Home › Eat & après-ski › Bars & après-ski
Tabac 1850 Courchevel: Friendly Local Bar Guide
Tabac 1850 Courchevel brings an unpretentious, down-to-earth feel right into the highest village of the valley. Known to many regulars and local directories as El Pirate Bar Tabac, this spot operates as a classic French bar-tabac combined with a relaxed lounge. It provides a simple, welcoming counterpoint to the formal hotel bars and palace salons that line the surrounding streets.
Skiers in damp outerwear, resort workers taking an afternoon break, and visitors looking for a warm coffee or a cold draft beer gather here under one roof. With parlor games, sports broadcasts, sharing pizzas, and retail tobacco on hand, it delivers a straightforward mountain experience where nobody cares about fancy labels.
At a glance
| Type of place | Traditional French bar-tabac, casual sports lounge, and fumoir |
|---|---|
| Village | Courchevel 1850 |
| Best time | Late afternoon for an easy drink or during televised sports matches |
| Music | Casual background audio and match commentary |
| Dress code | Completely casual; ski wear and winter clothes welcome |
| Entry / tables | Free walk-in entry; counter service and open lounge seating |
| Season and hours | Open winter and summer; daytime through early evening, closing around 20:00 (hours vary) |
| Price range | Affordable to mid-range for Courchevel 1850; prices change over time |
Why Tabac 1850 is worth a stop in Courchevel 1850
Every ski resort has places designed for champagne sparklers and velvet armchairs, but every good ski town also needs a solid, honest local. Tabac 1850, operated by SNC Lecomte, plays that role for the upper resort. It functions first as a retail tabac selling cigars, tobacco, and confectionary, and second as an easygoing watering hole where you can drop your gloves on the table and exhale after hours on the mountain.
What makes it special is its lack of pretension. Courchevel 1850 can sometimes feel intimidating if you only look at the high-end storefronts. Walking into this bar grounds your trip. You get reasonable prices for the village, quick counter service, and an authentic sense of resort daily life that high-end hospitality venues simply do not offer.
The vibe, lounge amenities, and entertainment
The interior is set up for low-key socializing rather than high-energy clubbing. Seating consists of simple tables and casual lounge chairs arranged around open floor space. The crowd is a natural mix of local residents, resort seasonal workers known as saisonniers, and travelers who wandered in off the snow.
For entertainment, the venue keeps things classic and interactive. You can challenge your companions to a round on the table football, known in France as baby-foot, or spend time on the gaming console. When a big football fixture or rugby tournament is on television, the screens light up and the place fills with sports fans following the action together.
A distinct feature of the venue is its dedicated, ventilated smoking lounge. This separate fumoir keeps cigarette smoke out of the main room while providing a space where customers can sit and order shisha if they choose.
When to visit during the ski season
Tabac 1850 stays open across both the winter ski season and the summer alpine months. Daily opening patterns are built around daytime needs and early evening relaxation. On most winter days, the venue welcomes patrons starting in the morning for hot drinks and continues through late afternoon après-ski, typically wrapping up around 20:00.
Because exact opening days and hours shift across the early, peak, and spring seasons, it is always wise to check their official channels or local resort notices before heading over. While daytime access is entirely walk-in, the venue can also be privatized for private evening gatherings and group parties outside standard public hours.
Local tip: If you want to catch an international football or rugby match with an authentic resort crowd, drop by roughly twenty minutes before kick-off to secure a clear seat near the screens.
Drinks, pizzas, and what to wear
The drinks menu covers the essentials without complicated mixology. You will find cold draft and bottled beers, spirits including rum, bottles of champagne, and an assortment of non-alcoholic soft drinks. On cold mornings or chilly afternoons, hot chocolate and steaming espresso provide a quick warm-up before you venture back outside.
For food, the focus is strictly casual. The kitchen bakes satisfying pizzas, including large sharing pizzas that hit the spot after a full day navigating the pistes of Les 3 Vallées. A selection of snacks and counter sweets is also available for quick energy.
There is no formal dress code at all. Ski trousers, thermal base layers, fleece jackets, and winter boots are the standard uniform here. You fit right in after stepping directly off the snow or walking over from an afternoon stroll around the village.
House rules, safety, and late-day transport
In France, the legal age to purchase alcohol and tobacco products is 18, and staff may request identification if you look younger. If you use the on-site smoking lounge, respect the venue boundaries so the primary seating area remains fresh for everyone.
When you leave around the 20:00 closing time, the mountain temperature drops quickly and pavements freeze over. Rue des Tovets and connecting alleys can turn slick in a matter of minutes. Wear winter footwear with deep rubber treads, and step carefully over compacted snow and black ice.
If you are staying outside Courchevel 1850, avoid driving after drinks. Take advantage of the free inter-village shuttle buses, called navettes, which run regularly down to Courchevel Village 1550, Moriond 1650, and Le Praz 1300. For direct door-to-door trips late in the day, local resort taxis are available through the village ranks.
Getting to Rue des Tovets and lodging nearby
Tabac 1850 sits at 428 Rue des Tovets in Courchevel 1850, close to the Porte de Courchevel building. It is a short, easy walk from the central shopping arcades and the main transport hub at La Croisette.
If you are arriving on foot from nearby chalets or apartments along Rue des Tovets, the walk is straightforward. For skiers coming straight off the slopes, you can unclip your skis at the snow front by La Croisette and reach the bar in about five minutes on foot.
Staying near Rue des Tovets offers great convenience. The surrounding streets feature numerous self-catered apartments and traditional residences that keep you close to both the ski lifts and practical amenities like bakeries, grocery stores, and local bars.
How to plan your afternoon and evening around 1850
Because Tabac 1850 typically finishes service around 20:00, it works naturally as the first chapter of your evening rather than your final stop. It makes an ideal venue for a mid-afternoon beer while waiting for your friends to finish their final runs down from Saulire or Chenus.
After a round of baby-foot and a slice of pizza, you can walk into the center of Courchevel 1850 for a full dinner at a traditional Savoyard restaurant, or browse the evening shops around the village square. If you want to keep the night going with live music or late dancing, you can easily migrate toward the nearby bars and lounges centered around La Croisette.
What recent visitors say
A quick, honest snapshot from recent Google reviews, so you know what to expect before you go.
What people liked
“What are the opening hours and dates?”
“Best tobacconist in Courchevel Cheerful staff Smiling, friendly Fast service”
“What are the opening hours?”
Reviews via Google Maps. Opinions are those of their authors.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a reservation to visit Tabac 1850?
No, Tabac 1850 operates with free walk-in entry and open seating. You can simply walk in and order at the counter. The only time reservations apply is when the space is booked for a private evening gathering.
Can you buy cigars and cigarettes at the bar?
Yes, Tabac 1850 is a registered French tabac that sells cigars, cigarettes, and related tobacco products over the counter alongside sweets and drinks.
What food is served at Tabac 1850?
Food options are casual and straightforward, featuring freshly baked pizzas, including large sharing pizzas, alongside various snack items and sweets.
Is Tabac 1850 open late at night?
Standard public hours typically run through the daytime and early evening, wrapping up around 20:00. Exact schedules can vary by season, so check local notices if you are visiting late in the afternoon.
Find it
Address: Rue des Tovets, 73120 Courchevel, France
