We decided to keep it simple for dinner on our first night in Montreux and ate at La Terrasse in Le…read morePetit Palais, which is across the street from the main structure of the Montreux Palace hotel. For some reason, our names were not in the reservation book despite being confirmed as having a spot, but we were still able to get seated at one of the tables closest to the lake. I should note that while this is advertised as a 'waterfront' dining location, the seats are not actually right by the water, and the view of the lake is obstructed by trees that are on the promenade behind Le Petit Palais. It wasn't a huge deal, as I still enjoyed the relaxed ambiance, but there is a difference between 'waterfront' and 'close to the water'. Our servers were great at getting our appetizers and entrees out quickly, but like many restaurants in Europe, the service slows to a crawl / disappears once you hit the dessert courses. The drink selection is decently well-rounded; I had a local microbrew that was pretty solid (if not the best tripel I have had).
We started out the main course with some grilled veggies, as we have been a bit deficient in eating enough of these during our time here so far. They were fine, if a bit generic; the main aspects I enjoyed were the mushrooms, which were spongy and absorbed most of the other flavors in the dish, as well as the thin slices of Parmesan, which added a dash of flavor to what otherwise was a pretty boring plate. For the main, my wife did the eggplant parmesan, which is far less fried than it is in the U.S. - a nice change of pace - but also seemed to lack as much of the flavor as well. My braised beef cheeks were marinated in a rich sauce that seemed to have a dash of red wine reduced in it, along with a very hearty beef overtone. While most of the meat was quite succulent and fell apart, there were other parts that had a bit of fat on them and would have been welcome to not be on the plate. The carrots they were served with were nice and served as a good accompaniment to the rest of the dish. Dessert was profiteroles with strawberries and 'yogurt' ice cream, which was lighter than I had thought it would be (a good thing); the combination of the fresh berries with the light pastry was a great way to finish the meal (and probably my favorite dish of the evening).
La Terrasse is a nice, casual spot to grab a bite. It's not going to knock your socks off, and it will probably feel a bit overpriced (like everything in this country, practically), but you can take in a view of the mountains across the lake or the sunset and feel like you are in a different place. It's worth a visit, if not a place to eat at every night you are in town.
