French cuisine, not surprisingly, sparks a rapid blur of images: Michelin stars, snails, burgundy, frogs' legs, haughty waiters, the ghoulish critic from 'Ratatouille', and perhaps even the occasional piece of horse, nicely done in garlic and red wine… But while Paris might fit that particular bill rather well, rural eating in France is a very different affair; and if you're in Haute Savoie, it's big, robust dishes and Gallic country charm that make local cuisine so appealing.

Les Gets, small, rustic, and striking a balance between tourist destination and authentic Alpine village, sits beneath some of Europe's better slopes; unsurprisingly, then, amongst the myriad chalets nicked from the set of 'Heidi', it's awash with equally picturesque restaurants that combine local cuisine with mountain charm — a one-way ticket to over-indulgence. And, while Les Gets has plenty of options available, you won't do much better than La Pela.

Unquestionably fabulous

Tucked away at the bottom end of town, peering out from small, inviting windows, La Pela fills up pretty quickly, and with good reason. A log fire, warm décor and cheerful hosts make for welcome respite from Alpine conditions (which can veer from mild to nasty quicker than a novice skier on a black run).

And then there's the food, which is simple, uncomplicated, and unquestionably fabulous.

The advantage of spending all day on the slopes is that you get an awful lot of exercise (particularly if, as in my case, you're skiing with a pair of demented South Americans, who like nothing better than heading to Switzerland and back for the day). Alpine food, then, is geared to restoring energy apres ski, which is exactly what it does. In wholesale volumes…

Pizza is big in this part of the world — Pablo, our Argentinean driver, insisted French pizza is better than Italian, and there's a definite case to be made — and large slabs of steak feature heavily on menus.

Salads are also plentiful, albeit with a difference: A goat's cheese salad involves melting cheese splashed on toast or croquettes; atop a bed of greens (not a plentiful commodity in the mountains — salad and vegetables see limited currency here).

Home of the carnivore

In a world where cheese, potatoes, red meat and more cheese represent the core of the local diet (along with saucissons, or salami, available in every second shop), however, three dishes rule supreme, the first of those most peculiar to the region. Tartiflette is French gastronomy as the Irish would have it: effectively a Gallic potato bake, boiled potatoes tossed together with cheese, bacon, industrial volumes of garlic, and cream, to form a dish simple, filling, and gloriously rich. Perfect for lunch at one of the endless restaurants that dot the slopes of Port du Soleil — the vast stretch of linked slopes and resorts in France and Switzerland, of which Les Gets is part — it's also a cracking dinner.

The other two dishes will be more familiar: Raclette, slabs of melted cheese dripped over potatoes (or anything else you opt for), and my personal favourite, fondue. The meat in boiling oil option isn't available at La Pela, but I tried it in Switzerland (and was barely able to ski home afterwards) — good, certainly, but the cheese option reigns supreme.

Bread wielded on fondue forks, speared into bubbling cheese rich with white wine, and wolfed down the second its cool enough to hit the palate — it's very rich, and fearsomely heavy, but irresistible nonetheless.

Throw in a bottle of Savoie white, bold flavours to match the fondue, and you've got French mountain cuisine at its uncomplicated best.

The perfect way to end the day

No snails, then, or frogs' legs, or horse (it was on offer at a couple of restaurants across the border in Switzerland; I politely declined); just comfort food at its rich, indulgent best.

You could only manage it if you're spending your days burning it all off on the piste — but if you've negotiated your way through moguls, black slopes and freezing conditions, ending the day over fondue or raclette at La Pela's as good a way to end a day in Les Gets as you'll get.

Restaurant La Pela, Au Centre du Station, Les Gets. Call 0450798502 for reservations.