The story
Catherine restored her family’s historic estate in the quiet Ajoie valley, then invited Gérard to share the daily work. Their approach to Swiss regional cuisine rejects rigid technique in favor of raw ingredients and steady craftsmanship. Every Friday and Saturday evening plus Sunday midday, they serve a single tasting menu that shifts with the seasons. Recent plates have featured lamb kid cooked in golden string with Espelette pepper, alongside foie gras ravioli paired with new leeks and sunflower seeds.
This regional Swiss philosophy balances delicate seafood with hearty local staples without chasing pretension. Grilled sea bass resting on anise salt appears alongside roasted sea bream softened with gentle spices and linden flowers. Desserts lean into familiar comforts reimagined, such as an operetta cake layered with Ecuadorian chocolate and grilled peach sorbet. A norvégienne omelette revisited with ivory chocolate and Grande Chartreuse rounds out the service at seventy-eight Swiss francs.
Gault&Millau awarded the venue a fourteen-point rating, noting how the Prauds keep the dining room grounded rather than overwrought. The castle overlooks a valley thick with damassine plum trees, a setting that encourages guests to slow down and linger. Long wooden tables replace isolated booths, reinforcing the hosts’ belief that Swiss regional dishes taste better when passed freely. The upcoming spring shift toward L’Atelier de Catherine will extend this communal spirit into a series of host-led dinners.
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