Rude Lodge and Rude Cafe Review

After much anticipation, Rude Chalets have opened their revolutionary alpine youth hostel style accommodation in Morzine - the aptly named Rude Lodge.

After some delay in the refurbishment that prevented the accommodation being available from the start of the season, the Rude Lodge opened its doors a couple of weeks ago, and is already proving to be a great refuge and social destination for guests and season workers in Morzine. I went down to grab a bite to eat and to check out what they’ve done with place!

When Rude Chalets seized the opportunity last year to adopt the legacy of Madame Laury’s and Franck Wyler’s beloved Le Laury’s hotel complete with it’s kitsch discotheque the ‘Le Paradis’ – residents and returning guests cheered at the thought of dancing on the light up neon dance floor of the Le Paradis once again.

Madame Laurys, a cabaret dancer who had spent her years in the world famous shows of the Moulin Rouge, and Franck Wyler, a much-loved French musician, had owned and run Le Laury’s  Hotel in Morzine for 35 years. They finally decided to close it down in 2010 to great sadness to those who had enjoyed their hospitality and the wild nights in the depths of the Paradis.

With such a legacy to uphold, Rude Chalets certainly had their work cut out for them. They promised to respect and cherish the history of the building and its previous owners, making it accessible to visitors and residents in Morzine who had a passion for the mountains. The Rude Lodge concept has done exactly that, offering brand spanking new accommodation built for one purpose - to bring people who want to ski and snowboard all day every day a cheap place to get put up for the week. Mountain enthusiasts will get all the necessary comforts for a price starting from £28pp per night for a shared dorm with an ensuite bathroom, WiFi, secure storage for your gear and a central location with access to the most unique après/party desitination in Morzine. Not bad is it?!

As part of their refurbished modern lodge, Rude Chalets have incorporated the Rude Café into the mix. A casual bar restaurant offering up a menu of gourmet breakfasts, bar snacks and finger-licking good burgers and curry dishes, and a good après events calendar with live bands, food and entertainment that hits the spot before and after a hard days skiing and snowboarding.

The breakfast menu is definitely worth getting up for – for those looking for a wholesome and healthy start to the day, their Granola with berries, yogurt and local honey or House porridge with milk, banana and sweet dates will certainly give you the right start to day’s shredding. For those of British blood will dance with joy when they stumble upon the Rude British Breakfast – a plate that comes with sausage, bacon, black pudding, poached egg, tomato, portobello mushroom, hash brown and toast – served with with hot cup of Yorkshire Tea for €10. The gourmet breafast/brunch style options come in the form of poached eggs on sourdough and fancy bacon and sausage sandwiches – you won’t question their grilled back bacon, rocket, burnt onion relish, smoked salmon, crème fraiche and mango chutney on sourdough bread sandwich once you’ve tried it!

Their après events calendar means you’ll be able to enjoy some fantastic live entertainment with a beer or two once you the day out riding is over,  and their day menu offers up some equally mouth-watering options to the table. The Rude Gourmet Burger with Rude Ketchup, onion rings and killer slaw is a must-have at €12 , as is Flat Iron tear n’ share BBQ chicken for €14, and spicy Mumbai Rude Curry for €8. It caters exactly to the desires of young, passionate skiers and snowboarders looking for satisfying grub to refuel after the day.

With the Le Paradis yet to open its doors, we’re already impressed with this modern and unique mountain experience that Rude Chalets have brought to Morzine. Best go and check it out for yourselves, so go get yourself some Rude food from the brand spanking new Rude Café, and enjoy some après parties and meet the friendly faces staying in the Lodge who are in Morzine to enjoy the mountains to the fullest, without the frills of four-course chalet meals, hot tubs and saunas!