Butter rivals

Café de Paris had almost enticed us in the past but we were always put off by the nasty station location, sandwiched between a kebab shop and McDonalds. Besides, surely it's not possible that another eaterie could match the tender meat, fiendish frites and sinful green buttery sauce served at Relais de l'Entrecôte?

When we found ourselves on that side of the lake one evening recently we decided to give it a go.

It didn't start well: the salad was without walnuts and the dressing was forgettable. Then the chips arrived on their own.
But things soon started looking up as the waiter set up a stove on our table and our house wine turned out to be a whole litre. At only 35 francs, that’s a good deal (by Geneva standards anyway).

Then the platter of beef arrived, so rare it looked like it had barely touched a pan, embedded in still-solid buttery sauce. Monsieur Gourmand devoured his in a flash regardless; I was more patient, waiting for the butter to melt around my meat.

As with its Rive Gauche rival, sauce is key to Café de Paris' long-lasting success. It was delicious indeed, but not downright addictive like that at Entrecôte. That said, the prices are rather more palatable and you can eat in unhurried peace, making it more than a worthy alternative.

Café de Paris, 26 rue du Mont-Blanc, Cornavin
+41 (0)22 732 8450; www.cafe-de-paris.ch

Battle of the bulge

Only men mired in the misery of the cold Crimean war - or perhaps Elvis Presley - would have dared dream up something as fiendish as fried cheese balls. While fighting for the French in the battle of Malakoff, it was indeed a group of hungry Swiss soldiers that created the dish of the same name and brought it back home to Vaud... where they found it fitted in very nicely with other hearty Swiss staples such as fondue and cured meat.

These days, the soldiers' story is seldom told, but their “Malakoff” lives on in the Vaud countryside at the Auberge de Luins.

Some like their Malakoffs as a main after a plate of viande sechée and the requisite pickles, but we had them as a starter with a big salad to share. Expecting the cheese to seep out when I pierced it with my knife, I was surprised to find it wasn’t runny, but more congealed and chewy with the cheese absorbed into the bready base. Though undeniably delicious, the Malakoff's fried crust detracted from the flavour of the wine-soaked Gruyère, failing (in my view) to match the melted decadence of a good fondue.

This was followed by a juicy rare rump steak for me and some seasonal venison for Monsieur Gourmand with root vegetables and a deliciously tangy sauce. Both were good, but here the Malakoff is king.

Auberge de Luins, Luins, Vaud
+41 (0)21 824 1159; www.aubergedeluins.ch