Tutto Mondo & Summit

Excellent cooking

Schloss Elmau boasts no fewer than half a dozen restaurants, with the gourmet restaurant IKIGAI serving as the flagship. Christoph Rainer and his team offer two spectacular French-Japanese menus.

Concept The premier restaurant in the diverse culinary portfolio of the all-encompassing Elmau estate. Two menus, one vegetarian. Culinary Style Japanese ingredients, preparations, and techniques run like a red thread through Christoph Rainer's menus. A masterful starter is unstuffed organic foie gras, poached, served as a mousse, and made into ice cream, exceptionally velvety thanks to Japanese buckwheat. Helgoland lobster also plays at the highest level; Rainer glazes it in shellfish oil and grills it over Binchotan charcoal. Served with kimchi salad, papaya relish, and citrus notes from Buddha's Hand. Turbot, cooked to perfection, comes with cuttlefish as a warm salad and a "Japanese" bouillabaisse; a blossom of yellow beet and Périgord truffle with roasted vegetable jus is the main course in the vegetarian menu. Spectacular: the pigeon from northern Brittany (dry-aged on the carcass for 14 days) with chervil root and excellent sansho pepper jus. Wine Marie-Helen Krebs is a master of her craft, and her recommendations are consistently spot-on. Around 1,500 selections, extensive vintage depth, and a lovely sake selection. Atmosphere Native woods, red and gold tones, a fire in the fireplace in winter – an inviting retreat. Verdict An all-encompassing masterpiece of atmosphere and exceptional cuisine.