ROOTS, BERRIES AND WILD CUMIN. Nicolas Darnauguilhem has a rare talent: he is able to put on his plates all the landscape that we admire around his restaurant, the famous Pinte des Mossettes in Cerniat (FR). It is because it is deeply rooted in its region, just like its cuisine. Which does not prevent a very contemporary approach to gastronomy, as evidenced by its pastured beef tartare sprinkled with wild berries and beetroot, its root broth, or its cold buckwheat noodles accompanied by grilled cucumber and a wild cumin juice. As for dessert, it’s a barely sweet dream, made from three kinds of shizo, harvested right next to the restaurant. As the chef resolutely focuses on sustainability both in his garden and in the choice of his producers, he undoubtedly deserves his title of “Green Chef of the Year” 2025, awarded by Bio Suisse and GaultMillau! With this distinction is also added a new point, since the Pinte des Mossettes is now rated 17/20.
A SIGNATURE DISH REINVENTED EVERY DAY. If we had to choose a creation that best characterizes the culinary philosophy of this restaurant set in a dream landscape, in the middle of the mountains, it would undoubtedly be Nicolas Darnauguilhem’s wonderful green salad. It is almost the signature dish of the house, served after the main course, as was once the tradition in the region, accompanied by a selection of local cheeses. Currently, salad is a real walk in the garden. It consists of marigolds, shizo, lettuce, fig leaf oil and cherry puree, to name only the main elements. Each leaf is individually sprayed with a special vinaigrette, based on apple brandy and fennel flower. According to the chef, this dish, which is constantly reinvented according to the seasons, cleanses the palate. In winter, pickled vegetables and bitter salads, which have already withstood several frosts, predominate. In spring, the brigade picks wild herbs, first, in April, on the banks of Lake Gruyère, later on the hillside. “While the herbs stay the same, their taste changes depending on the altitude.” The chef’s objective is to create with each dish a culinary experience that would be impossible to reproduce just 100 kilometers further. Its bread and beaten butter, flavored with hay from a meadow located at an altitude of 1800 meters, are another example.