L'Auberge de l'Onde

L'Auberge de l'Onde Review

Once the main relais (stagecoach stop) between the Simplon Pass and Geneva, this vineyard stop is out of central casting, groaning with history and heady with atmosphere: Igor Stravinsky and Charlie Chaplin were among the artists loyal to its charms. The tiny wood-paneled pinte (café), where winemakers come to read the daily papers with a pitcher of St-Saph, as they call it, and devour the upscale plat du jour, is enticing, as are the adjacent, white-tablecloth salons and upstairs-attic beamed grillroom. The staff hovers while day-tripping connoisseurs and repeat faithfuls sniff and roll perfumed wine over their tongues and savor exquisite dishes from the top-notch kitchen.