Bringing ten, twenty or forty people together around a table in a ski resort takes a little planning. Here are the points to settle, in order, so that the evening runs as it should.
What changes above ten people
Below ten guests, an ordinary booking is enough. Above that, everything changes: the arrangement of the tables, the pace of service, the kitchen’s ability to send out plates together, and sometimes the menu itself.
A restaurant that accepts a party of thirty without discussing anything in advance will serve you badly. The questions asked at the time of booking, exact numbers, a firm time, the choice of dishes, are not administrative box-ticking. They determine the quality of the meal.
Realistic notice periods
For a table of ten to fifteen, a week’s notice is enough outside the school holidays, and two to three weeks in busy periods. For thirty people or more, allow three to four weeks, and considerably more between Christmas and New Year, when the slots go from early autumn onwards.
A seminar or a full private hire is best settled in September or October for the following winter. This is not a matter of ceremony but of logistics: supply, staff planning and the organisation of the room. Our season runs from 27 November 2026 to 1 May 2027, and the busiest weeks fill first.
Set menu or free choice
Three formats exist, and the right one depends on the size of the party. Up to fifteen people, the full menu remains workable: everyone orders what they want and the service keeps up. Between fifteen and thirty, a restricted choice announced in advance, two starters, two main courses, two desserts, speeds up service considerably.
Above thirty, a set menu becomes necessary, with the variations required for particular diets. This is not an impoverishment; it is what allows forty hot plates to reach the table at the same time. Our dinner menu is the starting point for building one.
Dietary requirements, announced early
Vegetarians, allergies, intolerances: this information needs to arrive when you book, not on the evening itself. A severe allergy requires organisation in the kitchen, sometimes a dedicated work surface and separate utensils.
That is especially true in the mountains, where the kitchen runs at full stretch throughout the season. Told in advance, we adapt without difficulty. Discovered at the last minute, the same requirements slow down the entire service.
Budget and the bill
Two questions to settle beforehand, never during the meal: who is paying, and how. A single bill is far quicker than forty individual payments. Allow twenty to thirty minutes of additional service time for a full split at the end of a meal.
If splitting is unavoidable, the best approach is to form sub-groups in advance and to say so on arrival. For a corporate event, an invoice in the company’s name can be prepared before the meal if the billing details reach us first. Our article on budgeting for meals in resort sets out the usual figures.
Birthdays
A birthday takes very little preparation: twenty-four hours’ notice, the time you would like the dessert to appear, and a first name. The rest, the candle, the arrival at the table, the timing, is handled on the night.
We do advise against bringing your own cake without telling us. Storage and service require cold space that cannot be improvised on a busy evening. Announced in advance, it presents no difficulty at all.
Corporate meals and seminars
Val Thorens hosts seminars and incentive trips every winter. For these formats the central question is not the menu but the running order: what time the group arrives, how long it stays, whether anyone is speaking, and whether the room needs a different layout.
Professional organisers will find the list of resort suppliers and function rooms through Val Thorens and the tourist office, and the wider ski area is covered by Les 3 Vallées. For our part, we prefer a direct conversation by telephone for these requests, on +33 (0)4 79 00 10 40. Fifteen minutes of conversation is worth ten exchanges of email.
Where we are, and why it matters for a group
Le Rendez-Vous sits at the foot of the pistes on the snow front, below the Résidence Les Ancolies. For a group, that location removes the two usual problems of a mountain evening: nobody has to organise transport, and nobody arrives late because a shuttle was full. Skis go into the racks and the party arrives together.
On the day
Three details save time on the evening itself. Arrive as a group rather than spread over forty minutes. Appoint one person as the point of contact for the staff. And keep to the time agreed. A table of thirty arriving an hour late shifts the whole restaurant’s service, including the sittings that follow.
Frequently asked questions
At what number of guests do you need a group menu?
Above fifteen guests, a restricted choice speeds up service noticeably. Above thirty, a single set menu becomes necessary if the plates are to arrive together and hot.
How far in advance should a group book?
One to three weeks depending on the period for ten to fifteen people, three to four weeks above thirty, and considerably more over the festive season, when slots are taken from the autumn.
Can the restaurant be hired privately?
Yes, depending on the date and the size of the party. These requests are handled by telephone, with a quotation drawn up according to the format you have in mind.
Can we bring our own birthday cake?
Yes, provided it is announced in advance so that we can allow for cold storage and the service of it. Unannounced, it is difficult to accommodate on a busy evening.