La Veranda, Lugano Review

With a reputation for excellence, the Swiss location of Hotel Splendide Royal is luxury redefined. Its signature Lugano restaurant, Le Veranda, only serves to further this achievement. It sits on the edge of the beautiful Lake Ceresio, so the views here are as impressive as the food.

Inside, the décor is pleasingly traditional, all starched white tablecloths and wood panelled walls. It feels like an enjoyable place to be, especially during the afternoon, when the sun comes out. Whilst it feels pleasant after dark, the emphasis is on intimacy, and it comes at the expense of the view.

We chose the seven course tasting menu, we wanted to get a real feel for the food here.

To start, there was foie gras in ginger and wine sauce, accompanied by a rhubarb compote and pan brioche. The foie gras was smooth and silky, and the sweet treats cleansed our palates for the dishes ahead. We enjoyed this course with a sweet Château Lange Reglat 2008 Sauternes.

“The views here are as impressive as the food.”

Second, Zucchini flowers, stuffed with Ricotta, Olives, and Truffle. This was a truly luxurious dish, and the rich flavour of the truffle brought out the mature tones in the olives. We drank a bold and fruity Sasso Chierico Ticino DOC with this dish.

Our next course was Spaghetti and cuttlefish ink, served alongside scorpion fish and anchovy sauce. This was my first experience with cuttlefish ink, so I was a little nervous, but rather enjoyed its salty tang. We washed this course down with an Argiolas Vermentino di Sardegna DOC.

Fourth, there was red prawn and scallop chowder, with crustacean sauce and fish mousse. This dish ran the risk of being a little heavy on the seafood, but the chowder was satisfyingly light. There was a Primella Rosato del Ticino to wash this course down.

Fifth, there was suckling pig in Marsala wine. This was served with potatoes, olives, and sweet and sour onions. It was the star dish, the one the chefs pulled out the stops for, and it was truly succulent. The robust Lagrein Reserva Gries Alto Adige DOC 2010 was a great match for its honeyed tones.

Sixth, the cheese board, and it was polished off with a Capitelli IGT Passito Anselmi Veneto 2008. To finish, there was a fruit soup with melon pearls, and a watermelon and lychee sorbet, the perfect ending to a wonderful dining experience.

The standout attribute of Le Veranda is the service, because the staff care. They are friendly, helpful with recommendations, and take an interest in whether diners are enjoying their experience. For a quintessentially Swiss evening, put this place on your To Do list.