The Barillette café/ restaurant situated at 1,450 metres high in the Jura mountains opened for the summer season a few weeks ago and it's a great place to head to if you want a panoramic view of Lac Léman and for a day out.
The café is about a 40 minute drive from Nyon. You can either park at the Swisscom antenna and walk down to the restaurant (about a 10 minute walk) or park at the restaurant itself. If you are feeling very energetic you can cycle up!
Photo above - the parking area just below the Swisscom antenna.
The Barillette is open non-stop, Wednesday to Sunday from 11:00 - 23:00 and serves simple, but tasty fare (including fondue) either on the terrace or inside the chalet style building if it's cooler. Reservations are recommended at busy times.
The area around the Barillette itself is good for hiking of all levels, with various short and long routes which are signposted. The signboard at the Swisscom carpark illustrates all the peaks and mountains of the Alps that can be seen on a clear day.
Currently, (22 May) there are lots of wildflowers in bloom and plenty more that are due to bloom in the next few weeks. See selection of photos below. There are wild animal tracks to spot too!