Grandhotel Giessbach

The story

Grandhotel Giessbach, Brienz | Swiss Bistro & Garden Dining

The Kitchen and its new direction

Grandhotel Giessbach in Brienz presents a grounded Swiss bistro menu under chef Laura Galloni. Executive Chef Lukas Stalder recruited her from Hamburg, simplifying the service model to emphasize seasonal regional ingredients. The kitchen draws heavily from estate pastures and neighboring farms, stripping away complexity to let provenance lead. Critics noticed this disciplined approach, awarding the Swiss kitchen fourteen points in the 2026 Gault&Millau guide.

Signature plates and seasonal highlights

A communal salad bowl arrives dressed with Asian kombucha vinaigrette, accompanied by linseed crackers and cornflower salted butter. Diners frequently return for the deconstructed beef stroganoff, which layers tender filet pieces over ribeli polenta and a sharp Meiringen sour cream sauce. The property burger highlights cattle raised on estate meadows, presented with fresh tomato relish and herb mayonnaise. Dessert remains equally precise, serving roasted coffee alongside house-baked walnut and fig biscuits.

The terrace and the restored garden

Dining areas frame views of the original Belle Époque architecture and the rock face where the waterfall descends into Lake Brienz. Staff cultivate a vegetable plot revived from an 1897 blueprint, now growing over eighty rare ProSpecieRara crop varieties. Every harvested root moves directly into the Swiss cooking repertoire. The beverage list mirrors this local commitment, featuring exclusively domestic wines and a thorough alcohol-free selection.