Hotel de Ville -- Philippe Rochat

For years, Philippe Rochat dutifully followed in the footsteps of the founder of this legendary restaurant (Frédy Girardet), quietly helping the grand patriarch of French cuisine prepare the thousands of upscale platters that contributed to this establishment's fame. Since 1996 and the retirement of his mentor, Switzerland's culinary patriarch, Rochat has taken over, doing a masterful job of keeping Girardet's legend alive while simultaneously updating the menu with some creations of his own. The venue for this minidrama, which has been avidly watched by gastronomes throughout the region, is within the solid stone walls of what was originally conceived in 1929 as Crissier's Town Hall (Hôtel de Ville). He prepares succulent meals for tables of culinary aficionados who sometimes make reservations many months in advance. Specialties change frequently, according to the availability of ingredients and the inspiration of Rochat himself. Recent successes have included a ragout of fresh quail with young vegetables, crawfish in caviar butter, duckling from the wetlands around Nantes cooked pink and prepared with Brouilly wine, preserved duckling in lemon and spices, and glazed sweetbreads with wild mushrooms. The cheese trolley that's wheeled around after the main course is absolutely spectacular.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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