Definitely a great 3 Michelin star experience, but I wasn’t blown away: Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville de Crissier (9. November 2024)
Special occasions justify spending an evening in one of the four 3 Michelin Star restaurants Switzerland has. The Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville de Crissier has been on my to do list for quite a while already, and it was finally time to give it a try.
Once you’re seated, they bring you the menu and give you a bit of time to check what you want to eat and, relatively quickly, you’re served a few amuse bouches like the “onion with dry meat”, “mushroom” and “malagof with cheese and meat”. Frankly, all of these were great bites to start and it really got your palate started.
Then, the waiting began! They had placed the bread and butter on a large table in the middle of the dining room and the bread and butter were sitting there for a good 15 minutes – before they finally got served. And frankly, the bread they had was delicious! I especially enjoyed the ‘lemon bread’ and the ‘corn bread’, since they were both not only tasty, but lemon bread was also something I haven’t had before.
Then it was time for the first course of the menu, and one must say that the “Tasting Menu” is a relatively pricey exercise with CHF 410.00 per person!
In any case, the first course were “refreshing nage cockles and sea urchin broth with Chasselas, Jerusalem artichokes and caviar Oscietra” and it was a good start as it was a lovely combination of different flavours and definitely something you would not get every day.
The next bite sounded super promising, but I was actually a bit disappointed. The “bites of foie gras powdered with Valais Noble Grain, quince chutney with citrus zest” looked lovely and it was nice how it was served. But, somehow, I didn’t find the foie gras all too mind-blowing. Sure, it was nice in combination with the citrus note, but the foie gras itself didn’t really do it for me.
What was quite lovely, though, was the “grilled scallop with whole grain mustard, Vullierens pumpkin and young spinach”. Personally, I found it a little overcooked and it could have been a little bit more raw, but it was actually a nice combination of different flavours – so, a positive surprise (as I’m very careful with scallop dishes).
The “surprise egg with white Alba truffles, melted chard ribs and country bacon” looked amazing. I loved the little pasta roll in the middle, and it sounded so promising looking at the combination of truffles, bacon, and egg – but, somehow, I felt like it fell a bit flat in terms of flavour combination. Could also have been since my nose was a little blocked and I wasn’t able to grasp the full in intensity of the flavours, but I felt like there could have been more to it.
Next in line was the “back of turbot slowly cooked in a parsley oil, crunchy salsifies in Dézaley Grand Cru wine” …
… which came with a little tartlet on the side, which was also to start the dish. I liked the combination of flavours, but also here, I wasn’t blown away.
What was absolutely nice, and intense in flavour, was the “blue lobster cooked like «coq au vin», Noville kale and crispy claws” – on top of the great flavour combination, I also liked the presentation quite a lot!
The main course was a “selection of the best of wild game”, which was actually “hare with foie gras sauce”. Personally, it was just way too flavour-intense, so, personally, I didn’t really enjoy the main too much. And I truly enjoy intense flavours.
The “selection of fine cheeses” was something, which turned out a charm. They have a huge cheese trolley and I was lucky enough to pick five amazing cheeses. The hard cheese had a note of peach, which was definitely something I hadn’t expected and something I haven’t had. So, frankly, that was a highlight.
Then it was time for an “iced soup with clementines and lime, caramelized arlette with Italian pistachios”, which was rather refreshing and a great move towards the sweet side of the dinner.
The “refreshing palet with Crissier apples, flavoured with Rhum des Alpes and coconut” was a dish right down my alley when it comes to sweets.
One element, which I observed about the place was the fact that they plate many dishes in a way that they have an optical separation between two elements of the plate, which is quite interesting.
Last but not least, you’d get some candies to finalise your dinner, which were a lovely ending to everything.
The place is nice inside, but frankly, I had expected, optically, a little bit more.
When you go downstairs to wash your hands, you’ll also pass by the wine cave and that is actually quite lovely to see.
Last but not least, the entrance is full of flowers …
… and is what expect you once you’ve entered through the impressively lit up outside.
Funny enough, when we left, the chefs were doing something funny outside, which was quite hilarious to see these chefs having some fun outside of the job.
The staff is super professional and friendly, and they are attentive. However, the whole thing is a tiny bit too slow for my gusto. Booking in advance is mega necessary – and I’m talking months in advance!
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Contact Details:
Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville de Crissier
Rue d’Yverdon 1
1023 Crissier (CH)
Tel.: +41 21 634 05 05
Homepage: http://www.restaurantcrissier.com
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
