Immersive Experiences Luxury Culinary Experiences in Switzerland
Intro
The most memorable culinary experiences often begin beyond the restaurant. As food becomes an increasingly important part of travel, guests are looking not only for outstanding cuisine, but also for a closer understanding of where it comes from – the ingredients, traditions, landscapes and people that shape it.
Intro
The experiences featured here take guests onto Lake Geneva with a local fisherman, into vineyards and wine cellars, and behind the scenes of Michelin-starred kitchens. They offer different ways to discover Switzerland through food and wine – by taking part, meeting the people involved and experiencing regional culinary traditions first-hand.
Beau-Rivage Genève
Intro
For more than 150 years, Beau-Rivage Genève has welcomed international travellers to its prominent lakeside location in Geneva. Michelin-starred gastronomy and highly personalised service are paired with a spirit of continuous reinvention, bringing the hotel’s long-standing character together with contemporary luxury and a modern approach to Swiss hospitality.
From Lake to Plate
Set out onto Lake Geneva with a local fisherman and discover the traditions, techniques and everyday work behind fishing on the lake. The catch then returns with you to Beau-Rivage Genève, where Chef Mathieu Croze prepares it à la minute as an individual dish.
From the fisherman’s boat to the hotel kitchen, this creates a direct connection between Lake Geneva, a local craft and contemporary gastronomy.
Castello del Sole Ascona
Intro
Castello del Sole lies within a 140-hectare private estate on the shores of Lake Maggiore. Its vineyards and agricultural land are an integral part of the hotel’s culinary approach, supplying produce and wine while rooting its cuisine firmly in the landscape and food culture of Ticino.
The Alchemy of Taste
At Cantina alla Maggia, part of the Castello del Sole estate, guests can step into the role of winemaker for a day. Guided by oenologist Ettore Biraghi, they taste wines directly from the barrels, experiment with different blends and create their own cuvée.
A farm-to-table lunch completes the experience, bringing together wine and produce from the estate and the surrounding region. It is a hands-on introduction to Ticino’s winemaking culture – from individual components in the cellar to the finished blend in the glass.
Widder Hotel Zürich
Intro
Nine medieval townhouses form the architectural fabric of the Widder Hotel in Zurich’s Old Town. Carefully restored and connected, they bring historic structures together with contemporary design. Gastronomy plays an equally distinctive role, from the Widder Bar to the Michelin-starred cuisine of chef Stefan Heilemann.
Behind the Scenes with Stefan Heilemann
This culinary masterclass opens a door that usually remains closed to hotel guests: the working kitchen of a Michelin-starred restaurant. Join Stefan Heilemann and his brigade during mise en place and see how dishes are prepared, organised and refined ahead of service.
Rather than observing from the dining room, guests follow the rhythm and precision of the kitchen from within. The session ends informally with the team over a beer – offering a rare look at the people and processes behind a Michelin-starred service.
Fairmont Le Montreux Palace – Montreux
Intro
Set on the shores of Lake Geneva, Fairmont Le Montreux Palace has been an icon of the Swiss Riviera for more than a century, combining Belle Époque elegance with contemporary luxury. Its location connects the hotel with two defining landscapes of the region: Lake Geneva and the vineyard terraces of Lavaux.
Swiss Riviera Riva Escape
Cruise Lake Geneva aboard a restored 1966 Riva Classique before continuing to the UNESCO-listed vineyards of Lavaux for a tasting of local wines. A picnic prepared by the hotel’s chefs accompanies the tasting, with the vineyard terraces and lake providing the setting.
The route brings together two characteristic sides of the Swiss Riviera in a single excursion: the lake seen from the water and Lavaux from among its terraced vineyards.
The Living Circle
Intro
The Living Circle brings together a collection of Swiss hotels as well as its own farms, vineyards and wineries. This close relationship between hospitality and production is reflected in its gastronomy: ingredients, wines and the people who make them are integral to the group’s culinary approach rather than simply appearing on the plate.
The Living Circle Food Tour
The Living Circle Food Tour turns dinner into a journey through Zurich. Over the course of one evening, guests move between Widder Hotel, Storchen Zürich and Alex Lake Zürich, meeting chefs and tasting a different part of the menu at each stop, accompanied by selected wine pairings.
Each address brings its own setting and culinary perspective, while the changing locations make the city itself part of the evening. Instead of experiencing three hotels separately, the tour connects them through a single progressive dinner.