food even if you’re not staying there. The food we had was exceptional.

(They took payment by credit card.)

Stage 6

The food on Stage 6 did not disappoint! If you need to visit a supermarket, you could do that in Le Peule at the end of this stage.

Refuge Elena

When we arrived at Refuge Elena, it was extremely cold and sleeting outside. We ducked inside for what was, no doubt, the hot chocolate that saved my life (or at least my morning). We added some espresso to help get us through the rest of the frigid drizzly morning.

Refuge Elena accepted credit card payments.

Refuge la Peule

After crossing into Switzerland, the weather improved slightly but we were still chilled to the bone.

At La Peule, we got cappuccinos and bone broth (soup without vegetables, because they were out of the vegetable soup). Happily the broth also came with bread and cheese. Everything was delicious and just what we needed to power on.

(We paid cash here.)

Mont Fromage

After dropping down into La Fouly, we were pleasantly surprised to see a food truck called Mont Fromage (Mount Cheese). Of course we had to stop, but we ended up ordering beer and fries (no cheese).

We were really craving salt and carbs more than dairy, and they delivered.

(We paid cash here.)

Camping des Glacier / Pizzas au Feu de Bois

When we arrived at our next campground, they told us we could preorder a pizza for dinner if we wanted. I’m so glad we did, because it was fantastic!

We were also able to pick up some beers in the camp store.

Stage 7

Stage 7 involves a good bit of road walking, but it’s worth it, and not only because it goes through cute Swiss villages. It also had some delightful food stops!

If you need to stop at a supermarket, you could do that in Champex Lac at the end of this stage.

La Kabana Crepes

I'd heard there was a creperie along the trail and had been looking forward to it for days. Weeks. Months!

La Kabana did not disappoint. They had both savory and sweet crepes, and we also got cappuccinos.

(When we visited they took cash only.)

Le Cabanon in Champex Lac

Later that same day, after a long hot uphill climb, we arrived in Champex Lac a bit too late for lunch. La Cabanon still had a small food menu available though, and we were able to enjoy their Swiss rösti (incredible!) and drinks.

This is also where I got my first taste of a lemoncello spritz, which I prefer to an aperol spritz (although both are delicious).

Stage 8

Stage 8 was another delicious phase of the trek.

Alpage de Bovine

We were unable to do the stage 8 variant that we’d planned on because of bad weather. The original stage 8 passes Refuge Alpage de Bovine, where we were able to get soup, chocolate cake and a beer. Just enough to keep going on a cold rainy day.

We paid cash at Alpage de Bovine.

Hôtel du Col de la Forclaz

We stopped here for beer and fries on our way to our campground.

One of my regrets on this trip is that I did not order more food here, because the hikers next to us looked so pleased with the burger they were devouring.

Refuge Le Peuty

We stayed at the Le Peuty campground and, upon arrival, paid to eat dinner in their yurt. The meal was served at 7 p.m. and consisted of a tomato soup, salad, a Thai curry with chicken and dessert.

It was warm, comforting, and more well-rounded than most other meals I’d had so far on trail (right up there with Chalet Val Ferret).

We also purchased the packed lunch from Le Peuty, which included a very tasty sandwich. This was only sandwich we ate on trail that wasn’t on a baguette; instead, it was on a really hearty multigrain bread.

Stage 9

Stage 9 had some food options, but not as many as previous stages. That said, we really enjoyed the food we got on trail!

We intended to also stop at L'Alpage de Balme for lunch, but ended up eating a packed lunch instead. (I mis-remembered our food plan and accidentally ordered a packed lunch the previous day from Le Peuty.)

Refuge du Col de Balme

We arrived at Refuge Col de Balme in chilly conditions with fog rolling in and out all around us.

To warm us up and give us energy to continue on, we had cappuccinos and brownies, both of which were delicious. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that these were the best brownies I've ever had in my entire life.

Stages 10 + 11

There are fewer on-trail options in this section, so we packed our meals.

We intended to stop at the Panoramic restaurant at the top of Brevent, but a combination of bad weather and illness meant we skipped the restaurant and took a cable car down. I had high hopes for it though, so give it a try if you’ll be there!

Food on Trail We Didn’t Love

Admittedly, I didn’t love all the food I tried. The list is pretty short, though! Also, despite me not loving these spots, I did hear others say they enjoyed the food at these spots, so you might still enjoy.

Here's where our food went wrong.

Refuge Relais d’Arpette (Section 8 variant)

This was one of the few refuges where we spent the night, and I did not like the dinner at all.

It was a chile con carne with rice. I opted for the veggie version with lentils. I didn’t care for the seasoning, and I found it hard to digest.

I also didn't enjoy that this was buffet-style, which meant that every single one of the (many, many) guests here touched the serving utensils.

Auberge La Boerne (Section 9)

We stayed in the bivouac spot here (tent camping), which was a pricy 40€ per night per person, but included dinner, breakfast and a shower.

Unfortunately dinner wasn’t until 8 p.m., and it ended up being even later, because the campers were in the second wave of dinner, so we had to wait on the 7 p.m. dinner to finish wrapping up. Considering we were backpacking, by the time I got food at around 8:20 p.m., to me it might as well have been midnight.

And then, tragedy struck. The dinner was nearly identical to the bean and rice dinner served at Relais d’Arpette. (The one I didn’t like.) This time, however, the rice was chewy and not as easy to eat.

Also, while this meal was served family-style (passing food around a table), not buffet-style, the bread was a loaf served uncut, meaning that every single one of the people at our table had their hands all over the bread. You may not have the ick reaction that I had to this, but I was a bit grossed out.

Final Thoughts About Food and Drink on the Tour du Mont Blanc

Overall we had very pleasant experiences with food on the Tour du Mont Blanc, and consider the food to be one of the highlights of our journey!

While you certainly could skip the food part of the experience, we found it made the views even more enjoyable.