This new place for Lebanese cuisine was set up by Greco-Lebanese Carlos Mirza, who came back to Lausanne after the launch of the LeCrans Hôtel & SPA.

With its meats grilled in the kebab style, hummus chickpea purée, mutabal aubergine purée, tomato-parsley-mint tabbouleh, stuffed vine leaves and honeyed and refreshing desserts, the Obeirut chose the road of classic traditionalism. The décor was done by the interior designer Michel Genillod, along with Nathalie Mirza, and the restaurant also has a catering area to take Lebanese flavours home with you. You can try it out from the 6th of November 2009.

For more information, click here
Photo: Obeirut

Anne-Sophie Pic, a chef boasting of three Michelin stars, arrived bag and baggage at the Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne barely six months ago and is already a success. Right off the bat, the new establishment was awarded 2 stars in the 2010 Michelin guide and became one of only fourteen restaurants in Switzerland with two rosettes!  

This did not happen by chance: a perfectionist - descending from a long line of chefs based in Valence in the Drôme - she stopped at nothing to make this restaurant one of the best in Switzerland. Even if she readily admits that her life is in Valence, she had a third of her squad come to Lausanne, as well as several crucial members of her team, like the chef de cuisine Guillaume Raineix and the pastry chef Philippe Rigollot. And as she is obsessive over quality, she refuses to put her name at the top of a menu she did not supervise - so she travels back and forth between Valence and Lausanne every time she deems it necessary.

Now, one can find in Switzerland the « brilliantly simple » cuisine which made the establishment Pic in Valence enter the gastronomy hall of fame. Even if she is greatly rooted in family tradition - having both a grandfather and a father with three Michelin stars of their own - the 40-year-old chef forges her own path. Her experience in Switzerland is, for that matter, a way for her to « keep pushing back her own limits ». For gourmets everywhere, these high standards are fulfilled by a menu integrating the family's great classics, as well as a few interesting Swiss products, like Simmental veal or Vallorbe frog legs. A rare talent and an endearing personality which one can also discover from now on in the plush walls of the Beau-Rivage Palace.

More information: www.brp.ch
Beau-Rivage Palace
Place du Port 17-19
CH - 1000 Lausanne 6
Tel 0041 (0)21 613 33 33

Here it is: every year, a new GaultMillau guide arrives with its stream of nominations, discoveries and mark reviews. For its 2010 edition, the little red book names Pierrick Suter - from the Hôtel de la Gare Lucens - « promu romand de l'année » (Swiss French promotion of the year) and awards him a 16th point.

A well-deserved recognition for this Swiss native with a Breton first name, who learned his trade alongside some of the best in the business - from Fredy Girardet to Bernard Ravet. About fifteen years ago, Pierrick Suter took over the restaurant in the Gare de la Lucens which had been in his wife's family for generations. Since then, with his feet well grounded in the local region, he concocts a fine cuisine at affordable prices. No unnecessary embellishments blur the emphasis on the ingredients, which must always be of the highest quality. Here, you will find no fusion cuisine or molecular gastronomy, but will explore the world of a chef who loves the local produce while still using his imagination. A delightful distinction for this young forty-year-old who, alongside his wife Jane-Elise, kindly welcomes both the village residents and gastronomes come from afar.

Contact and information: www.hoteldelagarelucens.ch
Hôtel de la Gare
Famille Suter-Chaillet
Av. de la Gare 13
1522 Lucens
Tel + 41 (0)21 906 81 48

At Romainmôtier's, every weekend and holiday there's a marriage of wine and chocolate. This concept, developed by Alexandre Truffer, editor in chief of Romanduvin, combines the regional wines offered by the wine growers of Côtes-de-l'Orbe with the choco-creations of the Yverdon boutique called Passionnément Chocolat. So everyone can discuss the finer points of combining chardonnay with ganache à l'organe or gamaret with pepper squares. The younger ones haven't been forgotten, since a non-alcoholic version has also been prepared. A novel and playful idea to try out, from May to September, in the Romainmôtier wine cellar.

More information: www.vinetchocolat.ch

Caveau de Romainmôtier, Place du Bourg, 1323 Romainmôtier-Envy,  (see map)