Former work colleagues, they aim to turn the Rialto into a place where locals and guests meet. “There are enough gourmet restaurants in Gstaad; what is lacking is a bistro,” emphasize Yvan Letzter and Manuel Stadelmann. At the Rialto, there now will be a mix between haute cuisine and bistro, a concept called “Bistronomie” that has roots in France. “The menu features traditional regional dishes as well as haute cuisine creations,” explains chef Manuel Stadelmann. “Here, one should be able to eat like at home… traditional dishes from grandma’s cuisine prepared in a light way.” Besides stew or sausage, there is caviar or truffles “Every guest will find something they want on our menu.” Even though he will now mainly host,  Yvan Letzter, who was sommelier at a prior job, will bring his wine passion and knowledge to his new job. “We offer wine at good prices,” he says. The wine card is available on an iPad, where “10 to 15 wines are presented in detail, including their histories and illustrations.”

The motto of both restaurateurs: ‘Authentic hospitality and good quality at reasonable prices in a pleasant ambience.’ “Everyone should feel comfortable with us, the local as well as the foreign guest,” they say. Since his purchase of the Rialto in 2005, Klaus Detmer has modernized the restaurant. “The Rialto Bar - which remained structurally unchanged - is to become the meeting place for all,” Stadelmann says. “The bar is designed for cocktail parties.” And here the offering is a mix between the traditional and the exclusive: tarts and pizza, dry meats, cheeses, sausages, salmon, cod, duck or vegetable dips. For both men, a boyhood dream has come true. “The work at the Chesery was a lot of fun,” explains Ivan Letzter, who was sommelier for Robert Speth during the past 20 years. When Klaus Detmer approached him and asked if he wanted to manage the restaurant, Letzter, who is 43 and a Schönried resident, did not need long to make a decision. And in Manuel Stadelmann, he found a perfect business partner. The two knew each other from the Chesery days. Manuel Stadelmann, 32, is Alsatian with Swiss roots and has worked in various renowned kitchens, including the Hotel Drei König, Sonnenhof, and the Chesery. Most recently and for the past five years, he worked as a private chef in a house in Geneva.

Translated and adapted from the Article by Anita Moser in AVS 2.12.11