Youth on the Bridge
What a joy it is to find Amandine Pivault and Antoine Gonnet at the helm of this establishment, which has long been a firm fixture in the firmament of Swiss haute gastronomy. The establishment has always been a couple’s business; Josette and Gérard Rabaey established it among the elite of Swiss cuisine for over 30 years, while the tandem Stéphanie and Stéphane Décotterd took up the torch for a decade before escaping last year at the top of the École Hôtelière de Glion. It’s hard to imagine such a culinary landmark without new tenants. It’s finally here! With a new decor, new ambitions, unfailing motivation and, above all, new inspiration, Amandine and Antoine are once again making the Pont de Brent shine with a thousand lights.
Edouard Amoiel
A spirited chef
The duo are part of a fiery, no-holds-barred guard ready to (re)make a name for themselves in the hushed world of French-speaking toques. After a successful stint in Champéry, where they won a Michelin star at Le 42, they are opening a new chapter in their gastronomic history. Amandine Pivault is in the dining room, twirling from table to table with an innate casualness, endowed with a calibrated propriety and benevolence. With a sharp eye, her every gesture is meticulously matched to the sequences of a committed menu. On the stove side, Antoine Gonnet stays the course and takes the Pont de Brent by the horns, imposing his culinary style with passion and without concern for the surrounding culinary etiquette. A racing motorcycle enthusiast, his cuisine is very much like him. He goes for it with dashes of innovative sauce reduction, surprising sparkling juices and bewitching theatrical smokes.
Edouard Amoiel
The culinary score begins with a languorous cauliflower escorted by a few cockles and a citron jus, before giving way to a carpaccio of sea bass accompanied by beet and a sauce enhanced with vodka and caviar. Original. The tomato topped with a straciatella mousse is a gentle interlude, giving way to the elegant turbot, a few slices of zucchini and a bewitching sauce assembled like a beurre blanc with a dash of lemon balm at the last moment. With its cromesquis of sweetbreads and chanterelles, the veal fillet with a few apricots and a spicy sage sauce keeps up the pace. For dessert, peach and verbena are featured in several variations: creamy, mousse, sorbet and flowing pearl. A delicate sweet touch from pastry chef Antoine Idenn to round off a promising first score.
Long road
With the carefree spirit that still characterizes them, Amandine Pivault and Antoine Gonnet scrupulously sketch out the contours of their gastronomic universe. Our two young restaurateurs are courageously taking over the reins of a company rooted in the culinary traditions of French-speaking Switzerland. They know there’s a long way to go, but they’re ready for the challenge. Le Pont de Brent is once again in excellent hands.
Le Pont de Brent, 4 route de Blonay, 1817 Montreux. Phone +41 21 964 52 30
