The story
In the heart of Zermatt village, Brasserie Uno offers something unexpected: a casual fine-dining experience defined by rustic charm and inventive cooking. The restaurant takes its name from owner Andreas Alm’s grandfather, Uno, whose personal items—including an Axevalla Pilsner sign from the Swedish brewery where he worked in the 1950s—decorate the warm, inviting interior. It is a small, independent space, unaffiliated with any hotel group.
The kitchen is helmed by head chef Luis Romo. After training at the Ambrosia Centro Culinario school in Mexico City and working in Michelin-starred kitchens across Europe, Romo brings a unique style to Zermatt. He describes his cooking as an expression of feeling, guided by season, geography, and a commitment to sustainability. “I like to remember that everything is a cycle,” he says, comparing his process to a Tibetan sand mandala: careful, beautiful, and ephemeral. He works alongside chef Tommaso Guardascione, whose Italian heritage and French techniques add another layer to the collaborative kitchen.
Brasserie Uno serves only a surprise degustation menu, with a 6-course and a 4-course option. There is no à la carte. The menu changes with the seasons, showcasing the finest regional and seasonal ingredients—including produce from the restaurant’s own garden and wild ingredients foraged from the local forest. The team is proud to offer inspiring vegetarian dishes alongside Swiss meat and fish, and the wine list features a strong selection of local Valais wines alongside international bottles. An optional wine pairing is available, with alcohol-free options on request.
In 2022, Brasserie Uno was awarded a Michelin Star and a Michelin Green Star for its dedication to sustainability. The restaurant operates as a minimal food-waste kitchen, recycling any waste into energy that powers the village. The team also uses antique dinnerware, giving a second life to plates and bowls inspired by the owner’s grandmother. With a small team and a 2.5 square metre kitchen, the chefs create what they call “a kind of magic.” The result is a contemporary, seasonal dining experience that feels both personal and deeply rooted in its Alpine setting.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
High quality cooking
For some time now, the team around Andreas Alm, owner of the small, bustling brasserie at the upper Vispa Bridge, has cooked its way into the hearts of guests in Zermatt. With passion and creativity, the young team led by Luis Romo and Tommaso Guardascione conjures up delicacies from the open kitchen, and even though the cosmopolitan jargon of the service staff is often hard to decipher at first, what ends up on the plates wins you over. For example, as an amuse-bouche, a cappuccino made from smoked and fried potato peels, fermented miso, and soy-potato foam is served in vintage espresso machines. We are not exactly fans of this kind of experiential dining, but we must admit: every sip was poetry, and the accompanying croissant made from Albula potatoes was excellent. The bread is also convincingly inventive: the seaweed focaccia (!) comes with anchovy-enriched butter, a piece of seaweed cheese, and fermented Jerusalem artichoke. Also brilliant was the cupcake made from an artichoke stuffed with dried tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, and roasted pine nuts, served with dashi foam; alongside which was separately served Italian bread salad with iceberg lettuce glaze. The poached grayling from Aargau breeder Florian Gemperle came with three types of caviar, and the kefir was served with a waffle made from Polenta alla Maggia for dipping. The breaded salsify could be enjoyed as a small, refined experiment paired with three sauces (charcoal sauce, jalapeño cream, and Granny Smith jelly). The long-braised and then grilled lamb breast cutlet was skillfully paired by the kitchen with chimichurri, wild garlic, spring onions, and red sauerkraut. Surprising and surprisingly delicious as a pre-dessert were mascarpone foam with olive oil, celery root glaze, and lightly salted sturgeon caviar. And for a spectacular finale, the successful combination of sweet carrot slices in a sunflower seed taco shell and carrot glaze with tonka beans delivered the perfect ending.
Location
Facebook
Instagram