Jérémy Desbraux from the Jura is Chef of the Year.
KEYSTONE
The world of gastronomy has once again been put under the microscope. “Gault Millau” honors the best chefs, restaurants, winegrowers and hotels. blue News shows you the winners from each region.
The new GaultMillau Guide 2026 is here – and it’s shaking up the Swiss gourmet scene. 880 restaurants, 100 gourmet hotels and the 150 best Swiss winemakers are listed. A total of 109 restaurants are included for the first time, 98 chefs have improved their rating and 32 have lost points.
The small Jura municipality of Le Noirmont (population 1957) is home to a new culinary flagship: the Maison Wenger run by Jérémy Desbraux and Anaëlle Roze.
Chef Jérémy (39) cooks at 18-point level and focuses on products from the region. The restaurant and hotel were renovated in winter. Desbraux strives for perfection – no coincidence, as he previously worked for Franck Giovannini at the world-famous “Hôtel de Ville” Crissier (VD) for many years, as the specialist magazine “Gault Millau” writes.
Incidentally, the small village has already gone down in Swiss gourmet history: Georges Wenger, the hotel’s former head chef, was named “Chef of the Year” by “Gault Millau” in 1997.
The “Club des 19” continues to grow. Marco Campanella was the youngest chef to achieve the highest score of 19 points at the “Eden Roc” in Ascona – and has now also been awarded 19 points at his winter residence, the “Tschuggen Grand Hotel” in Arosa.
GaultMillau chef Urs Heller says: “I visited all the 19-point chefs again this year and was delighted. They are excellent trainers and regularly flood the country with new talent.”
In Ticino, Reto Brändli scores at the “Ecco” Ascona after his return from Berlin. Kira Ghidoni from the “Osteria Bisnona” Contone TI is also one of the new discoveries of the year.
In Zurich, Dario Moresco is causing a stir with his modern Italian cuisine at “Orsini” – 17 points and the title “Newcomer of the Year”. Marco Ortolani at “La Réserve” and Japanese chef Atsushi Hiraoka at the “Dolder Grand” have also moved up into the 17-point league.
Evelyn Igl, wife of Heiko Nieder, who is awarded “Hostess of the Year”, also works at the same hotel. Her service brigade is 100 percent female.
In French-speaking Switzerland, Armel Bedouet from “L’Aparté” in Geneva and PP Clément from “Au Chasseur” in Fribourg are among the rising stars.
Then there is the Frenchwoman Charline Pichon, who oversees one of the largest wine cellars in Switzerland with 40,000 bottles at the “Hôtel de Ville” in Crissier – she is “Sommelier of the Year”.
Eastern Switzerland and the Central Plateau
The new talents include Valentin Sträuli (“Igniv” Andermatt), Sascha Spring (“Seepark” Thun), Monika Huber (“Schlössli” Bottighofen TG), Marc-Joshua Engel (“Aux Trois Amis” Schernelz BE) and Flavio Fermi (“Ackermannshof” Basel).
Stephanie Mittler, sous chef at “Mammertsberg” Freidorf TG, impresses with her desserts and is named “Patissier of the Year”.
Green Chef and sustainability
Sustainability has long been standard in top Swiss gastronomy. But “Gault Millau” continues to honor pioneers: the title “Green Chef of the Year 2026” goes to Pascal Steffen, 18-point chef at “Roots” Basel, who is considered a “vegetable whisperer”.
Twelve new chefs achieved 17 points, including James Baron at the “Säumerei am Inn” La Punt Chamues-ch (GR), Tino Zimmermann at the “Stiva Veglia” Schnaus (GR) and André Kneubühler at “The Omnia” Zermatt. The “Chedi Twins” Dominik Sato and Fabio Toffolon also improved their rating in the mountain restaurant “Japanese at Gütsch”.
Two special prizes were already awarded a few weeks ago: “Badrutt’s Palace” St. Moritz is “Hotel of the Year” and “Olympia” Bern receives the title “Pop of the Year”.