The story
At the Mandarin Oriental Palace in Luzern, Chef Gilad Peled leads a refined European cuisine program defined by precision and intense flavour. His approach earned a 17-point Gault&Millau score for 2026, recognising a kitchen that delivers power and taste from the first canapé to the final bite. Peled relies heavily on direct producer relationships, working closely with fourth-generation vegetable grower Mathieu Cuendet. This connection supports a dedicated vegetarian programme that runs parallel to his classic protein preparations.
The fine dining menu moves through carefully composed plates that highlight seasonal ingredients. Starters feature a tartlet of microscopic sugar snap peas resting on moss and topped with Oscietra caviar, alongside Masu cherry salmon cured with apple and Maldon salt. Spring vegetables appear as a crisp salad paired with goat cheese, Marcona almonds, and garden pesto. Main courses anchor the experience, beginning with stonebass cooked over fregola sarda with mussels and an algal beurre blanc before shifting to a Bresse squab served in a silver pan with organic spelt and morel mushrooms stuffed with squab liver.
The fine dining room offers uninterrupted views across Lake Lucerne. The layout feels open and airy, balancing the formality of the service with a comfortable pace. Sommelier Carlo Serafini navigates the wine list with unconventional choices, starting with sparkling Chardonnays from Sussex to match the early courses. Richer dishes pair well with structured reds like a Château Lynch-Bages 2009, while Pastry-Chef Clément Laurent finishes the evening with botanical-inspired sweets like a cedrat lemon sorbet or a miniature chocolate soufflé.
Recognition
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Details
History
A friendly Japanese chef who has lived in Switzerland for ten years and a well-traveled Romanian sake sommelier are the two main figures behind the intimate "Omakase" concept at the Mandarin Oriental in Lucerne. Only eight guests can be seated at the wooden counter. This guarantees an intimate experience, but depending on the company, it can also mean that despite the excellent culinary performance, the evening may run long. Chef Yutaka is not only a skilled cook but also an excellent host; he engages guests, explains each dish, and thereby creates a highly personal atmosphere. The meal begins with scallops served with a light cucumber-yuzu sauce, shiso, and sansho. The Japanese pepper sansho makes several appearances throughout the menu, winning praise for its floral notes and the brief tingling numbness it leaves on the tongue. The beef tartare is seasoned with a keen sense of balance, combining kombu kelp, capuchin leaves, pepper oil, and pickled ginger. The dashi with shiitake mushrooms and spring onions is charming yet straightforward. As for the chawanmushi (savory egg custard) paired with caviar, the proportions fall slightly short: either too much egg or too little caviar. Japanese-style comfort food arrives in the form of a carabinero shrimp tempura, elegantly wrapped in a shiso leaf, coated in panko, and fried until hot, crispy, and tender, then dipped in a yuzukosho mayonnaise. Following a sushi course featuring items such as hamachi with lemon zest and salt, or red prawns with myoga (Japanese ginger), the sole chef, clad in a traditional white jacket, cooks a piece of Kagoshima A3 Wagyu (with moderate marbling) to a core temperature of 55°C. It is served with a dipping sauce blend of mustard, barbecue sauce, and sansho leaves. The trio of consecutive desserts feels somewhat unconventional, particularly since dishes like the matcha roll with pineapple and passion fruit, or the chocolate with toasted sesame, likely stray from strict Japanese confectionery traditions. Then again, no one dining by the shores of Lake Lucerne would expect a strictly traditional Japanese omakase experience.
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