57 degrees Celsius. At a steakhouse that prides itself on its beef and maintaining its integrity, it’s the temperature that dictates perfection. And that pretty much sums up our experience (and those bites of beef) at Chateau d’Ouchy’s newest steakhouse concept, 57° Grill.
The entire concept is thoroughly curated, from the lounge area where you check in and deposit your coat, to the walk down the corridor that opens up to an impressive kitchen; flames flickering up from the grill, and mouth-watering smells beckoning you to take a peek. You can’t help but feel a sense of anticipation: what surprises and tasty delights await you at this special place?
57° Grill is reminiscent of American-style steakhouses, where the emphasis is on quality cuts of meat, familial style dining, and a wide variety of side dishes that are meant to be shared with the entire table. Their focus is on three specific elements that resonate with you from the minute you walk through the doors, all the way to the moment you depart: Experience, Conviviality, and Origin.
The Experience is integrated into every detail: the service is friendly, completely unpretentious, and attentive. Each person you interact with is eager and excited to share stories about the food–why specific ingredients are used, what flavor combinations can be expected or are advised (if pairing), and even origin stories about how certain dishes were conceptualized. Your dining experience quickly becomes much more than just eating, it’s an interaction with the food…there’s intentionality and depth with each bite.
And embedded into the Experience is the encouragement to share, which promotes their goal for Conviviality. The menu is organized so that the main dishes and sides are easily shared, the restaurant is designed so that if you’re sitting at the open kitchen, you are sharing with those seated next to you but also sharing the experience with the chefs, and if you’re seated in the more traditional restaurant, tables are set up so you can easily share with those seated with you. There’s definitely an energy of merriment and esprit de corps that we absolutely loved.
And finally, the focus on Origin was a beautiful part of our dining experience. The idea that each item on the menu was carefully chosen from a specific place with attention and intention was lovely. There’s definitely an emphasis on local products: Swiss Alpine steaks, organic grass-fed chicken from the Alps, filets de perche from the lake, etc. But there’s also a variety of products coming from other regions because those regions are known specifically for those products: Grilled Maine Lobster for example, or the infamous Irish Herford Tomahawk steak.
All of these elements had already made our dining experience above and beyond what we were expecting. We found, however, that the detail that puts 57° Grill above the rest is the open kitchen lined with seating which they have entitled “live cooking.” Experiencing the energy of the kitchen, watching the masters of meat in their element, was a feast for the eyes (and of course, the stomach).
So what’s the consensus? 57° Grill is something special. While the menu prices will keep us from going as regularly as we wish, we have to say that for the experience, the service, the quality of food, and guaranteed satisfaction we will feel, we can whole-heartedly recommend 57° Grill and are already dreaming of the next meal we will eat there. Now the hard question: sit at the kitchen and watch the flames, or sit on their terrace and watch the lake?
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Place du Port
CH – 1006 Lausanne
T: +41 (0)21 706 57 57
57grill(at)chateaudouchy.ch
Make a reservation by clicking here.