Paradise Pub Restaurant (Switzerland, Montreux)

We visited Chillon Castle (Château de Chillon) before lunch.

Chillon Castle (Château de Chillon)

Chillon Castle 3 km away from Montreux is one of Switzerland's best known castle. The Castle is strategically located at the shore of Lake Geneva, at the foot of the Alps. In the past, it played an important role as it controlled the road and lake which was used as a trade and military route.

Chillon Castle (Château de Chillon)

As we were leaving, it started to snow. Chillon Castle is open for tours daily except for the 1st of January and 25th of December.

We had lunch at Paradise Pub Restaurant, an eatery located in Montreux, Switzerland along Grand Rue which is the stretch of road along the picturesque Lake Geneva. This is the same stretch that holds a Christmas Market every year during November to December. As I visited during the month of December, I managed to visit the Christmas Market. There were many stalls that stretch along the road and also the lake side selling food, hot alcoholic drinks, handicrafts, Christmas decorations, candies, souvenirs and hold different activities. It was an interesting experience. We decided to adjourn for lunch after walking half the Christmas Market (It was too big!).

We looked around for a restaurant before finally deciding to settle for Paradise Pub Restaurant. Some of the reasons for eating here include its English menu, more affordable compared to the rest and also there seems to be alot of locals in there.

Paradise Pub Restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor dining. As it was winter, everyone sat indoors to escape from the freezing cold winter.

Paradise Pub Restaurant had a large sitting capacity. The above picture shows just one-third of the restaurant. There were many locals in the restaurant and that was part of the reason why we decided to patronise this restaurant.

Salad Buffet (self-service)

The restaurant offers a wide variety of food; some of which were displayed at the counter while some could be cooked upon order. Customers can help themselves to the Salad Buffet which is self service at a cost of 3.2 CHF (S$4.18) per 100grams.

Left to Right: Salad Buffet , Bulgar Wheat Salad

Bulgar Wheat Salad is a regular feature in Europe in their Salad Bar. (The Bulgar Wheat is a type of cereal food made from different types of wheat with high protein and nutritional values.)

Look at the wide variety of food available! If only it was a fix priced buffet.

Part of the English Menu

Their menu is available in several languages including French, German, Swedish, English and even Norwegian language! It's good to be able to have the full information to make an informed choice on what to order. Did you spot any items unusual in the menu? Something which you can't get in Singapore.

Read on to find out as I ordered it. Anyway, we decided to order their A La Carte dishes. 

Soupe Du Jour 5 CHF (S$6.56)

We ordered a Soupe De Jour ("Soup of the Day") - Tomato Soup to share. It was great, not too sour and not too creamy.  

Cordon-Bleu with French Fries 16.90 CHF (S$22.09)

Cordon-Bleu with French Fries 16.90 CHF (S$22.09)

The partner ordered the Cordon-Bleu which is a breaded cutlet dish with cheese in it which is then fried. The Cordon-Bleu dish originated from the Switerland. 

Cordon-Bleu with French Fries 16.90 CHF (S$22.09)

The Cordon-Bleu was delicious. It arrived warm and the cheese it it was oozing out once it is cut into half. The meat well seasoned, was tasty.  

Horse Steak with French Fries 18.90 CHF (S$24.70)

I ordered the Horse Steak with French Fries which was priced at 18.90 CHF (S$24.70). The main reason why I ordered Horse (meat) Steak was because I had not eaten horse meat before and was curious on how it would taste like. Not too long after this trip, the 2013 horse meat scandal broke out. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland was the first who reported the presence of horse meat in beef. Through the scandal, it reported that horse meat was mixed with beef because horse meat was a lower cost ingredient. Thinking back, it was weird that all the steaks at Paradise Pub Restaurant - Horse, Beef, Chicken and Lamb were all priced at the same price (i.e. 18.90 CHF). Since horse meat was cheaper... it should have been priced cheaper.

Anyway back to the food. Ordering the horse steak is similar to ordering a beef steak. You will be asked if you would like yours - raw, medium or well done. I requested for mine to be served well done as it was my first time eating it.

The Horse Steak with French Fries was served with french fries (of course), a slice of tomato, slices of lettuce and a small piece of horse meat (steak) that was topped with butter. The Horse Steak was dry and very tough. I had a hard time cutting it into bite size. Taste wise, I felt that it had a slight weird after taste upon the first bite. After that, for the subsequent bites, it seemed to be similar to beef, just that it was tougher - much harder to cut and chew.

I guess after this little adventure, I will be sticking to beef.

After lunch, we continued checking out the Christmas Market along Grand Rue and took photos of the stunning view of the Alps. As you may have noticed the Christmas Market consisted wooden chalets which are along the lakeside path.

Paradise Pub Restaurant (Switzerland, Montreux)

Grand Rue 58 

Avenue des Alpes 37

Montreux, Switzerland

Location 

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Bebbis Restaurant (Switzerland, Interlaken)

Interlaken - Switzerland

After our trip to Kleine Scheidegg, we travelled to Interlaken which is located 570 metres above sea level. The name Interlaken came about because of its geographic location flanked by the two lakes (Lake Thun and Lake Brienz) and the Aar river which flows through the town connecting the lakes. Interlaken is one of the most visited destination partly because it offers a great view of the picturesque Jungfrau mountain. 

Bebbis Restaurant Interlaken

For dinner we went to Bebbis Restaurant. Located next to Interlaken West train station, Bebbis Restaurant is a place popular for its traditional Swiss food and offers a wide range of fondues such as cheese, chocolate and even meat fondue. To be frank, this was the first time I heard of meat fondue.

Source: Bebbis Website

The owner of the restaurant, Bebbi Boesch was full of energy, enthusiastic, loud and entertaining. The whole motto of the dining experience was about happiness, fun and food. He would dance, perform, sing and also demonstrated how cheese fondue should be ate - the Swiss way. In addition, he cracked jokes and engaged dinners at every single opportunity it even includes getting diners to blow the Swiss national instrument - alphorn in the restaurant! (I was wondering if the windows will shatter!)

The restaurant was full and the two of us had our own table while the rest of the group were all split up into different tables all next to each other. The table was too small. Look at the above picture. There was already so many things on the table and it excludes the food to be served. Six different types of sauces to choose from. I did not use any as I preferred the original taste.

The essential tool required for our fondues.

Salad

The Salad which was average.

The first fondue course was the Cheese Fondue. Bebbi Boesch came over to our table to demonstrate to the group of us how it should be done. Noticed the pants he was wearing? All the crew member in Bebbis Restaurant including the owner himself wore these black and white cow-patterned pants and white t-shirts.

Cheese Fondue

The long-stemmed fork was used to dip the bread cubes into the cheese. The cheese fondue was quite good. It had a wonderful distinct taste and a taste of wine in it. The taste of the wine and cheese was of the right balance and did not overwhelmed one another.

When eating this dish, the key was to control the heat and keep the Cheese Fondue warm so that it remain in a liquid state and not burnt. We polished of this dish and asked for more pieces of bread and cheese fondue.

Meat Fondue Bourguignonne 

The second fondue course was the Meat Fondue Bourguignonne. The pot used for Meat Fondue Bourguignonne at the left was filled with hot oil. Cook the pieces of raw meat (chicken and pork) by dipping the long-stemmed fork with meat (one at a time) into the pot of oil. As you may have guessed, the covered is designed in such a way to prevent the oil from splattering out.

The Meat Fondue Bourguignonne was just average. If you ask me, I would say give it a skip.

French Fries

The French Fries was average. I preferred dipping it into the cheese fondue as it added an extra dimension into the taste.

Spaghetti - pasta with tomato sauce

The Spaghetti - Pasta with tomato sauce was way below par. No need to waste the calories on this.

Chocolate Fondue

The third (last) fondue course was the Chocolate Fondue! Perfect choice to end the meal on a good note.  A platter of marsmallows and mixed fruits (strawberry, apple, orange, banana) was served so that it could be dipped into the Chocolate Fondue. The Chocolate Fondue was thick, not overly sweet and had nuts in it. It so forgiving that we polished this off too.

Kudos to the owner for the atmosphere. It was enjoyable and a great place for big group of friends who want some fun. But do note, not everyone would like this place as some might find it too noisy and loud. If you are looking for a quiet place for a chat, this is the last place you would want to be in.

If you are looking for a place to shop for Swiss chocolates, there are a few alternatives depending on your budget. If you are looking for something cheap, then there are two supermarkets; Coop and Migros (Switzerland largest supermarket operator). Both are within 10 minutes walk from Bebbis. Migros price is slightly cheaper. Great place if you are buying chocolates in bulk.

If you are looking for something unique that can't be found in Singapore and of, Merkur would be an ideal choice. Owned by Confiserie Läderach AG, Merkur is well known for its exquisite chocolate and confectionery specialities which are made by hand. I would recommend their chocolates as it was really great. Even their chocolate wafer biscuits were delish. The locations of Merkur, Coop and Migros are shown in the map below.

We stayed at Lindner Grand Hotel Beau Rivage for the night. It is one of the only two five stars hotel in Interlaken, the other being Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel. Lindner Grand Hotel Beau Rivage was a beautiful hotel with only 6 stories.

Left to right: Swimming pool, Complimentary White Chocolate

It had a indoor swimming pool and gave two complimentary chocolates (1 white, 1 dark chocolate) which we bought back to Singapore to savour. Nice gesture (the little things that counts). One of the better hotels which we stayed in during our trip.

The view of the hotel in the morning.

The view that greeted us when we stepped out of the hotel. Wonderful! The wind was blowing strongly. 

Bebbis Restaurant (Switzerland, Interlaken)
Bahnhofstrasse 16
3800 Interlaken, Switzerland
Tel: +41 33 821 14 44
Opening Hour: Daily (365 days a year) 11:00 am to 11:00 pm

Website

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Restaurant Bahnhof Röstizza and Kleine Scheidegg (Switzerland, Kleine Scheidegg)

Originally, we had wanted to visit Mount Titlis. However, as there was an avalanche due to heavy snowfall the night before, we had to decide on an alternative. In the end, we decided to visit Kleine Scheidegg which is located 2061 metres above sea level at the base of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. During winter, the Kleine Scheidegg is a famous ski resort area surrounded by the beautiful view of the Swiss Alps. As such, we headed towards Lauterbrunnen to take the rail train to Kleine Scheidegg. 

Along the way to Lauterbrunnen, our bus was stopped at a checkpoint just before approaching the winding mountainous road. In fact, all vehicles were stopped. The checkpoint was established to inform and ensure that all vehicles attached snow chains on their tires as it was snowing heavily and the road was icy. Even with the snow chains on, our bus had to travel at snail pace. For the first time in this trip, everyone (including myself) on board the bus fasten their seat belts. Safety first! It was an hair raising experience when the bus began going up the mountain which was a narrow single lane. There were some instances when I really thought the bus looked like it was going to drop down into the cliff or there might be an avalanche. In fact, we did witness a small avalanche right in front of us and our Italian driver with over 20 years of experience went 'dangerous, so dangerous'. I am so glad we are back alive! The group of us being Singaporeans were all hoping to see lots of snow before we left Changi Airport. Well, we got our wish (in fact it was a case of too much snow). 

A photo taken on board the bus. Look at the amount of snow on top the roof of the house and the car. It was an eye opener watching the various types of vehicles remove snow and ice from the roads.

Left to right: Lauterbrunnen station, Map of Streckennetz de Jungfraubahnen 

The map of the Jungfrau Railways Network (Streckennetz de Jungfraubahnen) is shown on the top right of the photo above. Lauterbrunnen station where we took the rail train is on the left of the photo. 

The scenery that unfold as we took the rack rail was stunning. What a beauty right? Our rail train had a snowplow attached at its front to clear the snow from the rail track. We past by Wengen which is just below Kleine Scheidegg.

At Kleine Scheidegg, it was snowing heavily and the temperature was negative 15 to 20 degree celsius! This was the coldest we got to experience during the entire trip. Luckily we brought our heat packs. We did not stinge on it as we used up several of the toe, hand and body warmers. 

We headed over to Restaurant Bahnhof Röstizza which is located 5 minutes away from the rail station for lunch. The restaurant was packed with people, mostly young kids and teenagers who were from the ski schools. Despite the crowd, the service was efficient. We were served our food within a short time. 

Bread

The bread which is accompanied with a bowl of soup. You can request for more bread if required.

Minestrone Soup with Fresh Vegetables

Minestrone Soup with Fresh Vegetables

The soup that was served was the Minestrone Soup with Fresh Vegetables. A robust and absolutely tasty bowl of soup. 

Bratwurst with Rosti

Bratwurst with Rosti

For the main course, we had the Bratwurst (sausage) with Rosti. The Rosti is a common dish in Switzerland and in fact many Swiss people consider this a national dish.  Look at the amount of Rosti given. Even though I am someone who loves potato, I could not finish the Rosti. This was also partly because it was a tad too salty. The sausage was also on the salty end. 

Pudding

For desserts, we had pudding. The pudding was similar to beancurd, wobbly, silky soft. Accompanied with a fragrant sweet tasting caramel sauce, it was a hit among us. 

After our food, we went ventured out into the snow. It snowed so heavily that we were advised not to bother to rent snow equipment as the snow was too deep in most areas. Nevertheless, the group of us had a great amount of fun as we went out and played with the snow (including snow fight and burying each other in the snow)! The snow was so light and fluffy that we could not make a snowman. The depth of the snow was so thick that some of us sunk into the snow at certain areas. Some parts were knee deep while the some were up to our waist! What a memorable experience. We lasted close to half an hour outside. Quite an achievement considering that it was so cold; -15°C to -20°C. 

This was the scenery on the way down. Beautiful right? The road on the bottom right looks icy. 

Restaurant Bahnhof Röstizza (Switzerland, Kleine Scheidegg)
Kleine Scheidegg 
Röstizzeria GmbH 
3801 Kleine Scheidegg
Tel: +41 (0) 33 828 7828 
Opening Hours: Open 365 days a year from 8am to 930pm
Website
Location

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La Bonne Cave and Landmarks in Lucerne (Switzerland, Lucerne)

After touring the old Chapel Bridge and the Old Town of Lucerne (also known as Luzern), Switzerland, we went about looking for a place for dinner. There did not seemed to be many places around that offered food, more for shopping. Part of the reason could be because it was Winter; some of the shops may have closed early. As the weather was freezing cold for us (slightly below 0 Degree Celsius), we were in a rush to look for a place for a quick dinner - in fact anyplace will do.

So long as it fitted the 3 criteria;
- quick (as we were hungry)
- indoors (to escape from the cold)
- serves food 

As such, we found ourselves in La Bonne Cave which is a restaurant located directly besides River Reuss. There were two other reasons why we came here. It was because the menu had English translation and it was less pricey compared to the other restaurants. 

As you may have noticed from the decoration and environment, La Bonne Cave looks more like a wine place. In fact it is. The name of this place is actually called Weinwirtschaft Weinladen La Bonne Cave. The word 'Weinwirtschaft Weinladen' means 'Wine Shop' in English. Nevertheless, we went ahead and ordered our dinner.

Hausgemachte Tagessuppe (Klein) 6.50 CHF (S$8.50)

We ordered the Hausgemachte Tagessuppe (Klein) 6.50 CHF (S$8.50) which when translated to English means Homemade Soup of the Day (Small). The soup of the day was Tomato Soup! It was quite a small bowl of soup and was very sour. 

Bread

Bread which was served together with the soup. Nothing great about the bread, it was average. 

Gambas 'All' Aglio E Peperoncini (Klein) 17.50 CHF (S$22.87)

The partner ordered the Gambas 'All' Aglio E Peperoncini (Klein) which cost 17.50 CHF (S$22.87). It was essentially an Aglio Olio style spaghetti served with roasted black tiger shrimps with garlic and hot pepper. This Aglio Olio style spaghetti was decently executed. Many tiger shrimp was given and they were fresh and succulent.

Feuerspaghetti 17.50 CHF  (S$22.87)

I ordered the Feuerspaghetti (Klein) 17.50 CHF (S$22.87); Spaghetti with hot curry, sliced chicken and china vegetable. This was a unique dish and unlike any curry I have tried before. The curry was not spicy, similar to a thick, starchy peanut sauce with a slight hint of curry.  The china vegetable in this case consisted of mainly slices of carrots and cabbage. To be frank, I did not like the taste of this dish and wished that I had ordered something else.

Overall, the ambience at La Bonne Cave was quiet, cozy and homely. It looked like the perfect place for a quiet date and chill out. In fact to me, it seemed more of a place for wine rather than food. Food wise, it was not impressive.

There are several landmarks to visit in Lucerne.

Old Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke)

The Old Chapel Bridge also known as Kapellbrücke built in 1333 to protect Lucerne is the oldest wooden covered wooden bridge in Europe. The Watch Tower (Wasserturm) which you see in the photo is an eight sided citadel made of bricks. It was used as a watch tower, torture chamber, and prison. Both the bridge and Watch Tower are a key tourist attraction of Switzerland. The Old Chapel Bridge is just outside La Bonne Cave.

Old Town of Lucerne

The Old Town with its well preserved 14th century town walls, cobbled squares and buildings. There were murals on most of the buildings walls.

Lion Monument (Lion of Lucerne)

Since were were at Lucerne, we visited the Lion Monument (Lion of Lucerne) which was nearby. The Lion Monument carved out of stone depicts a dying lion in memory of the Swiss mercenaries who lost their lives during the French Revolution at the Tuileries Palace in Paris. The lake at the bottom of the monument was frozen.

Postillon Hotel Lucerne

Postillon Hotel, our Hotel for the night. ~Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!~ 

 The view from our room.

Lake Lucerne

Postillon Hotel is located next to Lake Lucerne.

That's all for this post. Stay tuned for more.

La Bonne Cave (Switzerland, Lucerne) 
Rathausquai 1
6004 Luzern
Lucerne, Switzerland
Tel: +41 41 410 45 16
Website
Location

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