The story
Bären is a farm-to-table restaurant at Stedtligass 26, Grüningen, in the Binzikon area, where the kitchen earned 15 points from Gault&Millau in 2026. The historic house serves a farm-to-table menu built on regional produce, and its cuisine suits diners who want a seasonal, ingredient-led meal.
Owner Christian Mutschler is an avid hunter, and head chef Christian Neuhaus cooks with locally sourced fish and game. The menu is written on a tall board that staff carry from table to table and describe in person.
A Gault&Millau reviewer began with Lake Zurich whitefish, mildly marinated in the matjes style and served on saffron brioche with cucumber salad. The venison saltimbocca came with creamy asparagus and saffron risotto, and the reviewer found the meat wonderfully tender.
The historic Bären has a cozy tavern and a viewing terrace in the heart of Grüningen, with outdoor seating in the warmer months. The restaurant also holds a 2026 Michelin Recommended listing. The meal ends with the house sorbet, which the reviewer found to be a refined pairing of yogurt and lemongrass.
Recognition
Details
History
The historic Bären, with its cozy tavern and viewing terrace right in the heart of the town of Grüningen, is best known for its locally sourced fish and game. Owner Christian Mutschler, an avid hunter, and head chef Christian Neuhaus post their menu selections on a tall board that is carried from table to table and expertly described by the friendly service staff. We quickly made our choice: fish for the starter and game for the main course. To start, we had an excellent, mildly marinated matjes-style Lake Zurich whitefish served on saffron brioche with a perfectly complementary cucumber salad. The venison, served as a saltimbocca alongside a creamy asparagus and saffron risotto, was wonderfully tender. And as always, we finished with the house sorbet, which this time pleasantly surprised us with a refined combination of yogurt and lemongrass.
Location