Note to readers that I’ve only been in Zermatt for 3 days so am definitely not an expert. But in my opinion John and I found the best restaurant in town!

Since we arrived late Saturday we’d walked by Marie’s Deli numerous times and I think John got tired of me saying “I want to go there”. It being named a deli and me craving a traditional European sandwich, we decided to try it on our final night in Zermatt.

We both now agree that it was the best meal we’ve had all week long!

The restaurant is part of the Mirabeau hotel which I wrote about in a previous post. It is definitely not your traditional deli although the owner, Francis Reichenbach, did emulate the delis of New York City in its design. It is a small, cosy, kitschy, charming restaurant filled with framed photos and books lining the walls. A large photo of a smiling Aunt Marie – the restaurant’s namesake – is prominently displayed on one wall. Fresh white roses blanketed by fragrant greenery adorn every table. And the deli case is something to be seen! Fresh meats and cheeses and fruit, oh my!

We were greeted by the same wonderful server – Francesco – who served us during our previous visit and introduced us to the lovely Coeur du Domaine wine. He remembered us and quickly brought us a glass of the same as well as a basket of freshly baked bread and a plate of cured meat and fresh Parmesan cheese drizzled with honey. He proceeded to recommend a few of his favorite dishes but my mind was on sandwich! This deli did not have the traditional European sandwich and I’m very thankful for that. I settled on a Croque Monsieur and John went with one of Francesco’s recommendations – Huhnchen in Riesling Sauce (chicken in Riesling sauce) – as well as a cup of Pumpkin Curry soup.

Now to my favorite part. As we sipped the delicious wine and snacked on the delicious bread and cheese, the hotel’s owner – Francis – came over to say hello. It was wonderful to talk to him! John asked many questions about the Zermatt way of life – things we’d been wondering about since our arrival. And he told us how the restaurant came to be as well as about his travels to the US. It is so nice to talk to locals when you travel and he was very kind!

Next up – the food! First the presentation. The meals were served atop wooden platters made specifically to fit the French-themed, delightfully-labeled glass bowls that each part of the meal was served in. John’s soup was served this way and accompanied by a smaller, labeled bowl of sour cream to top the soup. My salad came out in a larger glass bowl. The fig dressing came in a separate small bowl. Francesco said I was to pour the dressing in the bowl, replace the glass top and “shake it like a martini”. Yes…ok! And John’s Huhnchen in Riesling Sauce came out in three separate glass bowls, one for the chicken itself, one for the mashed potatoes and one for the ratatouille. The presentation was so unique! And well thought out. And the darling labels were such a nice addition!

And the food itself? Delicious! Everything was fresh and oh so heavenly! We both agreed that it was our favorite meal in Zermatt.

Having stuffed ourselves we decided to head to our next destination – we had a date with a piano bar after all. But instead Francesco approached us with a splendid after dinner drink – an apple liquor garnished with a fresh green-apple slice – that was made by Francis’ sisters-in-law. It tasted like cider with a kick! Lovely! And then Francis came over to offer us gin & tonic glacé (ice cream)! Unfortunately our bellies couldn’t take it and we passed.

What a phenomenal experience! Francis said the deli concept hasn’t caught on yet in Zermatt. Well if anyone is reading this that finds themselves there please try it! It will be worth it! No where else in Zermatt were we welcomed so completely!

I’m a sucker for a piano bar and the lovely Park Hotel was decorated to the nines for the holiday so off we went. The hotel was just as beautiful up close. But the piano bar…eh! Instead of just playing my favorite instrument, the musician decided to “jazz it up” by adding recorded drum and guitar accompaniment. And he added some singing on top of that! There were a few guests who really enjoyed this – snapping and singing along – but it just wasn’t the relaxing, soft music we were hoping for. Thank goodness for my hot husband and our conversation to distract me!

Day 3 in this beautiful place was absolutely awesome! Every single moment of it! Tomorrow we are off to the French-speaking town of Montreux which sits right on Lake Geneva. More to come…