Specialities

In spring farmers move with their cattle up to the high pastures, where Alpkäse (alpine cheese) is made. After two to three years of aging, this becomes delicious Hobelkäse (plane cheese), so hard it can only be sliced with a tool like a carpenter’s plane. Down in the village, you’ll find many local specialities, including sweet treats and chocolate delicacies such as Saane Gibeni (chocolates filled with hazelnuts and hazelnut cream) and Gletschertüüfeleni (chocolates filled with walnuts, almonds, and chocolate cream). Other delicious specialities include Saanen Premium Ice Cream; mozzarella made from cow’s milk; and fondue with champagne and truffles. Let yourself be seduced by the natural goodness of these fine foods, and don’t forget to bring a piece of gourmet Gstaad home for your loved ones.

Pleasures of the palate

In the 235 square kilometres of the Saanenland, you can find 12 top-class chefs who score 180 GaultMillau points among them – a dizzying figure by Swiss standards. Whether the setting is sophisticated or rustic, you can guarantee that when the chefs in the kitchen unleash their creative powers, you will not be disappointed. All the chefs here favour local, natural products where possible, to make dishes such as Suure Mocke (wine-braised beef), entrecôte of Simmentaler beef served with Saanen mustard, or river-fresh rainbow trout. They may use alpine herbs, mushrooms or berries from the forest. Of course they will also happily serve dishes inspired by other cuisines: saltwater prawns, for example, or a gazpacho parfait. The best way to round off such a meal should include a carefully selected cheese platter. Needless to say, the superb wine cellars of the restaurants here have an exceptionally rich range of wines to suit every course of a meal. So, it’s time to treat yourself to Gstaad. Gastronomy does not get any better than this.