No gastronomic tour of Switzerland would be complete without a visit to Lucerne and the grand opulence of the Palace Luzern where its Jasper restaurant has won the reputation of the city’s finest. Andrew Copestake checked in.
It’s no St. Tropez, but the promenade that juts away from Lucerne city centre has a touch of the Riviera – a Riviera with mountain views (not so much snow-capped in winter as smothered in the stuff). It’s the kind of view that inspires relaxation; the kind that demands a hotel or two. They came, about a century ago, tourism replacing trade routes.
However, if Switzerland fails to get the bodily juices flowing with exhilaration in the way that Cannes or Capri do, you might change your mind once you’ve feasted in the Jasper restaurant at the historic hotel Palace Luzern.
The Palace has been sitting pretty on Lake Lucerne for 103 years, the brainchild of Franz-Josef Bucher-Durrer, a farmer’s son once described by his own mother as ‘too lazy to work.’ A personal fortune of 14 million Swiss francs and an empire comprising ten luxury hotels and six mountain railways proved mother wrong. But Durrer might not fully recognise his city today.
True, the geological landscape has not changed much - there’s not a lot you can do with mountains and lakes. There are still frescoed guildhalls and wooden bridges dating back hundreds of years; and the narrow lanes of the old city centre remain quaintly cobbled. But facing off the Palace Luzern across the lake is Jean Nouvel’s fabulously modern KKL cultural centre, where the annual Blue Balls music festival swells tourist numbers further.
And behind the fanciful neo-classic façade of the Palace things have also changed. The hotel, that could once boast en suite bathrooms as a selling point, has had to move with the times. A 23 million Swiss francs injection of cash brought in WiFi and flat-screen TVs; a two-floor spa has been introduced with separate male and female zones, petal pools and an ice-fountain; those bathrooms are now refashioned in ecru and anthracite by Swiss designer Dominique Couture, who has also added ceiling-high glass partitions to maximise the mountain views, and refitted the bedrooms in Belle Epoque timber hues of tulip wood, olive ash and palisander.
But for guests and non-guests alike, this grand dame hotel’s piece de resistance is chef Ulf Braunert’s Michelin-starred Restaurant Jasper. Describing his culinary concept as ‘creative but uncomplicated, with more than a touch of Mediterranean magic,’ Braunert’s menu features jumbo shrimps and a cannelloni of leeks and chanterelles and a bloody mary tomato mousse with aubergine caviar. Carnivores are kept sweet with calf’s head, suckling pig and duckling breast; vegetarians are amply accommodated with a three to six course menu surprise; and fish fanatics can choose from dishes such as sautéed red tuna with a cucumber and ginger salad, or a scallop and pot-au-feu curry with coconut and lemongrass – not very Mediterranean perhaps, but inspired all the same.
Inspiration has hit the décor too. Oak-panelled parquet flooring contrasts nicely with sedate cream-white walls; wine cupboards have been aesthetically incorporated into French limestone; suspended chandeliers of opal glass keep the lighting ambient; and large wooden tables are inset with slate, onyx and horn. Horn is also used for the napkin holders and the breadbasket, which comes filled with crostini, cheese bread and focaccia - plus a decanter of emerald green, fruity olive oil in which to drench them.
Scanning the menu you will notice that in addition to ‘creative’ and ‘uncomplicated’ Braunert has put emphasis on ‘cultivation’ with dishes divided into Spa Food and Mood Food – food apparently designed to cultivate the body and seduce the soul. A little more information would be useful to elevate this from the usual menu purple poetry and give it some nutritional credence, but think in terms of fresh, seasonal and locally sourced ingredients free of trans-fats and you are heading in the right direction.
And after one blissful night – and yes, an exhilaration of my body’s juices - I am in no doubt that the direction you need to head, even if you are taking the road to Cannes or Capri – perhaps on a gourmet Grand Tour – is the Jasper Restaurant at the Luzern Palace. You may even decide to stay for the first breath of winter and watch the snow settle on those mountains.
Haldenstrasse 10, CH-6002 Luzern. Tel +41 (0)41 416 16 16, www.palace-luzern.ch