High pleasure!
Fortunately, the days when stopping off for a bite to eat was still a rather unsatisfactory affair are long gone. Some ski huts are now fine-dining destinations par excellence and invite you to culinary summit storms at the highest level.
January 22, 2022
Le 1947 à Cheval Blanc
Courchevel's only three-star restaurant
Already since 2017, the restaurant of the luxurious "Cheval Blanc" in Courchevel, France, has three Michelin stars. The man who made this possible is none other than Yannick Alléno. The master chef celebrates French savoir-vivre on the plates, which he serves with playful touches in a beautiful contemporary setting designed by Sybille de Margerie. At "Le 1947", named after the most prestigious wine of "Château Cheval Blanc", guests embark on a culinary journey that touches all the senses. Each course unfolds into an adventure - devised by Chef Alléno, who devotes himself to the search for new ingredients, techniques and culinary concepts each summer. The courses of his menus follow a common thread, gradually allowing guests to scale new heights of taste. Dining is done in an intimate setting. The restaurant only has five tables, arranged in front of the open kitchen. This allows you to watch the team around Chef Alléno combine precision and creativity. The fine sauces are also remarkable in this respect: they are sometimes prepared using unusual methods, such as fermentation and extraction. Tasting menu from about € 380, - per person.
Le 1947 à Cheval Blanc*****, chevalblanc.com
Domaine du Rue Emile Allais, 73120 Courchevel, France
T: +33 479 00 50 50, Mail: info.courchevel@chevalblanc.com
©Jean-Christophe, Studio Bergoend
St. Hubert
From pizzeria to sustainable star restaurant
The culinary path of the restaurant "St. Hubertus" in the South Tyrolean Val Badia can definitely be described as steep. It was established in 1996 as part of the pizzeria in the "Hotel Rosa Alpina" as a joint project of the hotelier family Pizzinini and the chef Norbert Niederkofler. Shortly after, the first Michelin star followed, and in 2007 the second. Since 2018, the restaurant with only nine tables now holds three Michelin stars. And that's despite - or perhaps because of - the radical departure from the noble products that usually characterize international star cuisine. Niederkofler relies on merciless regionality and seasonality. Authentic mountain cuisine is at the heart of the menu, with each course consisting of a careful balance of the crunchy, the fatty and the fresh. Niederkofler gave this philosophy the name "Cook the Mountain." In keeping with it, the menu at "St. Hubertus" also changes with the rhythm of nature. Unexpected flavors are provided by aromas such as mountain pine, juniper, flowers and spices that come directly from local producers. In addition to the three stars, there was a green star from the Guide Michelin in recognition of the restaurant's sustainable practices. Menu from € 250,- per person.
Restaurant St. Hubertus, Hotel Rosa Alpina*****, rosalpina.it
Strada Micurà de Rü, 20, 39036 San Cassiano BZ, Italy
T: +39 0471 849500, Mail: st.hubertus@rosalpina.it
©Marco Sartor
Da Vittorio St. Moritz
Real star cuisine, completely relaxed
Italy, Switzerland, Shanghai and soon Macau: The Cerea family has built up a small empire with its excellent restaurants. The first restaurant of family head Vittorio, founded in 1966 in the family-owned hotel "Relais & Châteaux" in the center of Bergamo in Italy, received its second star as early as 1978. The St. Moritz offshoot of the Italian gourmet dynasty was also awarded a Michelin star in its first winter season, followed by the second in 2020. The Swiss kitchen is overseen by top chef Paolo Rota, Vittorio's son-in-law. Guests can look forward to surprises on the plates, as Rota's creations are often not what they seem: for example, the appetizer labeled "Olive" turns out to be casoncelli with veal and pistachios. According to the restaurant itself, the aim is to elicit a smile from guests as they eat - and this is definitely achieved in view of the elaborate dishes. The desserts are a special experience, such as the tarte tatin with salty caramel and calvados. Guests should feel comfortable in the restaurant, and the dress code for the approx. 45 seats and the private room is "smart casual". Tasting menu from about € 215, - per person.
Da Vittorio, Carlton Hotel St. Moritz***** , carlton-stmoritz.ch
Via Johannes Badrutt 11, 7500 St. Moritz, Switzerland
T: +41 81 836 70 00, Mail: davittorio@carlton-stmoritz.ch
©Olivia Pulver
La Stüa De Michil
Renovated romantic restaurant with one star
The lovingly renewed, but still authentic-romantic wooden parlor in the "Hotel La Perla" consciously relies on proven South Tyrolean hospitality. Antique wood, subdued lighting, candlelight and table decorations personally arranged by senior chef Anni Costa are the extremely cozy backdrop against which guests enjoy refined star-level dishes in the midst of the Dolomites. From this season, Simone Cantafio will be in charge of the kitchen at "Stüa"; he has gained experience working for Italian gastro legends Carlo Cracco and Gualtiero Marchesi, as well as at the two-star restaurant "Michel Bras Toya" on Hokkaido. His task will be to continue to bring the region's high-quality products to diners' plates with unmistakable finesse, craftsmanship and flights of flavor. Typical Italian dishes, such as pasta and risotto, will meet unusual ingredients such as kefir. The specially marked à la carte dishes are a magical idea, with one euro of the price going to the Costa Family Foundation - which supports humanitarian projects in countries such as Togo, Uganda and Afghanistan, with over one million euros donated to date. Tasting menu from € 129, - per person.
La Stüa de Michil, Hotel La Perla*****, laperlacorvara.it
Str. Col Alt, 105, 39033 Corvara BZ, Italy
T: +39 0471 831000, Mail: info@hotel-laperla.it
©Gustav Willeit
Folcons de Sel
Refined top cuisine in top hotel
Situated on a hill in Megève in the mountains of the Savoy Alps, the "Flocons de Sel" in the luxury hotel of the same name is one of the best addresses for gourmets that France has to offer. The cozy restaurant has been awarded three Michelin stars and offers its guests an elegant and relaxed atmosphere as well as refined culinary art. Chef Emmanuel Renaut bases the composition of his menus on what the season has to offer in terms of fresh ingredients. Winter, for example, brings Jerusalem artichokes, truffles, suckling lamb and potatoes. For dessert, grilled hazelnuts from Piedmont, fruit salad or lemon sorbet are served. What may sound unspectacular as a mere list catapults Chef Renaut in practice to undreamt-of culinary heights. This is thanks to his pronounced penchant for perfection and absolute mastery of his craft. The "Randonnée en montagne" tasting menu is highly recommended, as it takes guests on an extended culinary walk through the tastes of the surrounding mountains to discover what fresh ingredients the season has to offer. Tasting menu "Randonnée en montagne" at € 290,- per person.
Restaurant Flocons de Sel, Hotel Flocons de Sel*****, floconsdesel.com
1775 Rte du Leutaz, 74120 Megève, France
T: +33 450 21 49 99, Mail: contact@floconsdesel.com
©Anneemmanuelle Thion
The Japanese Restaurant
Sushi at 2300 meters
The Japanese Restaurant" has taken the term "haute cuisine" literally: It is located on the Gütsch, 2300 meters above sea level, and is thus the highest Japanese restaurant in Switzerland. Conceived by London architect Christina Seilern, the restaurant with its Asian-minimalist design hides unusual piste cuisine by chef Dietmar Sawyere. In addition to sushi and sashimi, he comes up with modern five- to ten-course kaiseki menus, these are considered the specialty of the house and are the Japanese version of Western haute cuisine. The taste and textures of the respective ingredients are just as much the focus of the menus as the shape and color of the food. The highest value is placed on harmony in all facets. Time is also taken for typical Japanese preparation methods, which sometimes require a lot of patience. Street food aspects also find their way into the menu, as do Japanese take-away elements. The menu is best enjoyed with a glass of sake - "The Japanese" has the largest rice wine list in the country. No wonder, then, that it was awarded a star by the Michelin Guide. Tasting menu from € 170,- per person.
The Japanese Restaurant by The Chedi Andermatt*****, thechediandermatt.com
Gotthardstrasse 4, 6490 Andermatt, Switzerland
T: +41 41 888 74 66, Mail: info@chediandermatt.com
©The Chedi Andermatt/The Japanese Restaurant
Wedel hut Zillertal
Exclusive enjoyment with panoramic view
In good weather, the culinary summit meeting in the "Lifestylehotel Wedelhütte" is moved out to the "Sky Terrazza", where the view falls directly on the Zillertal three-thousand-meter peaks. However, this view is reserved for only a few people. In general, the gourmet lounge of the house has only 30 seats. But once you've snagged one of these, you can expect the wonderful creations of chef Christian Sigele. This includes local alpine ox as well as house-matured dry-aged steaks from the Josper charcoal grill. As a surf share in the excellent surf and turf also fresh seafood stray up to the Tyrolean mountains. However, Sigele not only understands international cuisine, but also comes up with newly interpreted classics. His flair ensures that the dishes remain unadulterated in their essence and that the simplicity of great taste is always in the foreground. The cuisine of the Zillertaler Haus is complemented by an excellently curated wine cellar. This is the highest wine vault in Austria; stocked with the best that domestic and foreign wineries have to offer. Three-course menu from about € 50, - per person.
Wedelhütte Hochzillertal, wedelhuette.at
Zillertaler Höhenstraße, 6272 Kaltenbach, Austria
T: +43 676 886 32577, Mail: reservierung@wedelhuette.at
©Zillertal Tourism/Thomas Straub
West Bank Grill
Fine dining with a view of the kitchen and the peaks
"I love being in the heat of the moment," says Executive Chef Michael Goralski of his work at the Four Seasons Jackson Hole's Westbank Grill in Wyoming, North America. And he means heat quite literally - because things sometimes get hot here, for example when the juicy steaks sizzle on the grill, as in the case of the tenderloin steak from the Snake River Farm in Idaho, his signature dish at the Westbank Grill. The menu also includes lobster tails from Maine, oysters from the West Coast, Wagyu beef tartare, wild boar bacon and venison from South Dakota. The chef proves that he enjoys cooking and that American classics can definitely be paired with high-quality ingredients and elements from international cuisine with creations such as "Kimchi Mac and Cheese," "Signature S'mores" (with homemade graham crackers, 64-percent Manjari chocolate and peanut butter milk chocolate) and yuzu cheesecakes. Goralski even doesn't shy away from techniques from molecular cuisine - cue balsamic caviar. Combined with views of Rendezvous Mountain and the open kitchen, dinner at "Westbank Grill" becomes a summit pleasure. Starters from about € 20, dry-aged Angus ribeye steak from about € 60.
Westbank Grill at Four Seasons Jackson Hole*****, fourseasons.com
7680 Granite Loop Rd, Teton Village, Wyoming 83025, USA
T: +1 307 732 5620, Mail: reservations@fourseasons.com
©Westbank Grill/Four Seasons
This article appeared in the Falstaff TRAVEL issue Winter 2021/22.
