Since we travel to Tremblant with our kids most of the time, the adult-only restaurant and Casino Tremblant have always been off-limits.
When I had a kid-free opportunity to hit Tremblant earlier this winter with a girlfriend, we snapped at the chance to dine and play where the grownups are.
Depending on where you’re staying, there are three ways to get to Casino Tremblant: drive, shuttle or gondola. Now, it’s not the main gondola that takes you to the summit and Le Grand Manitou — it’s actually a separate express gondola that goes in and out of the casino area and its little village. The free shuttle has longer hours. We picked it up in the roundabout just outside of the Holiday Inn Tremblant.
Eating at Casino Tremblant
The restaurant inside the casino, Altitude Seafood & Grill, is divided into two sections. One part is lounge-y and the rest is sit-down fine dining. There’s live music most nights at 7 p.m. and the duo that performed the night we were there were excellent. I had to keep reminding myself to look up and watch them because they were so good that my brain would go on auto-pilot as if it was the radio.
We were offered the tasting menu, which came with an amuse bouche, starter, main and access to a communal dessert buffet. We enjoyed everything for the most part (I had a delicious soup and decadent duck entrée; the best dessert offered was a pecan pie) but the dishes that passed us heading to other tables — like a huge seafood platter — looked even better. And I’m very pleased to report that after my second experience at Altitude, I tried everything I saw pass by and have updated my guide to Mont-Tremblant restaurants accordingly.
My plan was to walk out of there with my stomach hanging over my pants, and I always reach my goals.
Gaming at Casino Tremblant
I’m not the world’s biggest gambler, but I don’t mind throwing down a couple of $20s for a bit of fun. And there are two floors of Vegas-quality fun to be had at Casino Tremblant, along with a private gaming area for high-rollers and celebs.
There’s even an elevator that can take you from a secret underground parking area directly to the private rooms. How’s that for fancy?!
There are old-school favourites like slot machines and, of course, Black Jack tables. But at Casino Tremblant — one of only four casinos in Quebec — you’ll also find leading-edge technology at play. We played digital roulette, which actually uses a touch-screen interface with a big-screen TV that both project a real roulette table that’s not six feet from the gaming tables. The difference? It’s all automated.
It was so fun, especially after I had an attendant explain how the game itself works.
There are payouts of every size at Casino Tremblant, and it’s also linked to other casinos where larger pots grow collectively among shared games. Ah, to gamble in the digital age!
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that by 10 p.m., the casino was packed. There’s a fabulous bar and a DJ comes on about this hour, so even if you’re not into the casino side of things, come for dinner, people-watching and dancing. (And invite me to come along, OK?)
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