La Pinte des Mossettes, a Dream on Hold
Edouard Amoiel
28 août 2026
He thought he was leaving so he could come back stronger. After three years of envisioning the rebirth of La Pinte des Mossettes, Nicolas Darnauguilhem has seen the project fall apart. The chef now finds himself far from a restaurant that reflects his vision. But perhaps his story isn’t quite over yet.
A few weeks ago, Nicolas Darnauguilhem sent me a message. Just a few words. And this phrase: “golden prison.” I had to figure it out. Because when I’d left him at La Pinte des Mossettes, the story had seemed rather beautiful and crystal clear. A chef, a place, a mountain, a garden, and a very personal style of cooking. At Les Mossettes, Nicolas had found—more than just a restaurant—a creative outlet that suited him perfectly. What lay ahead was supposed to be even better.
Leaving to Come Back
For nearly three years, a project had been taking shape around the house. New owners were set to purchase the property, renovate the building, create guest rooms, and allow Nicolas Darnauguilhem to continue his venture in a reimagined Pinte des Mossettes. It was a serious project that was set to become a reality. Architects had worked on it, steps had been taken with the canton, significant sums had been committed, and Nicolas himself had championed his project proposal all the way to Fribourg.
While waiting for the renovations to begin, a temporary solution is being considered: Nicolas is temporarily leaving Les Mossettes to join Zur Sau in Abländschen, another establishment run by the future buyers. In the meantime, the chef plans to open a bistro and a small fine-dining restaurant so he can continue cooking while his house is being renovated. He takes his equipment, his team, and his belongings with him. He leaves behind a restaurant that he expects to reclaim once the renovations are complete. Except that the months are passing, and the sale still hasn’t taken place.
A big disappointment
In the spring, the owner of La Pinte des Mossettes expressed his surprise to Nicolas that he hadn’t heard anything concrete from the buyers. The chef realized that the situation had stalled. He continued to wait, caught up in the complicated opening of his new restaurant and an increasingly difficult professional situation. And in response to the question asked a few weeks ago—“Is the sale of La Pinte des Mossettes going to happen?”—the answer comes: no, despite three years of discussions and a project that was far enough along for everyone to look toward the future. The disappointment is profound.
The purpose of this column is not to assign blame. This is undoubtedly due to disagreements among the various parties, financial and contractual issues, and, likely, a series of misunderstandings that altered the original vision. Regrettably, the establishment now stands empty. A return to operation is out of the question. The kitchen is unusable and must be brought up to code. The problem had been overlooked because the planned renovation was supposed to address it.
Saying Things
Meanwhile, the garden continues to be tended as best as possible, and the house stands waiting. Its owner still wants to sell. Nicolas, for his part, doesn’t have the necessary means to buy it and undertake the renovations. When he talks about Les Mossettes, it’s clear that he never really left. He had built something truly unique—not just a gourmet restaurant, but an ecosystem: a kitchen connected to the garden, to the farmers, to the seasons, and to the mountains he knows so well and loves to explore.
So I’d like this column to serve as a way to set the record straight. To emphasize that Nicolas Darnauguilhem’s plans for La Pinte des Mossettes didn’t come to fruition, that the planned takeover didn’t happen, and that renovations are needed before a reopening can be considered. And that the person who brought the restaurant to life is now available to envision its future. Without settling scores. Without trying to figure out who was right or wrong. Because behind the (non) contracts, the investments, the buildings, and the architectural plans lies a much simpler reality: a chef is still looking for a place to work. And somewhere in Cerniat, there just happens to be one waiting for him.
