Luxury Après-Ski in Switzerland

There’s something very special about a ski holiday in one of Switzerland's chocolate-box ski resorts, surrounded by spectacular scenery and enjoying the very best food, wine and service that the ski industry has to offer. If you’re thinking of making one of these luxury Swiss resorts your next destination for a spot of skiing, here’s your guide to the après-ski offerings in each.

Verbier

Verbier’s Farm Club began life in the 1970s when two Italian brothers opened the exclusive nightclub and in doing so began a legacy among Verbier’s must-be-seen après-ski haunts. Over the years, renovations have seen the Farm Club maintain its chic and modern feel. Despite several other venues giving it a good run for its money, the Farm Club remains the place to be seen in Verbier after dark.

The new kid on the luxury après-ski block in Verbier can be found at the in-house bar within the W Hotel. Sleek and contemporary, the new W Hotel is located right in the heart of the resort and its bar, W Off-Piste, is the ideal spot for a relaxed après-ski drink or two. It offers a good range of cocktails, champagnes and spirits in a convivial environment and the service is always exceptional.

The Farinet Bar is another Verbier après-ski venue of note, and in fact offers two venues in one. One side caters to an eclectic après-ski crowd that’s drawn in daily for the vibrant atmosphere and live music. The other comes in the form of the Lounge Bar, where an entirely different clientele enjoy the bar’s excellent range of cocktails, wines and champagnes in comfortable and plush surroundings.

St. Moritz

For a spot of people-watching with your après-ski, the lobby of the Badrutt’s Palace Hotel is the ideal spot. Known locally as ‘the catwalk of St Moritz’, there’s usually a (polite) rush to secure the best tables, so get there early!

There are so many après-ski bars to choose from in St. Moritz. Highly recommended for a pre-dinner aperitif are the Cascade Bar, the Diamond Lounge, Scala Bar and Pavarotti & Friends. If you prefer a traditional ambiance with a lively clientele, then head to Stübli in the Hotel Schweizerhof.

The King’s Club in Badrutt’s Palace Hotel is the St. Moritz nightclub to be seen in. Admittedly, the aim here is often just to be seen, and the same can be said for the Sunny Bar at the Kulm Hotel, which is renowned for its famous clientele and as the rendezvous spot for the daredevil Cresta Run pilots.

If whisky is your tipple, head to the Hotel Waldhaus am See, where you’ll find the world’s largest whisky bar. The Dracula Club is something of a social institution in St. Moritz and has been hosting the most exclusive parties in the resort for decades. If you fancy a flutter at the end of the night, the St. Moritz Casino in the western wing of the Kempinski Grand Hôtel des Bains is open until 3am.

Zermatt

If you’ve finished your day’s skiing in Zermatt and the infamously lively Hennu Stall isn’t your thing, head off from the Sunnegga side instead and to Cervo, a stylish option for an après-ski aperitif. For pre-dinner drinks, the Pollux Bar in town is a cosy and traditional spot. It’s popular among the locals and also home to the Ski Club of Great Britain's daily social hour (6:30pm).

Papa Caesar provides an atmospheric place to enjoy a drink and discuss the day’s skiing. This is located within the Hotel Post, which really is the hub of Zermatt’s nightlife. The modern and moody Vernissage Lounge Bar and the traditional Hexenbar, just below Hotel Zermatterhof, are other great options. Talking of which, there are piano lounge bars at the Zermatterhof, as well as at the Mont Cervin.