Where to Eat in La Thuile with Kids: Our Honest Family Restaurant Guide

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Why we love the food in La Thuile Italy

One of the questions I get asked most when people are planning a family ski trip to La Thuile is:

“But where do you actually eat with kids?”

The good news is: La Thuile is small, friendly and easy when it comes to food — and after visiting in both December and February, and staying here at least four times, we’ve tried most of the restaurants in town.

Some were great, some were fine, and a few we wouldn’t rush back to.

In this guide, I’m sharing our honest, family-tested favourites, including:

• The best place for lunch on the mountain

• The best place for a proper family dinner

• The best pizza options

• And the easiest, low-effort places to eat with kids after a long ski day

If you want the full official list, La Thuile’s website has a good overview — but these are the places we’ve actually eaten in and would genuinely recommend to other families

Our Favourite Lunch Pick in La Thuile

⭐ Our Absolute Favourite: Le Petit Skieur

If you only eat lunch at one place in La Thuile, make it this one.

Le Petit Skieur is rated 5.0 on TripAdvisor, and honestly… it deserves it.

We always go a couple of times for lunch when we visit La Thuile, and it is always excellent.

Why We Love It

• Tasty menu with plenty of child friendly dishes

• Indoor and outdoor tables

• Right on the piste

• Amazing atmosphere when the sun is out

• Free WiFi

• Great with kids

• You can walk here or ski straight in

It’s located at the top of the beginner’s slope, about:

• 5 minutes’ walk from ski school via the road

• Or accessible by ski via:

  • Black piste 2 (Diretta)

  • Red piste 7

You can also ski straight back out again afterwards.

The Food

The menu has:

• Pizza

• Pasta

• Meat dishes

• Burgers and fries

Between us, we tried a bit of everything and every single dish was excellent.

The desserts are also brilliant — I’d especially recommend the tiramisu.

There’s also a small kids’ menu with pizza or hamburger, which makes life easy.

Booking Tip

We booked ahead, but we did see walk-ins getting tables with 10–15 minutes wait. Still, I’d recommend booking in advance, especially in February half term.

Perfect for:
✔ Lunch on the slopes
✔ A treat day
✔ Great food + great atmosphere

Our Favourite Restaurant Picks in La Thuile

🍝 Favourite for Dinner: La Maison de Laurent

This is our favourite proper sit-down restaurant in town.

It’s about a 10-minute walk from the Planibel apartments and opens from 7pm.

It’s a traditional Italian restaurant with:

• A small bar area

• Several dining rooms

• A cosy, family-friendly atmosphere

The Food

The quality is really high. Every course we had was excellent.

Mains are mostly meat-based, and sides are ordered separately. We had:

• Potatoes

• Grilled vegetables

• Salad

The potatoes and vegetables were delicious. The salad was literally just iceberg lettuce, so I’d skip that and go for the other sides.

The Only Downside: Service was slow during our visit

• 20 minutes for drinks

• 40 minutes for the first course

The kids’ meals came out with our starters, which helped, but everyone was very hungry by the time food arrived.

Top tip: Order as soon as you sit down.

Verdict

✔ Amazing food
✔ Nice atmosphere
❗ Just be prepared to wait if it is busy

🍕 Lo Tata

Location: About 5–10 minutes’ walk from Planibel (either across the beginner slope or around the road).

They told us they’re famous for their pizza — “it’s all in the dough,” apparently.

And to be fair:

• The pizza and pasta were good

• But the service was a bit hit and miss

• Some dishes came out wrong

• Some non-pizza mains were a bit disappointing

Between this and La Maison de Laurent, we preferred La Maison.

Still a decent option if you want something casual and close by.

🧀 La Raclette (Inside Planibel)

This is part of the Planibel complex, so:

✔ No walking
✔ Very easy
✔ Can often book on the day

It’s a great budget-friendly, low-effort option.

We shared a raclette between two adults and it was more than enough food. The service was good and it’s ideal for:

• First night

• Tired days

• Or when you just can’t face going out properly

🍕 Le Dahu Pizzeria

This is about a 5-minute walk from Planibel, just up the road.

Important: It’s split into:

• A pizzeria

• And a restaurant

Decide which one you want before you go.

Why It’s Great for Families

• Pizzas are around €10–€15

• Restaurant side is more expensive, but still reasonable

• They have a small children’s menu (which is actually quite rare in Italy)

They serve:

• Pizza

• Pasta

• And more traditional Italian dishes in the restaurant side

We have spent new years at La Dahu a couple of times and always really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and delicious food.

Favourite Coffee Shops on the Mountain

While La Thuile isn’t packed with après-ski party spots, it does have a handful of great on- and near-piste cafes and bars where you can take a break mid-morning or after a run — ideal for warming up, grabbing a coffee or hot chocolate, and soaking up the mountain views.

Lo Ratrak – Situated near the summit of the Suches lifts, this café/bar was a top r choice for a quick coffee with a view early in the day or a relaxed drink later on.We also enjoyed lunch there on occasion, a popular option as it is accessible to non skiers via the gondola.

Maison Carrel & Bar du Lac – While technically a mountain restaurant, this spot also serve up great coffee and hot drinks — this mid piste stop is a good place to rest tired legs after a few runs.

La Buvette – A classic stop right by the bottom of the main gondola and a favourite for families. Many skiers — instructors and beginners alike — grab a Lavazza coffee or hot drink here before heading up, and it’s a sociable place to meet for a mid-morning latte or an after-ski brew. My only caveat with this location is it got very busy at the end of the day, often played loud music and was very expensive compared to other locations (I nearly fell off my chair when I saw the bill for 3 hot chocolates! - 7 euros a pop!)

Our Favourite Hot Chocolate in La Thuile

Chocolat - Down in town, you’ll also find cafés like Chocolat that are fantastic after a day on the slopes, serving rich hot chocolate, pastries, and coffee with a cosy Italian feel. I absolutely recommend splurging on the chocolate fondue, it is well worth it!

It wouldn't be Italy without Gelato

Even in winter, you can still find great gelato in La Thuile — there’s a small gelateria in the village near the main street and ski shops, and it’s a brilliant stop for an afternoon treat on the walk back from the lifts (yes, even when it’s freezing

Our Honest Family Verdict

After multiple trips in December and February, these are the places we keep going back to or would happily recommend.

Our Top Picks Summary

🏆Favourite overall: Le Petit Skieur (especially for lunch)
🍽Favourite proper dinner: La Maison de Laurent
🍕 Favourite easy pizza: Le Dahu
🧀 Favourite easy option: La Raclette (in Planibel)

☕Favourite Hot Chocolate: Chocolat

☕Favourite Coffee on the piste: Lo Ratrak

👨‍👩‍👧 Tips for Eating Out in La Thuile with Kids

• Book ahead in February half term

• Don’t expect fast service — meals are an event in Italy

• Order kids’ food early if you can

• Many places don’t do “kids menus” — but portions are often fine to share

🏔️ Staying in La Thuile?

You might also find these helpful:

👉 Planibel Residence La Thuile Review
👉 The Ultimate Guide to a Family Ski Trip to La Thuile with Crystal Ski

👉 Is La Thuile Good for Families? Our Honest Review of Skiing in Italy with Kids