Bistrot des Sports: Chamonix's historic café, since 1924
On rue Joseph-Vallot, the BDS has welcomed mountaineers and visitors for nearly a century: a lively bar, bistro food, Savoyard specialities and sport on screen.
Photo: the venue's Google Maps listing
The verdict
The Bistrot des Sports, which locals call the BDS, presents itself as a historic café open since 1924. It is one of the few bars in the centre where guides, seasonal workers and visitors still rub shoulders.
Its Google rating of 4.2 from nearly 1,000 reviews is solid for such a busy address.
On site
A lively bar, a terrace facing the mountains and homemade bistro food: fondue, raclette, tartiflette, croûte savoyarde. The big sporting events are shown, from football to Formula 1.
Our advice
It is the right choice for an unpretentious drink or a simple dish at any time during service. On big match nights, arrive early to get a table.
Read on: Après-ski and bars in Chamonix and Where to eat in Chamonix.
Sources: the property's website, Chamonix Tourist Office, Google Maps (address, rating, reviews and photo, checked on 27 October 2026), gallery: photos posted by visitors in their Google reviews (Catherine Maissant, myu riddle, Arthur Prevel, Panet, Kenzo Kawaï, Thibaud Desroches). Walking times are estimates.
Frequently asked questions
How long has the Bistrot des Sports been open?
Can you eat at the Bistrot des Sports?
Nathalie Perroud
Nathalie spent six years on the front desk of a hotel near Chamonix station, answering the same questions every day about shuttles, the Montenvers train and parking. She writes the pages she would have liked to hand to her guests. She checks every price with the operator, never in a guidebook.
