A Belle Époque Feast In The Swiss Mountains: Dining At Hotel Victoria Glion

Forbes

23-07-2025

Hotel Victoria, Switzerland Hotel Victoria
Perched like a jewel on the shoulder of the mountain, above the shimmering curve of Lake Geneva, the Hotel Victoria Glion rises from the mists of time–a living reverie of Belle Époque grandeur. As our funicular gently scaled the slopes from Montreux, each click of the track seemed to lift us from the modern world and deposit us into an artist's dream of 19th-century Switzerland. High on the mountain above Montreux– close to Rochers-de-Naye–Hotel Victoria has a sense of history combined with a warm family welcome and a one-of-a-kind setting.
The village of Glion greeted us with hushed charm, its cobbled stillness hinting at stories whispered between pines and alpine flowers. At the heart of it all stands the Hotel Victoria, more reminiscent of a theatre set than a hotel, with its rose-pink façade and golden yellow accents recalling something plucked from Wes Anderson movie The Grand Budapest Hotel . Upon arrival the hotel you half expect Ralph Fiennes–in character as concierge Monsier Gustave–to answer the door. Indeed, Anderson drew inspiration from Grand Swiss Belle Epoque hotels for his fictional hotel.
Hotel Victoria, Glion, Switzerland. Photograph © Sky Sharrock © Sky Sharrock
We were welcomed by the hotel's young director Antoine Mittermair who, at the young age of 27, took over the running of the hotel from his father, tasked with carrying its legacy and the spirit of the hotel into the future. Stepping into the lobby was like going back in time to 19th Century Belle Epoque Switzerland, the era of the Grand Hotels: oil paintings softened by age, porcelain vases poised with dignity, and carved furniture that seemed to hum with memory.
Art at Hotel Victoria Glion © Sky Sharrock © Sky Sharrock
We were guided to the terrace where we sat in antique wicker chairs on the emerald green grass, savouring the fresh mountain air. Before us, Lake Geneva stretched like liquid silver, the town of Montreux below humming faintly with the sounds of the Jazz Festival. A Negroni, perfectly bittered and bright and an Aperol Spritz, kissed by the sun were our opening notes.
Hotel Victoria Glion terrace © Sky Sharrock © Sky Sharrock
Lunch unfolded as a love letter to Swiss-French cuisine, lovingly created by the chef's steady hand. A chilled and minted Pea Velouté, as light as a breeze, tasted of meadows and first blooms–so delicious and fresh that we asked for the recipe, which was later printed out for us and presented in a beautiful card. No attention to detail was spared.
A delicate and refreshing starter of Ceviche de sériole aux pickles was beautifully presented and quickly digested, before the pièce de résistance -Dover sole à la meunière–a symphony of butter and lemon, plated with such care it felt like a travesty to eat it. The Chef–Mr. Gilles Vincent–emerged onto the terrace to greet the guests.
Pea Veloute soup at Hotel Victoria Glion © Sky Sharrock © Sky Sharrock
Each bite was a delight, each moment on that terrace a postcard to remember, for the delectable food, service and picturesque view. The perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon–or any meal time–on a level with the clouds in the Swiss mountains, in a parallel universe where time stands still and you can take time to savour every mouthful of lovingly prepared food. We felt like we had stepped back in time to a Golden era of fine dining and Belle Epoque design. Classic Swiss dishes on the Hotel Victoria's menu include Sliced veal Zurich style and Châteaubriand with darphin potatoes and seasonal vegetables.
Hotel Victoria is one of three Belle Epoque hotels located in Montreux, where the legacy of the artistic movement endures in the region's landscape and architecture. La Belle Époque–translating as "Beautiful Era" in French–refers to a period in French and European history stretching from the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871 to the start of World War one in 1914. Hotel Victoria was born in the late 19th century when the Belle Epoque hotel business was flourishing on the Swiss Riviera, as the result of a new architectural movement which influenced architectural trends and, accompanied by technical innovations such as running water and electricity, enabled the construction of grand hotels with bathrooms and lifts–radical and luxurious innovations at the time.
Hotel Victoria Glion Terrace © Sky Sharrock © Sky Sharrock
Chef Gilles Vincent is a culinary artist, taking care to skilfully combines local produce with seasonal treasures to create classic gourmet masterpieces that are easy on the eye and agreeable to the palette. At Hotel Victoria Glion the classic menu is accompanied by a well-stocked wine cellar, with the staff on hand to suggest perfect pairings of food and wine. There is a sense of nostalgia in this historic family-run hotel, not only in well preserved Belle Epoque design with hints of Art Nouveau, but also in the Chandeliers, silverware and perfectly starched table linen that all add the perfect finishing touches to this hidden gem of a restaurant set amidst a century-old park with a flower garden.
Hotel Victoria Cave a Vin Hotel Victoria
Hotel Victoria Glion is not merely a hotel–it is an ode. To time, to beauty, to the slow and careful art of living well. To dine there is to slip, if only for an afternoon, into a gentler age.