The story
Elisa - Bistro & Terrasse in Brienz is a seasonal bistro at Giessbach 1201, inside the Grandhotel Giessbach above Lake Brienz. Gault&Millau awarded it 14 points for 2026, and the menu pairs familiar bistro dishes with produce from the estate's own gardens.
Barbara Blaser, who led the historic house's aromatic, seasonal cooking for years, left in spring 2025. Laura Galloni now runs the stove, brought back by executive chef Lukas Stalder after several years in Hamburg. The concept stayed the same: soups, salads, burgers, pasta and beef stroganoff.
The shared salad bowl comes with tender leaves, cress and radishes in a Kombucha dressing, served with flaxseed crispbread and cornflower salted butter. Meiringen fresh cheese is shaped into airy quenelles with herbs, roasted leek and pumpkin three ways. The burger uses beef from the estate's own pastures. The deconstructed beef stroganoff, with fillet on Ribelmais polenta and Meiringen sour cream sauce, was the highlight of the reviewed meal.
The terrace is one of the restaurant's draws, and the setting is a Belle Époque hotel above the lake and waterfall. Michelin lists the restaurant as Recommended for 2026. The wine list is Swiss only, and the non-alcoholic selection has been expanded.
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