After eight years, Mathieu Bruno has left the "Là-Haut" with its phenomenal location in Lavaux to devote himself to new projects. Chardonne is a restaurant with top gastronomy, but the bistro cuisine of the new hosts is also impressive. In July, Julien Ostertag and his wife Morgane, a sommelier by profession, took over the restaurant with it's view of the lake and the Alps. The Mediterranean-influenced menu is small but fine, starting with a cold tomato soup with olive oil and black grissini and crispy calamari rings flavoured with lemon. The smoked eggplant puree invites you to share, but do not yet take you on a gastronomic flight of fancy.
The kitchen team really comes up trumps with the main courses: The Geneva Arctic char is wonderfully buttery and is served on potato espuma and strongly flavoured chanterelles. The tender lamb carrée with confit garlic is accompanied by thinly sliced potatoes stacked to form a mille feuille. And with the entrecôte, the sauces alone are to die for - both the homemade Beurre Café Chardonne and the Sauce au Gamaret have been superbly prepared by the chef, who is known as an excellent saucier.
For dessert, we choose a clear favorite: The Sablé Breton with raspberries and a lemon and basil crème could easily have come from a Parisian patisserie.
Wines from the immediate vicinity are easily recommended for the glass, with the spicy and well-structured Pinot Noir Barrique from Chardonne proving to be an excellent choice.
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