Great success! The GaultMillau 2025 “Cook of the Year” is Marco Campanella (La Brezza, Hotel Eden Roc in Ascona) and he obtains a score of 19 points, thus entering the Champions League of the Swiss culinary scene.
“For five years, we have been looking for the next superstar of the Swiss gastronomic scene,” says Urs Heller, editor-in-chief of GaultMillau Switzerland, “And now we have been spoiled for choice, because several talents are flocking to the top and jostle at the gate. If we chose Marco Campanella, it is because his modern cuisine impressed us, with his incredible sauces, then there is his versatility and his talent which allows him to enthuse his young teams.
In summer, the chef cooks at Eden Roc, in Ascona, while in winter, he is in the kitchen at Tschuggen, in Arosa (provisional ranking: 18 points).
Seven chefs in the 19/20 Club.
Marco Campanella is 32 years old. From year to year, he sharpens his talent and seems not yet to have reached his limits. It is particularly distinguished by its vegetarian and vegan preparations. Here are the seven chefs scoring 19 points: Tanja Grandits (Basel), Peter Knogl (Basel), Franck Giovannini (Crissier VD), Andreas Caminada (Fürstenau GR), Philippe Chevrier (Satigny GE), Heiko Nieder (Zurich), and Marco Campanella (Ascona). But the quest for an eighth leader deserving 19 points continues.
The “Promoted of the Year”.
Certain names are and are found again in the GaultMillau spotlight. They aim high and continue to evolve, therefore appearing regularly in our pages. Among them, the Freiburger Romain Paillereau, but also the duo from Chedi d’Andermatt, Dominik Sato and Fabio Toffolon, the “king of vegetarian cuisine” Dominik Hartmann in Rickenbach: they all obtained 18 points and the title of “Promoted from ‘year”. They are followed by Lucrèce Lacchio who runs the ambitious restaurant Le Berceau des Sens (17 points) of the famous École hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) and by Fabrizio Zanetti (17 points, Suvretta House, St. Moritz), who is doing a job incredible in the immense Grand Restaurant of this legendary palace. We will also note one returner: Mitja Birlo, “Cook of the Year” 2022, who obtains 18 points at The Counter, a spectacular restaurant located in Zurich central station.
«The Green Chef of the Year».
Sustainability, respect, contacts with producers: most of the chefs listed in GaultMillau are committed to all these causes. Rather than a symbol like a green hat, we prefer to designate in each edition a “The Green Chef of the Year“. This year, our choice fell on a man who cooks between flowery mountains and green valleys: Nicolas Darnauguilhem, the chef of the romantic Pinte des Mossettes set in the nature surrounding Cerniat FR. It meets the very strict specifications of Bio Suisse and arouses the enthusiasm of the testers at each of their visits, which also earns it a 17th point.
The “Discoveries of the Year”.
GaultMillau is a talent scout that it supports by promising them a bright future. In French-speaking Switzerland, we noticed the talented Quentin Philippe at the Arakel wine bar (15 points). Then, there is this chef that even Ticino foodies don’t yet know and who cooks on an island, in Brissago: Joao Antunes gets 14 points at Villa Emden. In German-speaking Switzerland, Dan Rodriguez-Zaugg and Alejandro Polo worked in Barcelona, one of the world’s culinary capitals (Disfrutar, No.1 in the “50 Best” ranking). Now they apply the techniques of the Spanish avant-garde in the peaceful town of Schaffhausen (Sommerlust, 15 points). As for André Kneubühler, he assisted Tanja Grandits in Basel for years. Now it is at The Omnia hotel in Zermatt that he stands tall with 16 points.
Progression in the 17 point category.
Other remarkable chefs score points in the 2025 Guide: the famous French chef Anne-Sophie Pic inaugurated her new restaurant at the Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne, set in an enchanting garden. Jordan Theurillat, trained in the kitchens of the parent company in Valence, is the new chef. Like his predecessors, he obtained 18 points. In Lucerne, Gilad Peled scored 17 points at the Mandarin Oriental Palace Lucerne (La Colonnade restaurant). A rating never before given in this small town. Other chefs to follow obtain 17 points: Olivier Jean (Atelier Robuchon, The Woodward, Geneva), Gilles Varone (Savièse VS), Mariano Buda (Au Club Alpin, Champex-Lac VS), Sebastiano Lombardi (La Table d’Adrien , Verbier VS) and the Japanese Kaiichi Arimoto (Les Montagnards, Broc FR). Björn Inniger (Alpenblick, Adelboden), Kevin Romes (Skin’s, Lenzburg), Dietmar Sawyere (Kreuz, Dallenwil NW), Marcel Koolen (Silver, Vals GR).
Host, sommelier and Pastry Chef of the Year.
GaultMillau is keen to support and highlight other essential professions in the world of catering, particularly those providing room service. Our “Host of the Year” is Ines Triebenbacher, who provides friendly service and encyclopedic wine and champagne knowledge at Igniv in Zurich. Fabian Mennel is “Sommelier of the Year” at Christian Kuchler’s Tavern zum Schäfli, in Wigoltingen TG, with 1000 wines in the cellar and a remarkable sense of perfect pairings. Our “Pastry Chef of the Year” amazes Geneva: Titouan Claudet displays his great talent in the prestigious setting of a five-star hotel, The Woodward.
The Swiss star abroad.
To spend the perfect vacation in Mauritius, the One&Ony Le Saint Géran is the perfect address. And this dream resort is in Swiss hands, since Roman Götsch has been its general manager for years. It delights its guests with new, very elegant rooms and high-quality restaurants. As for “Hotel of the Year” 2025, it was already elected at the end of August. This is The Mandarin Oriental Savoy on Paradeplatz in Zurich. Its Orsini restaurant offers exceptional Italian cuisine. Zurich is also home to the 2025 “POP of the Year”: Pizzeria Alba.
GaultMillau Guide 2025: 96 new addresses!
The Swiss gastronomic scene is in full evolution, not all chefs manage to stay in the race. But the number of highly recommendable restaurants remains very high. Switzerland is a paradise for foodies. Thus 880 addresses are listed in the new guide, including 96 new discoveries, 103 which gain a point. 42 leaders lose a point and will probably have to revise their copy. We will also note the 150 best Swiss winegrowers, as well as the 100 best gastronomic hotels in the country.
News, chefs, recipes: 365 days a year.
A guide that only appears once a year cannot meet the needs of the dynamic gastronomic scene and its passionate customers. This is why we are happy to have launched the GaultMillau Channel (www.gaultmillau.ch/fr) which is enjoying great success: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, we publish news, interviews, discoveries, recipes, as well as videos from our star chefs! Every Sunday (also Thursday on the German-speaking site), our newsletters follow gastronomic news. They are free and can be accessed in one click: www.gaultmillau.ch/fr/newsletter-inscription
Informations
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