Villa Sommerlust

High quality cooking

A romantic garden and a villa on the Rhine serve as the setting for a culinary spectacle that is rather unique within the Swiss GaultMillau region. The Spanish-Swiss duo of Dan Rodriguez-Zaugg and Alejandro Polo has been joined by reinforcements and now presents itself as a trio alongside the highly gifted young dessert specialist, Katiuska «Kati» Villalba Paredes. And rarely does the performance of a kitchen team improve so exponentially within just a few months. Our evening begins with tapas, a table full of little bites—sometimes warm, crispy, and hearty (croquette), sometimes light, cool, and fresh (cucumber gazpacho), sometimes sophisticated (gratinated mussel ragout). This variety is as striking as the simple term "vegetable soup" is misleading for the next course: From pickled vegetables and jalapeños, a clear broth is extracted; served with it are caramelized ginger-carrot purée, lime-treated cherry tomatoes, pickled vegetables, and onion gel. The result is a floral, fresh course with its own distinct flavor profile that runs like a red thread through the menu. The chefs at Sommerlust have already developed an unmistakable signature style in a short time: The peas grilled over charcoal using Basque technique with lardo and charcoal oil are just as distinctive as the fish royale with pickled jalapeños, jalapeño oil, smoked scallop slices, salmon roe, and an ethereal foam based on leche de tigre; the foam is created using an aquarium pump in a glass container—a playful, technical garnish that, for once, is not an end in itself but adds an extra dimension to the dish. Following the excellent courses so far, the main course is good and solid: Cooking the Appenzeller duck breast sous vide may not be the best idea, even if the fat is gratinated; accompanied by white asparagus with wild garlic cream, a mildly spicy asparagus lollipop, and a beignet stuffed with duck leg, foie gras, and bone marrow. The dessert, following the traditionally cool-warm cocktail ("Fantastico"), is spectacularly good once again: a strawberry variation (baked, lacto-fermented, raw, as a broth, and as sorbet) with goat cream espuma, pink pepper, and a savory-salty note. A final testament to the quality of Sommerlust's cuisine, which leaves you craving more.