Switzerland/Gastronomy: A Vegetarian Chef Honored by Gault & Millau for the First Time

Dominik Hartmann, a chef from Schwyz who specializes in exclusively vegetarian cuisine, was named "Chef of the Year 2027" by Gault & Millau.

Dominik Hartmann, from Schwyz, was named “Chef of the Year 2027” by the Gault & Millau restaurant guide. This is the first time the award has been won by a chef who serves exclusively vegetarian cuisine. The guide also recognized numerous other restaurant owners.

The chef of the “Magdalena” restaurant in Rickenbach (SZ) was awarded 18 out of 20 points, Gault Millau Switzerland announced on Monday.

Dominik Hartmann, who already holds two Michelin stars, completely shifted his cuisine to vegetarian menus in 2022. Together with his friends Marco Appert and Adriana Hartmann, he runs this restaurant, which features a bakery; in 2021, they were named “Discovery of the Year.”

Gault & Millau director Urs Heller described Hartmann’s style as “Vegi 2.0.” His cuisine is “flavorful and full of surprises,” he wrote in a press release on Monday.

Awards for Chefs from French-speaking Switzerland

In the latest Gault-Millau guide, seven chefs share the maximum score of 19 points, including two from French-speaking Switzerland: Franck Giovannini (Crissier, VD) and Philippe Chevrier (Satigny, GE). The other award winners are Tanja Grandits (Basel), Peter Knogl (Basel), Andreas Caminada (Fürstenau, GR), Heiko Nieder (Zurich), and Marco Campanella (Ascona/Arosa).

Gilles Varone (Savièse, VS) was named “Revelation of the Year in French-speaking Switzerland,” with 18 points. Franck Pelux (Lausanne, VD) also earned 18 points.

Among the “Discoveries of the Year” are Claryce Monnier and Alexandre Lacoste in Assens, in the canton of Vaud, with 14 points.

Sarah Benahmed, from the restaurant La Table at the Lausanne Palace, was named “Hostess of the Year,” with 18 points.

The new guide lists a total of 870 restaurants, 84 of which are new entries. The ratings for 98 chefs improved, while 31 received lower ratings.

Source: www.lenouvelliste.ch/