It is a matter of history that Mons. Ritz, the Napoleon of hotels and restaurants, at a critical time of his career put all his spare money into the purchase of a share in the Hotel National, and the first move he made in management was to establish a first-class restaurant in the hotel. Croakers had prophesied that a first-class restaurant 312 The Gourmet’s Guide to Europe in Switzerland would be a failure because tourists would not pay restaurant prices, but these pre- dictions were falsified, and the restaurant of the National became and has remained one of the best restaurants attached to hotels in any country in Europe. Whether some one else was making history at the „ , Schweitzerhof at the same time in the Schweitzerhof T , . , , same way I do not know, but the two hotels have run neck and neck in the excellence of their restaurants. The Palace, a new hotel, is quite in the front rank, and its restaurant can be classed with the restaurants I have mentioned above. A gourmet, on whose taste I can depend, and who was last summer at Lucerne, writes thus to me : “The Schweitzerhof and the new Palace I place on a par, and the restaurants of each are quite good. The restaurant of the National I place c hors concours ’ as being in a class by itself. It is managed by a maitre £ hotel , John Owens, who has been there for years and years, and whom everybody knows. I lunched yesterday at the restaurant, and found the Ravioli Napolitaine and the Pilaff de Langouste masterpieces. I should sum up the success of the restaurant of the National in one word — John.” I usually find that any one who has stayed at Lucerne has a good word to say for his particular hotel res- taurant. I was once at Lucerne during race week, and was doubtful whether I should find a room vacant at either of the hotels at which I usually stay. A charming old priest, who was a fellow-voyager, sug- gested to me that I should come to a little hotel hard by the river ; and there, though the room I was given was of the very old continental' pattern, the dinner my friend ordered for himself and for me was quite excellent. I have breakfasted at the buffet at Switzerland 313 the station and found it very clean, and the simple food was well cooked. There is a restaurant at the Kursaal, but I have never had occasion to breakfast or dine there. Basle In Northern Switzerland some of the towns have restaurants which are not attached to hotels, and Basle has quite a number of them, though the interest attaching to most of them is due to the quaintness of the buildings they are in or the fine view to be obtained from them rather than from any particular excellence of cookery or any surpris- Kunsthalle, ingly good cellar. The restaurant in Steinenherg the Kunsthalle, for instance, is ornamented by some good wall paintings ; and by the old bridge there is a restaurant with a pleasant terrace overlooking the river. There is a sPitz good cellar at the Schutzenhaus, and there is music and a pretty garden as an attraction to take visitors out to the Summer Casino. I have always found the meals at the Hotel de l’Univers sufficiently satisfactory not to encourage me to essay eating in unknown quarters. Bern

AI-modernized reading of the original text

It is a matter of history that Mons. Ritz, the Napoleon of hotels and restaurants, at a critical time of his career put all his spare money into the purchase of a share in the Hotel National, and the first move he made in management was to establish a first-class restaurant in the hotel. Croakers had prophesied that a first-class restaurant 312 The Gourmet’s Guide to Europe in Switzerland would be a failure because tourists would not pay restaurant prices, but these predictions were falsified, and the restaurant of the National became and has remained one of the best restaurants attached to hotels in any country in Europe. Whether some one else was making history at the „ , Schweitzerhof at the same time in the Schweitzerhof T , . , , same way I do not know, but the two hotels have run neck and neck in the excellence of their restaurants. The Palace, a new hotel, is quite in the front rank, and its restaurant can be classed with the restaurants I have mentioned above. A gourmet, on whose taste I can depend, and who was last summer at Lucerne, writes thus to me : “The Schweitzerhof and the new Palace I place on a par, and the restaurants of each are quite good. The restaurant of the National I place c hors concours ’ as being in a class by itself. It is managed by a maître d'hôtel , John Owens, who has been there for years and years, and whom everybody knows. I lunched yesterday at the restaurant, and found the Ravioli Napolitaine and the Pilaff de Langouste masterpieces. I should sum up the success of the restaurant of the National in one word — John.” I usually find that any one who has stayed at Lucerne has a good word to say for his particular hotel restaurant. I was once at Lucerne during race week, and was doubtful whether I should find a room vacant at either of the hotels at which I usually stay. A charming old priest, who was a fellow-voyager, suggested to me that I should come to a little hotel hard by the river ; and there, though the room I was given was of the very old continental' pattern, the dinner my friend ordered for himself and for me was quite excellent. I have breakfasted at the buffet at Switzerland 313 the station and found it very clean, and the simple food was well cooked. There is a restaurant at the Kursaal, but I have never had occasion to breakfast or dine there. Basle In Northern Switzerland some of the towns have restaurants which are not attached to hotels, and Basle has quite a number of them, though the interest attaching to most of them is due to the quaintness of the buildings they are in or the fine view to be obtained from them rather than from any particular excellence of cookery or any surpris- Kunsthalle, ingly good cellar. The restaurant in Steinenherg the Kunsthalle, for instance, is ornamented by some good wall paintings ; and by the old bridge there is a restaurant with a pleasant terrace overlooking the river. There is a sPitz good cellar at the Schutzenhaus, and there is music and a pretty garden as an attraction to take visitors out to the Summer Casino. I have always found the meals at the Hotel de l’Univers sufficiently satisfactory not to encourage me to essay eating in unknown quarters. Bern

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