It's hard to imagine many people will end up in Lagnau, Switzerland by accident, but Restaurant zum…read moregoldenen Löwen (The Golden Lion Restaurant) makes it worth the trip. It's not too far from Bern and is directly across the tracks from the Lagnau train station, so getting there is easy (we spent the night in Lagnau, however, so be sure to check post-dinner train times).
While it is not tacky, per se, the decor and lighting leave a bit to be desired, and the bill will definitely punch you in the wallet (particularly my American wallet), but that's where the cons end.
From the moment you walk in the door the staff go out of their way to make you feel welcome. We had a reservation and our table was ready when we walked in (one can't say enough about Swiss precision). We were offered an aperitif; those arrived swiftly and were accompanied by an amuse bouche, compliments of the chef. This was a ham terrine with peppers. Tasty, but not mind blowing.
What was mind-blowing, however, was the soup I started with -- a cream of chestnut/walnut wild mushroom. It was not especially creamy (which I thought was great, as it was not too heavy) but each flavor was fresh and distinct. I think the chestnuts had been pureed, while the walnuts and mushrooms were left coarsely chopped to give the soup a bite. There was just the right undertone of onion and stock (vegetable or chicken). Fantastic.
Andreea had the filet mignon, which had been marinated to perfection and was cooked precisely as ordered -- a true medium rare. It was paired with a red wine sauce that came on the side so it was not left swimming. Herbed potatoes and steamed vegetables on the side were good but nothing too special had been done to them. Basic. No problem.
I had the roasted medallion of venison stuffed with foie gras which was also done to a turn and, in a word (an overused word, but, in this case, accurate) sublime. It too had a sauce on the side -- a port wine reduction that complimented the flavor of the meat without overpowering it. It came with different vegetables, lightly roasted, but left al dente (which was just the way I like them) and a rolled pumpkin spongecake (not sweet) that added to the autumn flavor of a game dish. Overall, exquisite.
Dessert. A got a combination platter of three or four small desserts (all good, but, with the exception of a fruit tart, hard to describe -- I don't know if they were regional favorites or the chef's creation). I, on the other hand, had a mountain on my plate. Lagnau is in the heart of the Emmental district which is known for two things, cheese and meringues. That the area also has great cream products is a given -- it's Switzerland, after all. I ordered the meringue with fresh cream, ice cream and fruit. There's not much to say beyond the fact that it looked and tasted just as one might expect. Perfect on both counts.
We had eaten our fill, so we did not partake, but the cheese tray was brought out for the table next to us and I've never seen anything like it. About twenty different cheeses brought out on a four foot cheese board, presumably all Swiss but I can't be sure because I don't speak German, so I didn't understand the description of them.
Two other things to mention. Our waitress was a twenty-year-old apprentice (like many places in Europe, waitstaff is a career rather than just a gig to get you to the next stop in life as it tends to be in the States) who clearly took her job seriously and did it well. She was just friendly enough without being fake. Perfectly attentive without hovering. Willing to talk if we felt like it, but not otherwise. In other words, just right.
The other thing is something I appreciated but have never seen elsewhere. I was ordering wine by the glass. When she brought a whole, unopened bottle for me to check it I clarified that I was not ordering a whole bottle. She said that whenever someone orders by the glass they open a fresh bottle and the customer is free to have one glass, two glasses, the whole bottle -- whatever he or she wants. This was a great touch as it guarantees you are not going to be drinking a glass from a bottle opened last week.
Bottom line. A memorable meal worth traveling for if you are in the area. Let me rephrase that. A memorable meal you should not miss if you are in the area.
