Gourmet Gstaad-Style

Of the 23 18-point restaurants in the nation, two are located in Gstaad. Sharing the honour with the seasoned Robert Speth’s Chesery is the Alpina Gstaad’s Sommet, led by Marcus G. Lindner. A whopping six restaurants earned 16 points, including Giuseppe Colella's Le Grand Restaurant at the Grand Hotel Park.

In total, the Saanenland now boasts two 18-point and 15-point rankings, six at 16 points, six at 14, and two at 13 points.

Gault Millau vs. Michelin

Gault Millau was created in the 1960’s by two French restaurant critics. Their guides rival Michelin, which favor classic haute cuisine, while Gault Millau prefer nouvelle cuisine. The original founders never gave out the top score of 20, as they claimed perfection was unattainable. 

It’s worth noting that while the Saanenland’s restaurants have been reviewed in high number due to its compact density as a resort area, many other towns and cities do not have the same percentage of their restaurants reviewed by Gault Millau. An “average” restaurant serving conventional, quality food is expected to come in at 12-12.5 on their scale. With that information, the 13-point ratings in Gstaad do not appear particularly impressive.

Yet, what should be applauded is a jump in ratings, especially from a relatively high initial score. Raising a rating from 13 to 14, for example, is much easier than from 15 to 16, which requires a dramatic increase in quality, creativity, and flavour—an impressive feat for any restaurant—according to the Gault Millau guidelines listed on their website.

Martin Dalsass did just that, raising the Bernerhof’s Basta by Dalsass from 14 to 15 points. So did Giuseppe Colella at the Grand Hotel Park, whose Le Grand Restaurant climbed from 15 to 16 points.

But perhaps the most interesting development belongs to Schönried’s La Vinoteca, which earned owners Martin and Dolly Riedi a score of 13 versus the 12 they had scored previously. For a home-style Italian restaurant without a big-name chef featuring “grandma’s recipes”, this proves that there is still a place for traditional cuisine in today’s gourmet circles.

Gault Millau-Rated Restaurants in the Saanenland

The Alpina Gstaad, Restaurant Sommet                       18

Restaurant Chesery Gstaad                                          18

The Alpina Gstaad, Restaurant Megu                           16

Le Grand Chalet, Restaurant La Bagatelle                  16

Gstaad Palace, Restaurant Le Grill                               16

Restaurant Sonnenhof, Saanen                                    16

Grand Hotel Park, Le Grand Restaurant                       16

Hotel Alpenrose Schönried, Restaurant Azalée             16

Bernerhof Gstaad, Restaurant Basta by Dalsass           15 (+1)

Ermitage Wellness & Spa Hotel Schönried

Restaurant Ermitage-Stube                                            15

Le Grand Bellevue Gstaad, Restaurant Leonard’s         14

Golfclub Gstaad-Saanenland, Saanenmöser                 14

Golfhotel Les Hauts de Gstaad & Spa Saanenmöser,

Restaurant Belle Epoque                                             14

Romantik Hotel Hornberg, Saanenmöser                     14

Restaurant Rialto’s Bistro Bar                                       14

16 Art Bar Restaurant, Saanen                                    14

Bernerhof Gstaad, Restaurant Blun-Chi                        13

Restaurant La Vinoteca, Schönried                               13 (+1)