Record number of Michelin-starred restaurants in the Michelin Guide Switzerland 2019
The medieval Swiss city of Lucerne was host to the 2019 Michelin Guide awards ceremony last night, and the panoply of chefs and hospitality representatives gathered once more to dish out the prestigious culinary accolades.
This year's guide recognised more of the country's restaurants than ever before: The 41,000 square kilometre country - roughly six times smaller than the UK - now counts 128 Michelin-starred restaurants; as well as boasting three restaurants with three Michelin stars, a further 20 have two Michelin stars, and 105 have one star.
Among the new entrants, two received two stars: Patrick Mahler’s previously unlisted Vitznau restaurant (pictured above), Focus, and Pavillion, Zurich, led by chef Laurent Eperon.
Having faced criticism for poor representation in recent years, the guide's new director, Gwendall Poullenec, promised to blow a fresh breath of air into the list, and indeed, the 2019 guide does reflect a bigger diversity of Swiss talent.
Inspectors awarded 21 new one stars, three of which went to female-led restaurants - Alexandra Ziörjen's L'Etoile - Nova, Bernadette Lisibach's Neue Blumenau and Marie Robert's Café Suisse in Bex - and, a first for Swiss culinary academies, Le Berceau des Sens, from the École Hôtelière de Lausanne, received a star.
Others to receive their first star included K by Tim Raue and the newly launched Ritzcoffier at the the Bürgenstock Resort in Obbürgen.
In another shift from tradition, the Michelin Guide now rewards front of house staff. This year, Christoph Kokemoor from the Cheval Blanc received an award for best sommelier, and Stéphanie Décotterd of Le pont de Brent was recognised for best service and reception.
The leading restaurants, however, remained the same: Franck Giovannini’s Restaurant de l'Hôtel de Ville, Schloss Schauenstein and Cheval Blanc by Peter Knogl kept their three stars.
Sadly for the Noiremont, new chef Jérémy Desbraux wasn't able to hold on to the restaurant's two stars following chef Georges Wenger’s retirement.
26 new restaurants featured on the guide’s Bib Gourmand list – which rewards good quality, affordable food, and now totals 157 venues.
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