Following up on my little guide for Zermatt with part 2 - my favorite restaurants when skiing in Zermatt. When I was younger, it was all about skiing, doing as many lifts as possible, really maxing out the expensive day pass. Now, times are different and we often include a nice lunch into our skiing days in Zermatt. OK, it's also quite easy as Zermatt features a vast choice of good restaurants for skiing. Below my personal ranking in terms of the top restaurants on the slops in Zermatt (note: only restaurants in the Swiss part of the ski resort are considered)
Top restaurants on the slope in Zermatt
Top choices
Paradies
It's in the area of Sunnegga / Rothorn - a small hamlet called Findeln. Findeln consists of a handful of old wooden houses and sits on a sunny plateau with a spectacular view on the Matterhorn. There you will find the etablissement of Gaston Zeiter, the Chef of Paradies. Paradies has a nice little terrace, I always try to secure a place there. Gaston Zeiter always has a special pasta dish - it's a safe bet, in 80% of the cases, I go for it! Last time I had a re-definition of the Cordon Bleu - that was actually superb. Portions are of an adequate size, service is attentive even if it gets busy and you can often spot the Chef himself bring out the plates. Nice wine list with a few trouvailles i.e. small producers from Valais.
Every year we go to Paradies and I have never left in disappointment, rather in awe.
Stafelalp
What a shock when it burnt down in Spring 2018! Fortunately they are rebuilding it and even opened in the very same season (2018) in a provisional arrangement. The temporary building is actually quite cosy and does more than the purpose until the reconstruction will open again. It's on the foot of the Matterhorn, northern face. It's slope 52, down from the cable car station Schwarzsee. It features a big terrace and you feel quite remote as you are in the midst of the mountains and forests. I want to emphasize the service in Staffelalp, top notch! They are known for their "Rösti's" - I often choice one of it! We sometimes also stop by on our way down to the village - they feature a nice apéro platter (cured ham, mountain cheese).
Good choices
Chez Vrony
For sure, the most well known mountain restaurant in Zermatt. Don't get me wrong - it's a good choice, food is nice, view is great, nice terrace. But for me it is just too much "seeing and being seen". I go there once in a while but for me it's over the top, it's not my ambiance. It's also in Findeln, close to Paradies
Othmar's Hütte
I like this little hut! It's on the way down - but as we often stop at 2pm only for Lunch (and stop skiing thereafter), I consider it in my list. A funny story, during summer time, the owner goes to Alaska for salmon fishing. So the specialties are all centered around fresh salmon. You can start with some salmon tartar or salmon toasts and then follow up e.g. with a salmon risotto. If you don't like salmon, they also have other food, e.g. Raclette or meat dishes. You can also buy salmon there and take it home.
Gitz-Gädi
It's a restaurant we only frequent since about 1-2 years. It's close to the cable car station "Furi". If you are adept to skiing in Zermatt you will know it because it's just left of the little hill when you go down to Furi - where you always have to push yourself up as the speed is not enough (that's actually how I discovered it). Again, very attentive service. Menu is quite big, with mostly traditional recipes on it. But quality is good and if you are in a group, everybody will find his favourite.
Les Marmottes
Again, close to the cable car station "Furi", in the same hamlet as Gitz-Gädi (they are about 100 m apart). It's rather a small restaurant but a very welcoming one. It's a family affair (Family Perren) and the couple is well present in the restaurant, often taking your order and bringing the dishes. The guy is also a hunter, so in the early season, you may get some nice specialties from his hunting. Very cosy setting.
Comments