Fifteen years ago, Anne-Sophie Pic branched out from her family restaurant Maison Pic in Valence, where she made her name, for the very first time. Fifteen years ago, the most decorated female chef in the world—with 12 Michelin stars to her name—chose to open her first namesake restaurant at Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne, Switzerland, drawn by the splendour of its nature, the bounty of its produce, and the warmth of its people. Fifteen years later, the restaurant, during which it has maintained its two-Michelin-star status, is now revamped and renamed PIC at Beau-Rivage Palace. It is also now embarking on a fresh new chapter, complete with new interiors, menus and experience, following a year-long, floor-to-ceiling renovation.
“This restaurant is very special,” Pic says. “It’s my first restaurant after Maison Pic, my family’s restaurant, so there is attachment in terms of my long time working here and experiencing all the different products that I can find here in Lausanne. It’s also because I love Switzerland from my childhood—I had the opportunity to come here very often because part of my family is French-Swiss. Few collaborations go on for 15 years—it’s something quite magical. That’s the reason why we decided to name this restaurant PIC at Beau-Rivage Palace.”
(right photo) PIC at Beau-Rivage Palace.
The new PIC beckons all with soft shades of blush, peach, lavender and honey, clothed in the same soft femininity of the chef’s own soft-spoken demeanour. Designed by architect Tristan Auer, the space transforms details from Pic’s private journals into four main dining areas—a main dining hall with light wood furnishings; a cordoned off smaller segment for an added slice of privacy; a stunning bar with an interactive island; and an alfresco area overlooking the lush garden grounds of the hotel.
Painting the full picture of the entire restaurant’s concept is a poya—a traditional painting once used by armailis to provide an inventory of herd, people and equipment to signify prosperity—commissioned from Michael Rampa, welcoming all in full display. In the same colour palette as the restaurant, the watercolour tableau depicts Pic in the midst of Lausanne’s pastures, looking up fondly towards the Beau-Rivage Palace.
The menu at PIC is entrusted to the hands of Chef Jordan Theurrillat, whom Pic has had by her side for more than a decade, including five years in Lausanne. Through him, Pic’s culinary philosophy continues to shine through, one that underscores her delicate yet bold cuisine.
(right photo) The bar.
Things begin with the very lake that the historic hotel wakes up to every day, Lac Leman. Instead of typical noble fish, Pic daringly serves up the local freshwater fera fish, hailing from the very waters of the lake. Doubling down on that daringness, the delicate flesh is simply smoked with garden fig leaves for a lingering, bright herbaceousness and served with fresh almond cream infused with amazake to lend complexity.
Pic’s signature Les Berlingots ASP—pyramid-shaped pockets of pasta named for its resemblance to the French confectionary of the same shape—remain a mainstay, albeit updated. They are now filled with sheep’s cheese from Mont Gibloux, corn puree, saffron from Jorat, and lavender from the hotel’s own greenhouses to reflect the locality. Firm to the bite, velvety on the tongue, and rich in savouriness on the senses, it encapsulates Pic’s prowess with taste and texture while paying homage to the things she loves the most—the people, produce, and pastures of Lausanne.
“My DNA didn’t change a lot,” Pic shares of the menu. “I’m still making French cuisine but, now, we are working more with pairings. I have been very interested in coffee and tea pairing for a long time, along with mixology of cocktails, so we were eager to propose this here in Lausanne.”
On top of wines, beautifully seen to by sommelier Dominique Peretti, a refreshing option is coffee, tea and cocktail pairings to go with the courses. Overseen by wine director Paz Levinson, pure alchemy is brewed through the likes of the Boisson Creative, or creative drink, where El Placer Pink Bourbon coffee is smoked with citronella before hot filtered with tomato water. The bar also opens up come dessert time, inviting guests to roam the space and try a myriad of libations equally playful and innovative. Cocktails are offered in profiles that borrow from across the four terrains of France and Switzerland’s most vibrant nature—mountain, lake, terrace and forest—and change seasonally.
“What was important for us was that Paz is inspired by Valence,” Pic says, referring to her hometown. “She stayed a few weeks in Valence to understand my universe. It’s important to be very close to my universe.”
It is mission accomplished on that front. From the first step through the doors of PIC at Beau-Rivage Palace, through the walk down the short retrospective of the Pic family, and subsequently Anne-Sophie’s own career along the welcome corridor, to the moment diners are seated and satiated at the table, the restaurant is the universe of Anne-Sophie Pic—the woman, the restaurateur, the chef extraordinaire.
