The Glacier Express train in Switzerland is a food heaven
i have a confession I live in Colorado, surrounded by famous mountain resorts, but every winter I fly to Europe with my friends to ski. But it’s not powder we’re chasing; Our days are carefully planned around lunch on the slopes, Apres ski Cocktails and wine paired dinners. So you can imagine my excitement when I heard about a chef who has transformed a tiny Swiss hamlet into a premier culinary destination close to some of the best ski resorts in the Alps.
For two decades, Andreas Caminada has been turning heads at Schloss Schauenstein, his three-Michelin-star restaurant and boutique hotel in Fürstenau, a village in the Swiss canton of Graubünden that lays claim to the title of the smallest town in the world. Lovers of Swiss cuisine flock here for quirky dishes like bite-sized pastrami tacos with mustard and beignets stuffed with spare ribs in a dining room that feels like a cross between Versailles and MoMA. In recent years, Caminada, who grew up in a neighboring valley, has brought the sleepy town back to life by transforming abandoned buildings – farmhouses, barns, coach houses – into a bakery, coffee roastery, cozy restaurant with guest rooms and much more an upscale vegetarian restaurant.
I wedged my Fürstenau Food Crawl between Zermatt and St. Moritz, two of Switzerland’s most famous ski resorts, and connected it all with the Glacier Express, the country’s stylish train line. I bought a ticket for the train’s new Excellence class carriage so I could have white-gloved staff serve me a five-course meal and wine pairing while gazing out the picture windows at the uninterrupted mountain views.
The charming, car-free town of Zermatt is the antidote to America’s mega-ski resorts with a corporate vibe. Old-fashioned horse-drawn carriages take skiers to their hotels, and rustic mountainside barns have been home to family-run restaurants for generations. Our first runs of the day were timed to hurtle down piste 6 just before noon, guaranteeing a timely arrival for our lunch reservation on Chez Vrony’s sun-drenched terrace.
Family-owned for more than a century, this restaurant on the slopes still makes everything from scratch, and matriarch Vrony Cotting-Julen is ever present in her pearls and Moncler jacket to welcome guests. Every summer the family grazes cows on untouched mountain grasses. The milk is made into cheese and the meat is used for charcuterie and the restaurant’s perfectly grilled and juicy burgers.
We swam corduroy slopes to burn up lunch and the Sunnegga slope took us to the lively après scene at our hillside hotel. Cervo attracts a cool crowd with amenities like a rock-climbing wall, ashram-inspired spa, and dining options that range from haute Italiana at Madre Nostra to the laid-back, street-food-inspired Bazaar.
After two more days of skiing, we took the Glacier Express to Switzerland’s oldest city, Chur, and caught a 30-minute bus right to the front door of Schloss Schauenstein, a castle that houses one of Caminada’s restaurants. He greeted me in Mountain Man attire (puffy jacket, jeans, sneakers) and we toured his mini culinary empire. He smiled at the sight of an elderly local couple sitting in front of the bakery and coffee shop with fresh loaves of bread and steaming cappuccinos. “We’re breathing new life into this city,” he said. “For years these cobblestone streets were empty.”
Its restaurants, all just steps away from each other, celebrate the region’s past, present, and future: Casa Caminada focuses on traditional seasonal recipes like cream of sauerkraut soup; the chateau offers avant-garde cuisine with roots in French technique; and Oz, the 12-seat vegetarian restaurant he opened in 2021, uses only produce from on-site gardens and greenhouses.
Last year he was finally able to take possession of the castle and the four acres of farmland across the road which will allow him to open a village farmers market later this year. A big supporter of mentoring (a portion of every meal goes to his chef education fund), he was able to expand his influence by founding IGNIV. In his mother tongue, Romansh, Switzerland’s fourth official language, the name means “nest” and the restaurant brand offers young chefs who have worked for him the opportunity to run their own kitchen under his tutelage.
The Glacier Express dropped me and my friends off in St. Moritz a few days later. The most prestigious winter sports resort in the Alps still retains the glitz and glamor of bygone times. We have skied but also seen snow polo, ice skating and tobogganing in the moonlight. The highlight was our dinner at IGNIV. Located in legendary Badrutt’s Palace, the restaurant embodies Caminada’s mastery of glitz and effortless cool.
The dining room was sexy, the soundtrack was rock and roll, and the food—black garlic macaroons and duck liver and chocolate on brioche—was absolutely delicious and surprising. As we reflected on the week of excellent food and drink, we thought we probably ate as much as we skied – but isn’t that the European way?
get there
The Glacier Express is arguably the most scenic train route in the world; multi-course menus, local cured meats, and regional wines also make it the most delicious. From $152 for a standard ticket from Zermatt to St. Moritz, glacier express.ch
Where to sleep
Schloss Schauenstein, Furstenau
The nine rooms above Caminada’s Michelin-starred restaurant are undergoing renovations this year. In the summer months, guests have access to a shaded garden pool. Rooms from $390
Casa Caminada, Furstenau
Renowned Swiss architect Gion Caminada designed this casual 10-room restaurant in stone and larch wood on the upper floor. Rooms from $250
Cervo, Zermatt
Zermatt’s only ski-in, ski-out retreat feels like a modern alpine village with 54 rooms spread across seven chalet-style lodges. Rooms from $360
Badrutt’s Palace Hotel, St Moritz
Following a 2021 renovation, the 156-room Grand Dame of the Alps is more glamorous than ever. A wine cellar with 30,000 bottles and 10 restaurants make it a skier’s dream with discerning palates. Rooms from $935
where should we eat
Madre Nostra, Zermatt
Cervo’s white-tablecloth restaurant pays homage to neighboring Italy with simple, ingredient-driven dishes like handmade spaghetti with anchovy butter and breadcrumbs.
Chez Vrony, Zermatt
Reservations are a must at this family-run lunch spot with Matterhorn views in Findeln.
Paradise, Zermatt
If you don’t come to Vrony, the owner’s son recently opened this low-key eatery right on the mountain, and the menu offers all the classics, like cheese fondue.
Chalet Etoile, Cervinia
The homemade pasta, like fagottini stuffed with pears and gorgonzola, and Aperol spritzer are worth crossing the Swiss-Italian border for. This spring, a new cable car will connect Zermatt and Italy in four minutes.
Schloss Schauenstein, Furstenau
Caminada’s gastronomic temple offers just one seat per day for lunch and dinner, and accepts reservations eight months in advance.
Casa Caminada, Furstenau
This accessible lunch and dinner spot is rooted in traditional regional fare like Winzerwurst and fried potatoes.
Oz, Furstenau
At a 12-seat horseshoe-shaped counter, enjoy seven- and nine-course vegetarian menus inspired by the on-site gardens and greenhouse.
Dal Mulin, St.Moritz
Rustic Alpine dishes are given a sophisticated twist at this 40-seat restaurant. Owner Danijel Krasnic is happily rummaging through his wine list of over 700 bottles; his wine shop, Grand Cru Club, is conveniently located next door.
IGNIV, St.Moritz
The food is sophisticated but the atmosphere is anything but stuffy at this restaurant in Badrutt’s Palace Hotel.