A bucolic terrace in the middle of nature, only a few minutes from La Chaux-de-Fonds, a cosy interior design, refined menu, charming and attentive service: the place marries country simplicity with pleasures of the palate.

If the farm has become the darling of clock-making customers and townsfolk coming to forget, for a few moments, the bustle of the city located a few minutes away, it's because the owners, Verena and Jean-Pierre Lüthi, always offer the fondue - with a mound of whipped cream which melts in the fondue pot as one soaks bread in it, or more simply with wild garlic. A fondue which reminds us of what was at the beginning, in 1989, a simple refreshment stand. The menu has been enriched with the passing of the years, just like the development of the farm which over time gained a covered balcony, the work of Jean-Pierre, a carpenter by profession. An evolution that the two owners always placed under the heading of giving pleasure: to oneself and to others. Successful gamble: the result is a beautiful balance.

Auberge du Mont Cornu, Mont-Cornu 116 (locate),  2300 La Chaux-de-Fonds, Altitude: 1,500m Tel + 41 (0)32 968 76 00. Open: Wednesday to Sunday Photo: CCA 

Off to the countryside! On the road to Tourne, a small hill overlooking the village of Rochefort, a signboard planted on a curve announces «fresh chanterelles». Follow the invitation: after a few kilometres of a small, steep road winding into the forest, you will arrive at the kingdom of the golden mushroom. Delicacies of the area served in pantagruelic portions. 100% country meat - the owner Stéphane Fumasoli is also a butcher – as well as the game in autumn accompanied by rostis and home-made produce prepared by the owner Nathalie Barras. And if you do not want to hit the road again, do not hesitate to test the straw beds and the splendid breakfast the next morning.

Grande Sagneule Farm, 2019 Rochefort (locate) between la Tourne and Mont-Racine. Altitude: 1,320m. Tél +41 (0)32 855 11 74.Open from May 1st  to October 31st.
Photo: MCG

La Brévine is not only the Siberia of Switzerland, but also a place where one loves to eat well. On the southern bank of the Taillières Lake, in a wonderful, bare landscape, the Cottards Farm displays its stately silhouette. The generosity of a Neuchâteloise farm, tastefully renovated, where one also finds a well-balanced menu: baked chicken with the flesh nice and crisp along with trout «au bleu» from the fish pond, pike in Neuchâteloise sauce and house fondue. A very beautiful address which now also offers guest rooms.

Cottards Farm, les Cottards 172, 2406 La Brévine (altitude 1,080 m). Open from May to end of October. Tel + 41 (0)32 935 15 55. How to get there, click here
Photo: CCA

Here's an attractive 400-year-old building with style. Run by the same family since its creation, the Métairie de Clémesin does everything to make you feel at home. You are warmly received here, and dishes are prepared right under your nose in the kitchen or baker's oven: boletus pastries, wild garlic fondues, and cutlets served with potato pancakes. This restaurant is colourfully decorated in the motif of regional animals. In the summer, the fine outdoor terrace offers a full view of Val-de-Ruz. And to enjoy this region when away, don't forget to take along a few of our home-made products: cheeses, breads and sausages. They are divine!

Métairie de Clémesin, 2017 Villiers (altitude 1050m), closed Tuesday and Wednesday Tel. + 41 (0)32 853 14 18, www.metairie-de-clemesin.ch. Open all year round.