Anne-Sophie Pic au Beau-Rivage Palace

Excellent cooking

Kaigan" means "shore" in Japanese. Situated in the lakeside park and beneath the arcades of a luxury hotel, this venue offers outstanding Japanese cuisine in an elegant atmosphere, hosted by Matthieu Jerome, whether at the teppanyaki station or the sushi counter. The experience begins with a refreshing cocktail crafted from Jinzu gin, pandan syrup, elderflower, and sencha tea, serving as the perfect accompaniment to the delicate edamame. The kitchen scores a brilliant hit with its tender tuna tartare served on crispy rice, while the paper-thin sliced gravlax salmon with miso-mustard sauce is equally impressive. For the nigiri, lightly torched, juicy tuna belly (toro) and salmon are enhanced with only a hint of ginger – with such exceptional ingredients, that is all that is needed. The amberjack is buttery and tender, and the maki rolls with salmon roe are flawlessly executed. For the main course, the focus is on the exquisite black cod marinated in white miso, or the Pluma Ibérica served with ginger and grilled vegetables. The desserts also showcase great refinement: a matcha Swiss roll with sponge cake and strawberry jam, a yuzu sorbet with white chocolate, and an exquisite plum sorbet with umeshu. The concise, international wine list is superbly curated, and the selection of sake and Japanese beers is outstanding.

The «Café Beau-Rivage», the brasserie of the five-star hotel, has quite a lot to offer: an impressive Belle Époque-style venue, a relaxed ambiance, professional service typical of a grand hotel, and an attractive menu. However, the dishes themselves did not always match the luxurious surroundings this time. Classic and refined was the poultry and goose liver pâté with hazelnut vinaigrette, and the pocket crab caught with a fish trap tasted good, served alongside a cauliflower preparation that was partly crunchy and partly creamy. The «Bouchée à la reine» (pastry pie) with a sauce of veal sweetbreads, poultry, and mushrooms was also excellent; however, the accompanying pasta was greasy and overcooked. For the tender cod loin, the kitchen served saffron-braised chicory and, unfortunately, a very sour yuzu sabayon. Since the dessert, a pear and grain combination, also lacked flavor, we will stick to the excellent Crêpe Suzette next time.