The story
Aux Trois Amis serves country cooking at Untergasse 17 in Ligerz, in the vineyard hamlet of Schernelz high above Lake Biel, close to Biel/Bienne. The kitchen holds one Michelin Star (2026) for high quality cooking.
Chef Marc Joshua Engel and hostess and sommelier Cynthia Lauper took over what had been a tavern for hikers about ten years ago. Gault&Millau awarded them 17 points in 2026 and calls the cooking creative yet cohesive. Engel is fond of surprise menus, where ingredients from around the world meet. He says a dish often starts as a sudden idea that simply has to reach the plate.
Gault&Millau's report reads like a tasting menu. It begins with a duck consommé served in a glass with a duck meat praline. Arctic char arrives on a kimchi espuma, and chicken comes with cauliflower velouté and Périgord truffle. The beef entrecôte is paired with a roll of lightly fermented cabbage. Dessert, in the spring example, was yellow passion fruit and white coconut with a green Thai basil sorbet.
The house was once the Au Coq d'Or. On 24 April 1894 it became Aux Trois Amis, after three school friends (two later doctors, one a judge) who gathered there with half the village. Today the dining room is spacious, and a terrace looks over the lake. The wine list ranges across the Old and New World, and the service is described as very friendly.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
High quality cooking
Hostess and sommelier Cynthia Lauper and chef Marc Joshua Engel have achieved great success at their «Aux Trois Amis» in Schernelz, located high above Lake Biel. Ten years ago, they took over a tavern for hikers; today, they run a cozy gourmet restaurant nestled among vineyards, complete with a terrace overlooking Lake Biel. The menu or small à la carte list offers creative yet cohesive cuisine that consistently surprises and earns a score of 17 points. Even the amuse-bouche were a smash hit: a duck consommé served in a glass with a duck meat praline, alongside a roe deer tartare and a roe deer tartlet with radish and fresh goat cheese. Beautifully presented like a flower was the first course: the “leaves” made from kohlrabi, the “petals” from silken tofu and egg, and the “pistil” from grated egg yolk. The chef served Arctic char from Arctic waters on a foamy kimchi espuma, topped with curly kale; the chicken came with a cauliflower velouté and plenty of Périgord truffle. After a refreshing parsley sorbet with pine nut schnapps, the main course impressed with tender beef entrecôte accompanied by a roll of lightly fermented cabbage, while sweet pear mousse provided a surprisingly contrasting counterpoint. Instead of ordering the cheese course, we opted for dessert: a spring-like composition featuring yellow passion fruit, white coconut, and a vibrant green Thai basil sorbet. An excellent wine list and very friendly service completed the meal.
Location
Facebook
Instagram