“Chasing down Michelin stars” in western Swiss hotel restaurants:

When my husband and I headed to Switzerland’s western part to spend our spring vacations, dining-out was still confined to hotel restaurants due to Corona. So the choice of lodging was somewhat limited. After all, we had staying and dining in style on our minds. In the end, it turned out to be quite an easy thing to find the “right” gourmet hotels in western Switzerland. My home country has so many premium accommodations offering great fine dining opportunities, too. So, we succeeded in completing “our mission to chase down two-star Michelin stars restaurants located in hotels” in the French-speaking part of Switzerland.

I am just kidding! It was more of a coincidence that we “hunted down” four Michelin stars on our spring trip. Actually, there were even six of them, but two stars were in another region, in Switzerland’s core (Restaurant Sens at Vitznauerhof in Vitznau). I will cover this one later.

Now to the itinerary we chose for our gourmet, sightseeing and walking trip to the “Romandie” (this is the name we German-speaking people call the country’s western part).

“Gourmet & sights” itinerary western Switzerland

Last year, my husband and I had already visited the country’s western part. We had gone to Geneva (my post) and had made a hike with gourmet lunch in the Lavaux wine region beforehand (my post). And we had decided then to come back soon for more gastronomical and sightseeing highlights. Before long, we managed to do so – due to Corona, which prevented us from venturing abroad.

This time, we opted for the Swiss Jura & Three Lakes area (Lake Neuchâtel, Lake Bienne and Lake Morat) and the Lake Geneva region (the lake’s upper – eastern – part) as well as Lausanne (the lake’s middle part).

Jura & Three-Lakes: The Doubs Regional Nature Park & Neuchâtel

When we started planning the journey, the only fixed point was one night at Maison Wenger in Le Noirmont.

Not long ago, this inn with a two-star Michelin restaurant had reopened its doors to the public after a longer closure due to Corona. And this although it only has five guest rooms! That meant there were only eight other guests present on our dinner.

While this foodie heaven was our main reason to come here to the outermost corner of western Switzerland, the Swiss Jura is indeed a delightful place. The Franches-Montagnes, as it is also called, is a plateau at an altitude of 1,000 m (3,280 ft). It is full of open pastures and pine forests where horses graze peacefully.

A particularly interesting place to go here is the Doubs Regional Nature Park (my favorites: the Etang de la Gruère marshland

and the small medieval town of Saint-Ursanne).

Actually, Neuchâtel or Neuenburg on the Lake of the same name, should have been our next place to stay overnight. Unfortunately, we had not found an accommodation that completely suited us, so we only made a short tour through town, which features a historic center worth seeing.

Regrettably, there was no time to do a hike in the Creux du Van area, the Swiss Grand Canyon, located not far from here. A reason to come back another time!

Lake Geneva: Montreux Riviera & Lausanne

Then we headed further south to the Lake Geneva region. Here we chose the Montreux Riviera for our three-night stay. This stretch along the lake (from Villeneuve to Lutry) exudes a Mediterranen flair, thanks to its mild microclimate. Do not miss walking the 13 km (8 mi) long quays of Montreux that offers not only exotic flowers and palm trees but also great views of the Alps.

Other sights are the nearby Chillon Castle

– the most visited historical monument in Switzerland – and Chaplin’s World

– a playful museum about the iconic comedian who lived here 25 years.

As to lodging, our choice fell on Hotel Victoria

in Glion high above the town of Montreux (my post). This four-star superior hotel, member of Relais & Châteaux, has an old world charm and offers not only a wonderful vista of lake and mountains

but also a well-made classic cuisine (14 points Gault-Millau).

Last stop in the area was Lausanne,

the second largest city in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, some 40 minutes further west, also on Lake Geneva. It is a hilly place and has a nice old town. And the city borders the superb Lavaux wine region

with lots of rewarding walks, see also my post about one of them.

Here we stayed two days at the most prestigious hotel in town, the five-star superior Hotel Beau-Rivage Palace.

After all, we had my husband’s birthday to celebrate, and we wanted to be at the lakeside. And we had their Anne-Sophie Pic Restaurant, awarded two Michelin stars, in mind for the birthday dinner.

In case you want to stay a bit nearer to the city center, I have a tip for another great hotel in Lausanne, Hotel Royal Savoy. See here my post about it plus a walking suggestion.

Jura & Three-Lakes: Murten

After yet another short side trip to the Jura & Three-Lakes area, this time to Murten or Morat,

we returned to the German-speaking part of Switzerland. More precisely, we went to Vitznau on Lake Lucerne, where we once again celebrated birthdays. A friend of ours has the same birthday as my husband!

Back to Murten, this is a gorgeous small medieval town on the lake of the same name. And there is also a lovely waterside promenade (in Muntelier).

In terms of accommodations here, it is such a shame that the beautiful Le Vieux Manoir (my post) is not used as hotel anymore (actually, the building seems to be vacant)!

After pointing out our western Switzerland itinerary, find below some short information to our hotel choice. Details for the respective accommodations will follow in the posts to come.

3 great gourmet hotels in western Switzerland

As mentioned we started in the Swiss Jura, precisely in Le Noirmont, near the French-Swiss border. Here we had booked one night at Maison Wenger to enjoy a dinner at the two-star Michelin chef. Next was a short stay at Hotel Victoria in Glion above Montreux to benefit from the beautiful Montreux Riviera on Lake Geneva. And finally, we spent two days in Lausanne, a city a bit further west on Lake Geneva, at Hotel Beau-Rivage Palace.

In the following, a few words to these gourmet hotels in western Switzerland in question.

1. Maison Wenger in Le Noirmont, Swiss Jura (2 Michelin stars)

This is more a restaurant with rooms (five of them) than a hotel with a restaurant. You come here to savor Jérémy Desbraux’s award winning cuisine (two stars Michelin, 18 points Gault Millau).

He has been in charge here for almost two and half year, after Georges Wenger’s withdrawl (after whom the place was named).

You can also stay in style here in comfortable, well-appointed rooms. And you get the most delicious breakfast

in the morning when choosing to spend the night at this small inn (my post).

2. Hotel Victoria in Glion/Montreux, Lake Geneva

When looking for a premium hotel in Montreux on Lake Geneva, you are not spoilt for choice. This is especially true in case you want to have a foodie restaurant on site, too. Fortunately, we came upon Hotel Victoria. It is not directly in Montreux, but in Glion, located high above it (connected with a funicular).

The Victoria is a grand old dame (in good condition) and features splendid views of lake and mountains. And it offers a quality restaurant with well-made ultra-classic cuisine, as well (my post).

3. Hotel Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne, Lake Geneva (2 Michelin stars)

The Hotel Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne, on the shores of Lake Geneva, is one of Switzerland’s top hotels. It underwent a renovation recently and now presents itself in an immaculate state. It exudes grace, luxury and old world charm.

And if you are a fine fining lover, then you are at the right place. There are several award winning dining-spots on site, among them the signature restaurant Anne-Sophie Pic at Beau-Rivage Palace,

the two-star Michelin offshoot of the original spot in Valence/France holding three Michelin stars! We had dinner here and in one more hotel restaurant, too (my post).

As announced, I will get into these three gourmet hotels in western Switzerland in some detail in the posts to come. Come back later to check out my reports on  Maison Wenger in Le Noirmont, Hotel Victoria in Glion/Montreux and Hotel Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne.

Date of stay: April 2021

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