The story
At 7132 Hotel in Vals Platz, contemporary cuisine takes shape under rookie head chef Marcel Koolen. His kitchen draws inspiration directly from the surrounding Alps, sending the team into local hills to gather wild mushrooms, herbs, and berries. These foraged elements meet carefully sourced international proteins to form a distinct culinary identity. This deliberate balance of local terroir and global technique earned the kitchen Gault&Millau recognition for its consistently original contemporary cuisine.
The tasting journey unfolds through carefully staged courses that highlight texture and contrast. Cold-warm nigiri features glazed eel wrapped in tempura batter alongside yuzu, while marinated swordfish rests on chawanmushi with kaviar and jalapeño oil. Grilled Ibérico pork cheeks arrive with reduced cabbage juice sauce and Gillardeau oysters, creating a layered surf and turf profile. Each preparation follows a strict ingredient-first philosophy, occasionally interrupted by playful moments like tableside lobster spaghetti deglazed with champagne in a copper pan, proving that disciplined modern gastronomy thrives on spontaneity.
Service moves at a deliberate rhythm, allowing guests to engage with each component before the next arrives. Desserts pair wild strawberry crémeux with shiso glaze or combine pandan, rhubarb, and rice pudding for a lighter finish. The evening concludes with unexpected humor, like a veal sausage toasted under the salamander broiler or a saucy focaccia course left for diners to paint their own plates. This unscripted energy keeps the contemporary cuisine grounded in genuine hospitality.
Recognition
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With an almost pedantically strict focus on the selection and quality of ingredients, the kitchen of the à la carte restaurant at the 7132 Hotel takes a path that is as unique as it is idiosyncratic. Only a select few animal-based products, personally chosen by owner Remo Stoffel, are used for the classic preparation of the dishes. The two menus are set in stone like the Ten Commandments; changes are unnecessary anyway, as the offerings are spectacular. The "Menu Classique," which requires a hearty appetite to finish, comprises ten courses. The opening course is gentle—some Scottish salmon sashimi. While rice and coriander have no place in traditional sashimi, this is the sole irregularity in a kitchen otherwise defined by unwavering precision. This is followed by a portion of pan-seared duck liver with braised apples and raisins—simple and precise. "Classique" also implies that much of the cooking takes place right before the guests' eyes. Maître Matteo Sgarbi, a true master of his craft, sears chunks of lobster in a copper pan, deglazes them with champagne, and adds tomatoes and shallots: step by step, the "Spaghetti Royale" with Breton lobster come together at the table, crafted to near perfection. Next, the sea bass, cooked at precisely 52 to 53 degrees Celsius, is cracked open from its salt crust and filleted before our eyes; served simply with olive oil and vegetables, it makes clear that everything here revolves around one principle: the ingredient, the ingredient, and once more the ingredient! The American Creekstone beef tenderloin, served as a Chateaubriand with Béarnaise sauce and matchstick fries, is presented with equal understatement, yet boasts exceptional quality. The dessert sabayon, naturally whipped to a creamy consistency tableside in a copper bowl with white and port wine, is simply perfect. And right at the end, when you are already somewhat weary and undoubtedly quite full, comes the "Bettmümpfeli"—a veal sausage from Peduzzi Butchers in Savognin, lightly toasted under the salamander broiler—a playful nod to the house’s signature humor.
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