ROCK ’N’ DINE
In summer 2025, top chef Stefan Lünse took over the culinary reins as Executive Chef at the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof– and promptly confirmed the Michelin star. His gourmet menu launches like spectacular fireworks with a bold statement: ‘My team and I are eager to go full throttle.’
Stylish. Intense in flavour. Elegant.
Lünse’s creations are daring yet always perfectly balanced. Take, for instance, the flawlessly cooked Atlantic turbot paired with hearty calf’s head. It’s accompanied by Japanese dashi broth infused with Heida, a Valais white wine and ethereal lemon verbena. His vegetarian dishes are disarmingly simple yet stunning – such as beetroot with Zermatt yogurt, raspberry vinegar and a smoked beetroot consommé, paired with a complex rosé by Valais star winemaker Marie-Thérèse Chappaz. Between courses, horizons expand with a Tom Kha Gai made of Valais farm chicken, sot-l’y-laisse and garum made with fish from Lake Zurich. The Miéral pigeon is prepared to perfection – breast cooked tender pink with an intense jus, complemented by Zermatt dried meat and a crisp praline filled with offal and leg meat. Dessert is an ode to the cherry, featuring a chilled cherry soup and sorbet with alpine thyme and sorrel.
Modern, more vegetarian, more Asian.
As Executive Chef, Lünse aims to evolve the Zermatterhof’s cuisine – make it more contemporary, approachable and accented with Asian notes. ‘At the Alpine Gourmet Restaurant Prato Borni, we now offer a vegetarian menu, a meat menu and additional à la carte options. We want our guests to have real freedom of choice.’ The Brasserie Lusi is also shifting in this direction.
‘We’re cooking at full throttle blending Alpine soul with global flair, and giving our guests real freedom of choice.’
Bridging Valais and the world.
‘I want to bring out the best of Valais products and combine them with selected ingredients from Switzerland and neighbouring countries.’ Lünse does so effortlessly. His dishes unite alpine identity, international elegance and creative depth. Notably, the extraordinarily aromatic sourdough bread comes from the local artisan bakery Backzeit.
What makes cooking in Zermatt special?
‘Around here, hotels and restaurants cook at an exceptionally high level. Guest expectations are just as high. The environment is competitive, but also incredibly motivating. We’re definitely ready to go full throttle.’ The team’s enthusiasm is tangible. Former apprentices and longtime colleagues working with Lünse spur each other on, experimenting and achieving surprising, flavourful ideas. The wood-panelled dining room, with classic furnishings and crystal chandeliers, may seem stiff at first glance. Thankfully, it’s not classical music that drifts from the speakers, but upbeat pop rock. The service is pleasantly relaxed. Every dish, every wine rocks – even the non-alcoholic pairing. Even the likes of a former British head of state, a regular guest here, was visibly delighted.
Words Claudio Del Principe
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