The story
Gasthaus am Brunnen in Laax serves country cooking at Am Platz 11 in Valendas, and Gault&Millau gave it a score of 15 in 2026. Michelin lists it as Recommended for the same year.
Matthias Althof cooks regionally focused food with a creative streak. The beef tartare is slightly piquant and comes with potato-thyme foam, a crispy onion tart and a quail sunny-side-up egg. His braised onion soup with white wine arrives with "Chrukapuna", the Surselva word for capuns with Landjäger sausage.
Brasato ravioli with saffron and a reduced Merlot jus are a signature. The apple-fed pork is buttery-tender and served with creamy gersotto and a light paprika cream.
Elvira Solèr handles the sweet courses. Her Earl Grey crème brûlée comes with bergamot sorbet and chocolate cookies, and the warm chocolate cake with orange ice cream and Grand Marnier caramel is another regular finish.
The wine list covers Graubünden, the rest of Switzerland and wider Europe. Any bottle can be poured by the glass once three glasses are ordered.
The house is named for the fountain outside, reputedly Europe's largest wooden one. In summer, tables are set outdoors right beside it. In colder months, dinner moves into the cozy dining room.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
The «Gasthaus am Brunnen» lives up to its name: In summer, you dine outdoors directly beside Europe’s largest wooden fountain. During colder months, Matthias Althof and Elvira Solèr have long delighted guests in their cozy venue with regionally focused, creative cuisine. A perfect start was provided by the slightly piquant beef tartare with airy potato-thyme foam, crispy onion tart, and a quail sunny-side-up egg. Praise was also due for the finely seasoned braised onion white wine soup with “Chrukapuna” – the Surselva term for capuns with Landjäger sausage. Once again, Matthias Althof impressed with his heavenly brasato ravioli featuring saffron and a reduced Merlot jus. Equally impressive was the buttery-tender meat from apple-fed pork, served with creamy gersotto and a light paprika cream. As always, Elvira Solèr’s desserts provided the final highlights: an Earl Grey crème brûlée with bergamot sorbet and chocolate cookies, alongside a warm chocolate cake with orange ice cream and Grand Marnier caramel. The wine list is noteworthy, showcasing fine crus from Graubünden, Switzerland, and across Europe. By the way, the charming service will happily pour any bottle by the glass starting from three glasses.
Location