La CheminéE, La Chaux-De-Fonds

La Cheminee served one of the best steak I've ever had in Switzerland. The restaurant has a very rustic ambience with the woodfired chimney being centrepiece. We started with some fresh salad and had a platter of beef, roasted vegetables and potatoes as main. The steak was barbecued on a wood fired special chimney. It gives the steak that succulent smoky flavour. The sauce accompanied it was mouth watering. I believe we had a mushroom sauce. For dessert I had a chocolate lava cake which is always a favorite. Service was beyond excellent. The staff are just so welcoming and friendly. They even offered to take photos of us which is really kind. I would not hesitate to drop by again if I'm in the area.

La Cheminée is, in my opinion, okay compared to the other options in La Chau’s-de-Fonds. For the price, it is a bit pricier but without additional merit. The Food: Cassolette de champignons was an excellent start - creamy and filled with umami, however I thought the bread it was paired with lacked structure, considering the bread they serve with the meal is absolutely divine. Assiette de barbecue was a good way of trying what they have to offer - my favorite was the veal liver. My critique would be the sides - I asked for only vegetables and I felt like there could have been more; my colleagues that had vegetables and pomme frites had substantially more. It would have been nice to have been offered roasted potatoes instead of fried - even more so considering the giant fire pit to cook the meat; imagine potatoes cooking in the meat juices! The dessert was a disappointment - crème brûlée. The custard was a disaster - an eggy texture and an eggy taste. The burnt sugar on the top was barely there - usually when you hit your spoon on the top you should hear a nice crack. This one was more of a whimper and I couldn’t taste the burnt/caramelized sugar. The Service: Friendly but at times inattentive - not the best I’ve had and not the worst. The Atmosphere: There is some charm to the large stone structure and the massive pit where they cook the meat. Our room was private and almost too cozy - a slightly narrower table would be better for the space. Would I come back, sure, if someone invited.

Great food, great ambiance and great service. The staff is very attractive, the meat is prepared in the very cozy medieval room in the fire place on wood fire.

Nice cosy location, lobster bisque alittle too salty. Prawns are good, tomahawk can be better