Le Centre

After first arriving in Switzerland in the Canton of Fribourg, Chef Antoine Gonnet and his former partner found a restaurant in Champéry that was looking for managers. Thus was born “Le 42,” a small restaurant that immediately drew attention to this chef from the Beaujolais region. Next, the couple moved on to Le Pont de Brent in Montreux, where, in the very same year it opened, the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star. It must be said that Antoine has solid experience, thanks to a career as a seasonal worker that allowed him to meet many people and forge his culinary identity alongside the best (at Le Chabichou in Courchevel or Arnaud Donckele’s La Vague d’Or in Saint-Tropez). His return to Val d’Illiez allows him to indulge in outdoor activities in a mountain setting that is certainly less glamorous than Courchevel but far more authentic. And it is precisely in these mountains, with his dogs, that he spends most of his time when he’s not in the kitchen. This setting also allows him to cater to a more diverse clientele than that found in luxury establishments. While the culinary ambition is clear, the restaurant offers a touch of modern flair that adds a spark, along with expertise that’s never too ostentatious. Antoine gives himself the freedom to be flexible with Valais produce—asparagus, seasonal apricots, and cheese, of course—with his take on the “moitié-moitié” fondue, a dish he created almost as soon as he arrived in Switzerland. The decor also avoids clichés, maintaining a welcome simplicity that respects the chalet style without any frills.