The story
Badrutt’s Palace Hotel in St. Moritz houses a Japanese kitchen that balances rigorous technique with a lively floor. Gault&Millau awarded its Matsuhisa restaurant sixteen points for this disciplined approach. Chef Vasileios Kalogeropoulos leads a brigade trained across Greece, maintaining consistency through regular quality checks from American supervisors and annual visits from the founder himself.
The menu centers on established Japanese cuisine traditions executed with sharp knife work and precise seasoning. Ioannis Dimakopoulos handles all sushi orders, slicing King Crab, Otoro, and Snow Crab with measured care. Hot plates follow familiar patterns elevated by careful heat management, featuring Black Cod Miso and Chilean Seabass Umami prepared until their natural glazes caramelize evenly.
Dining takes place in a converted tennis hall that accommodates large parties alongside intimate tables. Guests arrive throughout the evening, prompting staff to reset surfaces multiple times during a single shift. The room draws a mixed crowd wearing everything from tailored suits to casual hoodies, often accompanied by children or dogs despite the Alpine chill outside.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
In 70 seconds to pizza paradise! That’s how long the ride takes on the longest escalator in St. Moritz. It leads from the catacombs of the «Badrutt’s Palace» directly into the «Chesa Veglia». This is the oldest farmhouse in the village (1685!) and the most successful of the eleven «Palace» restaurants. The formula: The «Chesa» is wonderfully straightforward, the menu full of familiar dishes, and the fact that it’s packed every evening despite the shift system only makes the venue more desirable. Veteran maître Alessandro Bellan (36 years at the «Chesa»!) and his team handle the daily rush with ease. In winter, guests are spoiled for choice: «Chadafö» grill? Pizzeria Heuboden? Or perhaps the small, refined «Fondue Stübli» (only three tables!). The boundaries between them are fluid. If you sit in the «Heuboden» because you’re craving one of the twelve pizza varieties, you still get the famous «Salade de homard entier à la mode de la Chesa Veglia» and watch fascinated as a whole Canadian lobster is cracked per guest for the sake of a lobster salad. When it comes to pizza, the «Dama Bianca» leaves the competition far behind: five different types of cheese (aged Parmiggiano and buffalo mozzarella dominate), plenty of black truffles, but no tomatoes. We can also recommend the ossobuco, lobster taglierini, and lamb chops; the «galletto» is likely even juicier. In the more upscale «Chadafö», the soups are not called «Las Schoppas» as they are elsewhere in the «Chesa», but «Les Potages». Of course, the classic onion soup with Gruyère croutons or the lobster bisque are not missing. The best dishes are prepared «à la broche»: lamb rack with Engadin herbs, Bresse poularde with rosemary «Blanc et Rouge». This is the house classic: Bresse poularde and Chateaubriand with Béarnaise sauce, served together on a large platter! Available for parties of four or more at 100 francs per guest.
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