Eating options aren’tvery inspiring. Aside from supermarket fare, or burgers from Harold’s on Place Centrale, food is generally poor value. Wander your way up Rue de Médran from Place Centrale until you see something you fancy. There is a handful of pizzerias: the Fer à Cheval is one of the better ones, with a reasonably lively après-ski scene to boot, or there’s the Garbo close at hand, which also shakes a leg. Al Capone is another friendly pizza joint, west of the centre towards the Savoleyres lift. As you emerge from the Medran station, Au Vieux Valais is within view, a cosy traditional-style place for raclette, fondue and other belly-warmers; similar fare can be found at Les Touristes (see “Accommodation”), a quiet, pleasant place down in Verbier-Village that’s well worth making the journey for. Le Bouchon Gourmand (027/771 72 96) makes a change, a relatively good French bistro west of the post office, specializing in rich foie gras and duck, but also with fresh pastas and salads (menus Fr.22 and up). The gourmet choice is the Rosalp (027/771 63 23), a staggeringly expensive place to savour what’s been called the best cuisine in the country. The restaurant, and the chef Roland Pierroz, have been showered with awards. Even choosing from the wine list is likely to be quite an event: the cellar runs to 50,000 bottles. Rosalp’s ground-floor brasserie is slightly more affordable (around Fr.40).

Of a number of places to drink around the resort, the one with most colour is the raucous Pub Monto Fort, near the Médran station. The Nelson, off Place Centrale, near the Marshal’s techno joint, is another good option, while the snobby Farm Club, west of the centre, is the best place for a spot of celeb- and royal-watching.