J Bra
Google
Vegetarian forward! We visited in mid July and took the train from Lausanne (our home base) to Vevey. Very easy to take the train which is efficient and clean. The walk from the train station to the waterfront is about 10 minutes and the restaurant is easy to find. The menu did not advertise a vegetarian tasting option. However, when we told the friendly wait staff that we were vegetarian they quickly explained that the chef would be happy to make all tasting courses vegetarian. We were quite pleased! Nearly all of the wine was local Swiss from the terraces and excellent. I highly recommend drinking Swiss wine when you see it - it is rarely exported outside of the country and if you are from the US, you will likely never see Swiss wine in US restaurants.
Each tasting course was unique and done with thoughtful creativity. It was tasty and healthy and filling. The staff was attentive and knowledgeable. We truly savored each course as it was presented. We appreciated the chef’s flexibility in creating tastings that resembled what was on the “normal” menu but was 100% vegetarian and not simply pasta and sauce. A wonderful meal! We highly recommend this lovely restaurant whether you are vegetarian or meat eaters. There is something delicious and thoughtful and healthy for all diners.
Now on to the Star of the meal - the environment. We sat outside as the summer sun was setting (nearly 9:30pm) and enjoyed watching everyone out on the shore relaxing with picnics and drinks. We have summered in Lake Como and we both agreed that Lake Leman (Geneva) and the villages around it not only rivaled Como, but for us, surpassed it due to the lack of enormous crowds and Instagram focused tourists. The villages are so so charming, with warm wonderful people, excellent cuisine, wonderful ferries, and unlike Como, an efficient train system to take you to all of the villages if you missed any of the ferries (which do not run as often as the Como ferries).
We fear that someday the Instagram influencers will truly catch on to the charm and grace of this area of Lake Geneva. There is so much to do here and the blend of history, the proximity to the Alps, mesmerizing vineyard terraces that spill onto the lake, charming lake villages and ease of transportation made it feel less like a “check the box must be seen tourist destination” overrun with thoughtless day trippers and more like a secret you’d rather keep to yourself.
