Guide to fine dining in St Moritz, Switzerland
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Mina Erçel
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Şubat 13, 2009 00:00
Switzerland’s oldest ski resort town St. Moritz probably has the most glam aprs-ski scene in Europe and some of the best restaurants in and around town for dinner. The sundown eating experience is no doubt fine dining with a few bizarre exceptions
St. Moritz may be the greatest gourmet capital of the Swiss Alps, with a focus on outstanding mountain restaurants for lunch and even better restaurants in and around town for dinner.
Situated a few miles outside of St. Moritz’s center is a unique and award-winning culinary institution. The two Michelin star-rated Jöhri's Talvo Restaurant is located in a 350-year-old Swiss farmhouse. Opened in 1992 by owners, Roland and Brigitte Jöhri, the restaurant has a blissful and impressive atmosphere and is one of Switzerland’s top culinary spots.
The restaurant serves a mixture of traditional Swiss favorites and a number of mouthwatering fresh fish options. The fixed-price fish menu starts at $160.
More original ones
Only a few miles from Jöhri's Talvo, is one of St. Moritz more "original" restaurants. The peculiar La Baracca is located on the outskirts of town across from the Kempinski Grand Hotel. From the outside the creepy eatery looks like a diner from the American Midwest. Inside, chatter fills the room and locals and tourists have fun mingling among each other.
This is maybe one of the few places in St. Moritz where guests actually meet and talk to people at other tables. When it comes to the food, there is no menu. Guests merely select from the two to three daily main courses composed of vegetarian and/or meat dishes.
Some of the most extravagant spots in St Moritz are the three restaurants in the five-star Kempinski Grand Hotel: the Les Saisons, with 14 Gault Millau points for international cuisine, the Italian Ca d'Oro, with 15 Gault Millau points, and the northern Italian-style Enoteca. Sadly, none of the restaurants lived up to the reviews.
The focus was more on the glitzy dcor of the historic exterior rather than attending to the dishes. But the Kempinski is more of a place to see and be seen. Its best culinary feature might be the open buffet breakfast for 45 Swiss Francs per person. The rich array of homemade mueslis, 30 different Swiss jams, made-to-order omelets and a wonderful view of the mountains make for a delightful way to start the day.
Heading into the town center, St. Moritz Dorf, the most famous St. Moritz historic landmark, is the elaborate Badrutt's Palace Hotel. To attract a younger crowd, the 120-year-old hotel recently introduced the Nobu St. Moritz restaurant. Celebrity chef, Nobu Matsuhisa's, original Peruvian and Japanese fusion dishes are served right inside the Badrutt's Palace Hotel.
The old-fashioned Swiss interior of the hotel does not match the fusion, minimalist design of usual Japanese restaurants and fans of Nobu might be a bit disappointed in the St. Moritz branch. The sushi and sashimi rolls are average and the signature main courses such as black cod are merely mediocre. Expect to pay more than Nobu New York or Nobu London for raw fish in the Alps.
A must-visit though, is the highly recommended and pleasantly surprising Post Haus restaurant, located a few doors from the Badrutt's Palace Hotel. It has contemporary architecture and a trendy vibe in addition to superb dishes and an extensive wine menu. Opened in December 2008, The Post Haus’s motto of "contemporary Alpine gastronomy" is illustrated with a large open grill and emphasis on fresh fish specials. A fish trolley is even brought to the table for selections, similar to a Turkish restaurant. Saffron-scented seafood soup, beef tatar steak Post Haus-style and the raw tuna steak are exceptional. The Zan Sushi and Sashimi platters are without doubt better than Nobu’s.
For a real cozy and homey atmosphere with succulent Italian dishes, Cascade is the place to head. Situated 100 meters from St Moritz’s center, in a modest setting characterized by grandma-type knitted curtains and daily pasta specials, this is one of the few places in St Moritz to relax, binge on fresh pasta and just be at ease. The Risotto with black truffles in champagne sauce was stunning, as well as the lobster salad and capriccio with mushrooms and Parmesan cheese. Next door is the legendary Cascade Bar Ğ open until 4 a.m. Ğ and famous for its Swiss beer, Calanda, and long list of cocktails.
Situated a few miles outside of St. Moritz’s center is a unique and award-winning culinary institution. The two Michelin star-rated Jöhri's Talvo Restaurant is located in a 350-year-old Swiss farmhouse. Opened in 1992 by owners, Roland and Brigitte Jöhri, the restaurant has a blissful and impressive atmosphere and is one of Switzerland’s top culinary spots.
The restaurant serves a mixture of traditional Swiss favorites and a number of mouthwatering fresh fish options. The fixed-price fish menu starts at $160.
More original ones
Only a few miles from Jöhri's Talvo, is one of St. Moritz more "original" restaurants. The peculiar La Baracca is located on the outskirts of town across from the Kempinski Grand Hotel. From the outside the creepy eatery looks like a diner from the American Midwest. Inside, chatter fills the room and locals and tourists have fun mingling among each other.
This is maybe one of the few places in St. Moritz where guests actually meet and talk to people at other tables. When it comes to the food, there is no menu. Guests merely select from the two to three daily main courses composed of vegetarian and/or meat dishes.
Some of the most extravagant spots in St Moritz are the three restaurants in the five-star Kempinski Grand Hotel: the Les Saisons, with 14 Gault Millau points for international cuisine, the Italian Ca d'Oro, with 15 Gault Millau points, and the northern Italian-style Enoteca. Sadly, none of the restaurants lived up to the reviews.
The focus was more on the glitzy dcor of the historic exterior rather than attending to the dishes. But the Kempinski is more of a place to see and be seen. Its best culinary feature might be the open buffet breakfast for 45 Swiss Francs per person. The rich array of homemade mueslis, 30 different Swiss jams, made-to-order omelets and a wonderful view of the mountains make for a delightful way to start the day.
Heading into the town center, St. Moritz Dorf, the most famous St. Moritz historic landmark, is the elaborate Badrutt's Palace Hotel. To attract a younger crowd, the 120-year-old hotel recently introduced the Nobu St. Moritz restaurant. Celebrity chef, Nobu Matsuhisa's, original Peruvian and Japanese fusion dishes are served right inside the Badrutt's Palace Hotel.
The old-fashioned Swiss interior of the hotel does not match the fusion, minimalist design of usual Japanese restaurants and fans of Nobu might be a bit disappointed in the St. Moritz branch. The sushi and sashimi rolls are average and the signature main courses such as black cod are merely mediocre. Expect to pay more than Nobu New York or Nobu London for raw fish in the Alps.
A must-visit though, is the highly recommended and pleasantly surprising Post Haus restaurant, located a few doors from the Badrutt's Palace Hotel. It has contemporary architecture and a trendy vibe in addition to superb dishes and an extensive wine menu. Opened in December 2008, The Post Haus’s motto of "contemporary Alpine gastronomy" is illustrated with a large open grill and emphasis on fresh fish specials. A fish trolley is even brought to the table for selections, similar to a Turkish restaurant. Saffron-scented seafood soup, beef tatar steak Post Haus-style and the raw tuna steak are exceptional. The Zan Sushi and Sashimi platters are without doubt better than Nobu’s.
For a real cozy and homey atmosphere with succulent Italian dishes, Cascade is the place to head. Situated 100 meters from St Moritz’s center, in a modest setting characterized by grandma-type knitted curtains and daily pasta specials, this is one of the few places in St Moritz to relax, binge on fresh pasta and just be at ease. The Risotto with black truffles in champagne sauce was stunning, as well as the lobster salad and capriccio with mushrooms and Parmesan cheese. Next door is the legendary Cascade Bar Ğ open until 4 a.m. Ğ and famous for its Swiss beer, Calanda, and long list of cocktails.