One of the problems with living abroad is that you discover how insular the British are, always Swiss-bashing (because us Brits are never unfriendly or petty, are we?) and refusing to even try to speak a few words of French.
That said, I must admit to visiting Jim's British Market once in a while for some Twiglets or a Twirl and I may have once bemoaned the lack of houmous and sausages in Swiss supermarkets. And of course it's always nice to discover a place that reminds you of home.
From the warm welcome of the vivacious middle-aged owners to the blackboard menu and country chic interiors, Auberge des Trois Tilleuls could so easily be a Cotswold village pub (now that they're all serving posh nosh of course). The food is very much meaty country fare, with some local lake fish thrown in, occasionally with an exotic flourish of ginger or lime.
I tried the balotine of féra which, once I got past the cylindrical snake-shaped presentation, turned out to be a herby, hearty choice. Monsieur Gourmand went for the slightly over-the-top house speciality - filet de boeuf "canaille" - a sort of tartar sandwich with two steaks as the "bread". It was very rich, to the extent that he couldn't contemplate dessert, but excellent in the extreme.
Whipping along the rainy country roads on our way back home, we again drew the English parallels. But then, between dodging a hedgehog and veering clear of a weasel, we remarked on the 12 francs they charged for a bottle of water. Only in Switzerland...
Auberge des Trois Tilleuls, Place du Village, 1272 Genolier
+41 (0)22 366 0531; www.troistilleuls.ch
That said, I must admit to visiting Jim's British Market once in a while for some Twiglets or a Twirl and I may have once bemoaned the lack of houmous and sausages in Swiss supermarkets. And of course it's always nice to discover a place that reminds you of home.
From the warm welcome of the vivacious middle-aged owners to the blackboard menu and country chic interiors, Auberge des Trois Tilleuls could so easily be a Cotswold village pub (now that they're all serving posh nosh of course). The food is very much meaty country fare, with some local lake fish thrown in, occasionally with an exotic flourish of ginger or lime. I tried the balotine of féra which, once I got past the cylindrical snake-shaped presentation, turned out to be a herby, hearty choice. Monsieur Gourmand went for the slightly over-the-top house speciality - filet de boeuf "canaille" - a sort of tartar sandwich with two steaks as the "bread". It was very rich, to the extent that he couldn't contemplate dessert, but excellent in the extreme.
Whipping along the rainy country roads on our way back home, we again drew the English parallels. But then, between dodging a hedgehog and veering clear of a weasel, we remarked on the 12 francs they charged for a bottle of water. Only in Switzerland...
Auberge des Trois Tilleuls, Place du Village, 1272 Genolier
+41 (0)22 366 0531; www.troistilleuls.ch
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