Gault-Millau Guide, Switzerland, is, by self-proclamation at least, the “most important gourmet guide in the country”, with 870 restaurants listed in the guide. And only one year after Corona, the food scene is even more resilient and exciting than before, noted Gault-Millau editor-in-chief Urs Heller, as Gault-Millau in November awarded two regional restaurateurs: Othmane Khoris from The Alpina Gstaad as Patissier of the Year, and Benoît Carcenat from Hôtel Valrose in Rougemont as Chef of the Year.

Good year for The Alpina Gstaad
It is less than four months since “Bilanz” named the head concierge of The Alpina Gstaad, Benjamin Blatter, Concierge of the Year, and already another hotel employee is being honoured: Patissier Othmane Khoris is Gault Millau Patissier of the Year. “He shocked me a bit. He throws whole grapefruits into the fire and then slowly starts working,” reports Urs Keller at the award ceremony, adding: “In my opinion, a lot has happened in the patisserie sector in recent years.” He says a young generation of patissiers has grown up, and they are pushing each other to give their best. “The desserts that Othmane Khoris brings are just incredibly cool!”

A “Frenchman” back at the top
The last time a French-speaking Swiss chef was awarded Gault-Millau Chef of the Year was five years ago. Back then it was Franck Giovanni from the “Hôtel de Ville” in Crissier in canton Vaud. And the new Chef of the Year, Benoît Carcenat, also comes from there and has “gone through the tough Crissier school”. The cheerful M.O.F (Un des Meilleures Ouvriers de France) – meaning Benoît Carcenat – went his own way and this led him to Rougemont.

Seemingly Carcenat has evolved from his Crissier time, and has found his own voice at the Hôtel Restaurant Valrose, seems like the Gault-Millau critics obviously like it, because they awarded the newly crowned Chef of the Year 18 Gault-Millau points.

BASED ON AVS

ALL GAULT-MILLAU POINTS RESTAURANTS IN THE REGION

(Alphabetically by locality)

In the canton of Bern, only Martin Göschel, The Alpina Gstaad, Sommet has 18 points.

Feutersoey:
Restaurant Rössli, Simon Richard, 14 points

Gstaad:
The Alpina Gstaad, Sommet, Martin Göschel, 18 points;
Le Grand Bellevue, Leonard’s, Francesco De Bartolomeis, 16 points;
Hotel Bernerhof, Blun-Chi, Kah Hing Loke, 14 points;
Hotel Bernerhof, Esprit Ravet, Marcel Reist, 15 points;
Hotel Bernerhof La Gare, Marcel Reist, 13 points;
Hotel Le Grand Chalet, La Bagatelle, Steve Willié, 16 points;
Hotel Gstaaderhof, Müli, Elvedin Odobasic, 14 points;
Hotel Palace, Le Grill, Franz W. Faeh, 15 points;
Rialto, Manuel Stadelmann, 14 points.

Lauenen:
Hotel Alpenland, Silvio Wieland, 13 points.

Lenk:
Lenkerhof Gourmet Spa Resort, Oh de Vie, Stefan Lünse, George Tanos, 14 points;
Lenkerhof Gourmet Spa Resort, Spettaccolo, Stefan Lünse, 17 points;
Rossinière: Les Jardins de la Tour, Patrick Gazeau, 16 points;

Rougemont:
Le Cerf, Michaël Burri, 12 points;
Hôtel de Rougemont, Le Roc, Frédéric Boucault, 15 points;
Hôtel Restaurant Valrose, La Table Valrose, Benoît Carcenat, 18 points.

Saanen:
16 Art Bar Restaurant, Nik Buchs, 14 points;
Huus Hotel, La Vue, Giuseppe Colella, 13 points;
Restaurant Sonnenhof, Erich Baumer, 16 points;

Saanenmöser:
Romantik Hotel Hornberg, Michael Rindlisbacher, 13 points.

Schönried:
Boutique-Hotel Alpenrose, Azalée, Michel von Siebenthal, 15 points.

SOURCE: GAULT-MILLAU