1.St Anton, Austria
The Austrian resorts favour wild après-ski, and nowhere does it better than St Anton. You'll be settled into a piste-side bar by 3.30pm, an hour later you'll be dancing on the table in your ski boots. Classic places include the Krazy Kanguruh, Moosewirt and Taps, all on the home-run back into resort, while a slightly more sophisticated couple of hours can be passed in the funky Anton bar, near the Galzig lift. Later in the evening, you'll find the best party atmosphere at the Funky Chicken (next to Pizza Pomodoro – worth stocking up on the way). After that, head to Kandahar (in the centre of the pedestrian zone) where you can dance till 6am.
2.Courchevel, France
Not only does Courchevel have some wonderful bars, including La Bergerie on the Bellecôte piste and Bar Le Jump next to La Croisette, but it also has fantastic restaurants. Our favourites are Le Génépi, on Rue Park City, which serves fine French cuisine, and hearty Le Refuge, which is much more of a locals hangout. If energetic après-ski is your thing, take the floodlit luge run down to Courchevel 1550 and pop into the tiny L'Oeil de Boeuf for a cosy drink or memorable meal, cooked over the open fire.
3.Courmayeur, Italy
You won't find many nightclubs in this small mountain town, but the bars and restaurants are just what you want after a day on the slopes. Head to the elegant Bar Roma for some cold beers or elax in front of the fire at Caffe della Posta (both on Via Roma). For chalet-style Italian/French mountain food, head to Le Vieux Pommier on Piazzale Monte Bianco, or the more upmarket La Clotze.
4.Kitzbühel, Austria
Old-school glamour still exists in this pretty village. If you aren't satisfied with hot chocolate and pastries in the warm smoky cafés, then head to the busy Londoner, or Seppi's pub, in the centre. The restaurant in the Hotel Schwarzer Adler is excellent, though expensive – you can always try to win back the damage at the Casino Kitzbühel, which stays open till 2am.
5.Megève, France
For sheer cosiness (and quite a lot of cheesiness; piano bars abound), you can't beat Megève. Bar La Caleche, in the centre of the village, is ideal for watching the world go by while Cocoon is popular with seasonal workers. Later on, the central jazz club Les Cinq Rues has excellent live music and plenty of dancing. There are a number of nightclubs, too, though most are quite pricey and expect you to dress smartly.
6.Méribel, France
The Rond Point is a pivotal part of the après-ski scene in Méribel, and especially popular with Brits. The bar is ski in/ski out (reach it via the Marmotte or Rhodos pistes) so ideal after a long day on the slopes. Good vin chaud, generous happy hours plus live music pretty much every day makes for a vibrant atmosphere. Down in the resort, the party carries on at Dick's Tea Bar, on the road to Méribel Village. If you'd rather go low-key, then the Adray Télébar, at the bottom of the Adret chairlift, has the perfect location to enjoy a final vin chaud. The best fondue in town can be found at Chez From'ton, on Route du Centre.
7.Tignes, France
Our favourite resort for budget après-ski. It may not have the heaving bars of neighbouring Val d"Isére, however what it does have is friendly staff, reasonable prices and plenty of places to sit! The Couloir, in Val Claret, is the epicentre of nightlife with delicious cocktails and a buzzy atmosphere, particularly after dinner. The Melting Pot, also in Val Claret, and the Jam Bar, in Le Rosset, are other good choices. As far as food goes, the cosy Caveau serves up innovative French/Asian dishes.
8.Val d'Isére, France
Val is a place of big ski days and even bigger après-ski nights, which start early and go on till the small hours. Straight off the slopes, you can pop into the Saloon Bar, on the Front de Neige, or sample some cocktails at Victor's (on the roundabout at the bottom of Rue de Pigalle). Later on, it's hard to resist the ever-popular Dick's Tea Bar, where the music policy is anything that will get you dancing gets a play. Somewhere along the wobbly line, try to treat yourself to a meal at 1789 (down the alley to the right of Le Canyon restaurant on the main street); the côte de boeuf cooked over an open fire is particularly good.
9.Verbier, Switzerland
Ask anyone about après-ski in Verbier and the Farinet will be mentioned. Bang in the centre of the resort, on Place Central, its live music and reasonably priced drinks make it ever popular. Inside, there's a more subdued lounge bar, complete with leather sofas. Other good options are Pub Mont Fort, next to the Médran lifts (and pop downstairs for a meal at En Bas, too) and Fer à Cheval, on Rue de Médran. Verbier also has a more innocent side to its après-ski, with the Milk Bar on Rue de Médran and La Monde des Crêpes on Rte de la Poste, both serving wonderful crêpes and cakes.
10.Zermatt, Switzerland
Generally the après-ski in this car-free resort is more mellow than other big resorts, with some unusual places such as the Vernissage, a stunning bar opposite the floodlit ice-rink, and Papa Caesar lounge bar, on the main street near the Alpine Centre. What Zermatt really excels in though is food; the choice and quality of restaurants is amazing. Try Whymper-stube, under the Monte Rosa hotel, for fondue, or treat yourself at the Mazot on Hoffmattstrasse, well worth the expense.
· Compiled by independent ski experts maddogski.com Mad Dog Ski.
