From mountain views to Instagrammable meals, Switzerland is all its cracked up to be. On her first trip, writer, aspiring chef, former Fathom intern and quarter-centarian Tess Falotico discovers a few of its fancier charms.
I devour my plate and go for seconds. More peak tomatoes, more cheese, more champagne. If this is Switzerland, I want it all. My room is all neutrals and shades of blue; the exterior is boxy, which belies softly curved walls and plush furnishings inside. After a shower, I throw on a fluffy hotel robe and collapse onto cloud-like sheets until aperitif hour. We toast our trip with light, mineral-y chasselas, an indigenous Swiss grape, at the hotel bar, and switch to golden, herby pinot gris as we move to the restaurant.
Finally, the chariot des desserts , stacked with tempting sweets. Time to go to Lausanne. Our final destination is the legendary Beau-Rivage Palace. The hotel itself is spectacular. The first half opened in ; the second, connected by a glass rotunda, in Beau-Rivage combines palatial design with well-concealed modern luxuries: An original door opens automatically, grand-looking curtains lift at the touch of a button, a heavy, brass room key opens a digital lock. I need to make a quick change into a robe and slippers; my spa appointment is in fifteen minutes.
Our plan is to walk back downhill toward the lake, where we can shop and caffeinate on our way back to the hotel. At Soda , a secondhand store filled with clothes and accessories the owner brings back from Japan, I buy a kitchy British Airways tote bag and a couple of patterned button-down blouses.
At another vintage shop, Chabada , I leave with an insanely chic, black leather Bally bag for euros. Did I go to Switzerland to eat Japanese food? No, but I regret nothing. I like my Champagne flowing, my tempura crispy, my sushi fresh, and my beef Kobe. This is how life should be! Miyako checks those boxes. We sample their refreshing chasselas and juicy pinots noirs and admire the view — sloping vineyards that lead to Lake Geneva and the Alps behind it.
