The story
Tschuggen Grand Hotel in Arosa presents a refined Italian cuisine where alpine ingredients meet Mediterranean technique. Chef Marco Campanella leads the kitchen during the winter season, applying his exacting standards to the alpine venue.
Campanella operates within a dedicated section of the main kitchen, guiding a brigade of six chefs through precise plating and flavor construction. His Italian cooking balances technical rigor with approachable flavors, a method that earned a 19-point score from Gault&Millau. Staff members often travel with him from his home base, helping maintain consistency across the service.
The menu opens with fingerfood starters like puntarelle tips, where bitterness is eliminated before a mayo and umami layer enhances the vegetable. A raw marinated mackerel tucks beneath a pak choi leaf, served with salted kohlrabi and kumquats. Nephrops commands attention as the evening's highlight, accompanied by Hokka-ido pumpkin, pickled Amalfi lemons, and a bisque derived from seventy kilograms of heads per season. This preparation illustrates the kitchen's fluency in Italian cuisine, marrying coastal traditions with mountain produce. Young catfish sourced from Lake Maggiore arrives alongside eel caramelized with Coca-Cola. Buttoni-style ravioli stuffed with short rib round out the hot courses, garnished with pressed calf milk cubes.
The windowless dining room channels all attention to the table, creating an intense atmosphere centered on the food. Katrin Wilhelm manages the front of house, inviting guests to dip warm toast into rich sauces—a practice uncommon in grand hotels. Plant-based diners receive albula potato gnocchi and roasted leeks dressed with herb oil. Livia Bucheli handles pastry duties, delivering uva americana desserts, while Jumi presents blue cheese served atop mini brioche slices for a final savory note.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
Facebook
Instagram