The story
Perched above Montreux in the former Bellevue Hotel, the Restaurant Stéphane Décotterd occupies what the chef calls an “eagle’s nest” – a 19th-century building that has watched over the Vaud Riviera for generations. The dining room is a listed historic monument, a careful blend of Belle-Époque elegance and contemporary comfort. Every seat offers an uninterrupted panorama of Lake Geneva and the Alps, a setting that transforms a meal into something more.
Stéphane Décotterd describes his French cuisine in terms of light and landscape: “As you gaze at the magnificent Alps, bathed in the light of the sunset over the lake, my cuisine suddenly takes on a whole new meaning and transports you out of time.” The cooking is precise, ingredient-driven, and rooted in the traditions of French gastronomy, yet it responds to the season and the view. The restaurant holds a Michelin star for high quality cooking, a recognition that matches the ambition of the kitchen.
The restaurant is part of Maison Décotterd, a larger hospitality house that also includes a bistro, lounge bar, and cooking classes. But the fine-dining room remains the heart of the property – a place where lunch and dinner are served from Tuesday to Saturday, and where the wine list is carefully curated. The atmosphere is refined but not stiff; the historic walls and modern service make it feel both grand and welcoming. Whether you come for a special occasion or simply to enjoy the view with a glass of wine, the Restaurant Stéphane Décotterd delivers a distinctly Montreux experience.
Recognition
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History
High quality cooking
good quality, good value cooking
Naturally, a world-renowned hotel management school relies on an outstanding chef for its flagship restaurant. And Stéphane Décotterd delivers in the magnificent hall of the palace hotel high above Lake Léman and Montreux: His Swiss-inspired market kitchen once again delighted us from A to Z. A vol-au-vent topped with turnips and filled with St. Gall blue cheese, a Vaud bouchon (cone-shaped sponge cake) stuffed with dried meat, and a smoked whitefish served under a cloche on a rye crisp all delighted us as starters right from the outset. The chef elevated the hearty winter vegetable salad to gourmet level with Oona caviar from Frutigen and local pumpkin seed oil, while he served the salmon aromatized with star anise and melilot from Lostallo alongside a rich sauce made from Fribourg barley. Colonnata bacon and kaffir lime added a zesty kick to the prawns from Rheinfelden, while the black truffle from Vaud was skillfully combined by the kitchen with hazelnuts into a blancmange. Also from the nearby region came the poultry from the Gruyère area, cooked in a hay crust and served with young spinach as the main course. Christophe Loeffel, GaultMillau's "Pastry Chef of the Year 2021," delighted us with airy Valle Maggia rice pudding and honey from Montreux, as well as with a caramelized pear presented as jus, pickle, and sorbet. The final compliment goes to sommelier Romain Doisneau for his perfectly food-pairing wines, all exclusively sourced from Switzerland.
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