If you’re looking for an all-round enjoyable dining experience, you won’t be disappointed by the luxurious yet playful feel of Leonard’s. The Italian head chef, Francesco de Bartolomeis, has a real talent for marrying flavours. He clearly enjoys getting creative in the kitchen and yet he never loses sight of his roots. The warm focaccia bursting with cherry tomatoes, rosemary and Taggiasca olives is like a hug on a plate. And it goes beautifully with a glass of Ruinart Rosé to create the perfect aperitif. The tender pork belly with crisp crackling is served with delightfully translucent langoustines, shiitake mushrooms and a Jerusalem artichoke mousse. A refreshing blend of cucumber and buttermilk is poured into the ring of salmon tartare, avocado and bergamot at the table. This is followed up by an exquisite pasta dish of bottoni with an aubergine parmigiana filling, burrata, tomato confit and crispy basil. Not to mention three sauces – one with spinach and basil, one with pecorino and one with roasted oxheart tomatoes.
There may be a lot going on in this bottoni dish, but it has the makings of a classic! The savoury dishes are rounded off with a pink roasted lamb entrecôte sourced from the Bernese Highlands with a side of red cabbage, blackberries, baby veg from Gstaad and a Ratte potato purée. The desserts are equally exquisite. The coconut sorbet and foam with caramelised pineapple and matcha and a new twist on Black Forest Gateau with Amarena cherry sorbet are simple, perfectly balanced and light as air. Sommelier Olivier Gastal serves up the perfect wine with every course and is not afraid to think outside the box, presenting a Romanian ice wine as one of his recommendations.
Words Alex Kuehn
Related Stories
With a stunning rooftop terrace offering breathtaking views of the lake, an impressive wine list and an elegant, minimalist interior, the Izumi has everything for the international jet set.
Discover more
Chardonnay accounts for 31% of all grapes in Champagne and it grows particularly well on its chalky terroir. It is championed for elegant, fragrant wines bursting with floral, citrus and tasty mineral notes.
Discover more
There is no better guide for gourmets in southern Switzerland than Dany Stauffacher. We had the pleasure of accompanying the founder and CEO of the Sapori Ticino culinary festival on an enjoyable tour of his home region and not only pass on his enthusiasm for the restaurants presented here, but also a message that was very important to him: ‘When I’m asked for restaurant tips, I always have the same problem: I’m spoilt for choice. There’s so much on offer now in Ticino that for every restaurant I recommend, I have to leave out dozens of others that are just as deserving.’
Discover more
A journey of discovery through the world of Genevan wines is worth your while, as both the selection of grape varieties and the vintages pressed from these are wide-ranging and unrivalled. Within Switzerland, only the region of Valais has a line-up of grape varieties that is similar in size.
Discover more
At first glance, you could mistake one for a tomato, as they are of a similar size and round in shape. They are also bright orange to red in colouring and bear green stripes.
Discover more
Marco Campanella combines cucumber with passion fruit and in doing so makes the best ravioli in Switzerland. A profile of a culinary artist whose forthright and curious nature is reflected in every one of his dishes.
Discover more
Genevan wines are produced in a wine-growing area measuring more than 1,400 hectares, with only two other Swiss cantons having larger wine-growing areas. The West-Swiss vintages are always considered to be a hot tip outside of their home region. With a large range of grape varieties and a great deal of innovative spirit, Genevan wine growers know how to set themselves apart from their competition, as Peter Keller writes.
Discover more