The Rössli: an alpine inn
From time to time, the restaurant can also be a story of a couple. One is behind the stove, browning, seizing, mixing, assembling and preparing for that intense moment commonly known as the “coup de feu”. The other, in the dining room, faces the guests and their moods, desires and manners (some of which are not always polite). It’s a daily priesthood that duos impose on themselves as the seasons and tides change. At Le Rössli restaurant in the small village of Feutersoey, Sabine Köll and Simon Richard keep the flame burning in a restaurant rooted in the values of the Bernese Oberland.
A playful tandem
As the duo prepare for a committed lunchtime service, we take time to look around. The wood-panelled interior hints at warm winter evenings when the snow and cold have (hopefully) made their appearance. In the meantime, we’re greeted by a charming green terrace, with its many nooks and crannies and carefully laid tables, below a superb flower-filled building. The mistress of the house is a master of her trade, and the most attractive wine list serves as an appetizer. Simon Richard, a former disciple of the great chef Robert Speth of Le Cheserey, offers sentimental, generous cuisine that makes the most of local produce.
The first forkful of delicious green salad, and the spell is on you. Perfectly blended and seasoned, this appetizer revitalizes us before we begin tasting a marvelous cassolette of chanterelles picked in the region. This is followed by a sharing of fine ravioli topped with fresh cheese and accompanied by a lemon-melted butter sauce. This delicious and delicate gastronomic creation confirms the chef’s skill. It’s also hard not to enjoy the poached blue trout, beautifully carved by Sabine, one of the house classics that surprises with its delicacy. It makes you wish these moments would never end.
Natural relaxation
It’s this extra soul that makes the Rössli so magical! We all know that the day-to-day business of catering, riddled with pitfalls and trials and tribulations, is no mean feat; which makes us all the more appreciative of the pleasure we had during our brief getaway to Feutersoey. Whether serving or cooking, Sabine and Simon enchanted us with their natural relaxed manner.
