I am a big fan of fine groceries… Especially Italian cold super thin meats…
I have always treasured my trips to Italy when I stocked my fridge with Pastramis, Mortadelas and aged parmesan cheeses… the bad part was that I could never buy too much as freezing was never an option…
Then I was invited to discover Duchessa in the heart of Geneva, at the monumental Place Neuf, across the street from the Geneva Opera house and the famous Parc des Bastions.
What a great surprise… The place was entirely redecorated to accommodate a large restaurant and a fine Italian grocery store where one can not only shop the best of Italian fine products but also sit, relax and enjoy a typical Italian Cappuccino (my favorite).
The restaurants menu is also very Italian… But surprisingly modern and varied. Even a Italian version of Burger and burrata could be found at the menu… Which changes weekly to accommodate classic dishes with the chef’s new creations.
I love try different things but sometimes I just fall in love with a particular dish and then I cannot let it go…. At Duchessa, this happened to the dish called Principessa Duchessa!
It is a starter which is a large selection of cold meets, such as Mortadellas, Pastrami, Parma Ham, Cooked Ham, Parmesan cheese, Burrata, Stracciatella, Focaccia and breads…
WOW… It is just delicious… It comes also served with Rocket Salad and cherry tomatoes. The plate is large and must be shared between 2 or 3 people.
I also tried the Parmesan Risotto… It was just perfect… The funny thing about Risotto is that it is a dish which has a whole set of rules and a very special technic to master it… Sometimes I go to Italian restaurants and the risotto is just not right…
As I mentioned the one I ate at Duchessa was just perfect with the right rice consistency and the right amount of Parmesan…. A delightful dish that warmed my winter day.
Duchessa’s pizzas are known to be simply perfect… I have never ordered a whole one for myself but have nibbled from my friends and family orders… My experience is that it is sooo good that at the end even the crumbles get eaten from the plates….
Another strong point of Duchessa is its desert selection. Duchessa hired a French world champion to create and develop its desert menu… OMG, the selection is to die for… I often skip desert…purely because I am constantly watching my wasteland… But here I just give up the battle and sin with pleasure… They are great portions of indulging masterpieces… Beautiful and delicious!
Duchessa is part of the Ultima Gstaad group… Which has another amazing and big restaurant in Etoy – Vaud, which was the first one to be opened. This restaurant has an amazing feature which is a shopping robot which carries the shopping directly to the cashier… A large open plan which does not fail to amaze adults and kids as the machines transport the merchandise through the space. The Geneva restaurant was long dreamt and waited by the locals as it took several months to get ready… But once the final place was delivered… It is fully booked since…
For lunch… dinner or even only coffee and desert… Duchessa is the perfect place for the best of the Italian Gastronomy!!!
XX Valentina
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