The story
Einstein Gourmet is a French-influenced modern kitchen on the fifth floor of the Einstein hotel at Berneggstrasse 2 in St. Gallen, Switzerland. The restaurant holds two Michelin stars (2026), and Gault&Millau awarded it 18 points the same year. Its dining room overlooks the rooftops of the historic centre.
Executive Chef Sebastian Zier and Head Chef Richard Schmidtkonz run the kitchen together. The cooking combines French technique with a world-open outlook. Guide reviewers praised elaborate plate arrangements and a consistency that held from the first course to the last. One main course paired Australian wagyu with braised peppers, and a dessert brought together grapefruit, chocolate and yuzu.
Loris Lenzo, Wine Director and Head Sommelier, advises guests from a cellar that Gault&Millau describes as one of the most spectacular in the country. Restaurant manager Daniel Bölle leads the front of house. Wine pairings are available, the restaurant has a private room, and the kitchen accommodates vegan diners.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
Excellent cooking
Chefs who place themselves in the service of taste without personal vanity are a profession particularly worthy of appreciation. Indeed, not a single element on any of the dishes we order at the Bistro of the Hotel Einstein is something that could have been omitted without loss. With admirable consistency, the chefs focus on the essential: The velvety, buttery asparagus cream soup tastes exactly as one would expect, the green asparagus pieces used as garnish are crisp – that’s all it needs. A touch more refinement goes into the red bream from Lake Constance, which is otherwise not particularly glamorous. The fish is marinated skin-on for three days in a savory, sweet-and-sour broth, then sliced into fillets and served with carrot and pepper julienne, onions, a hint of lemon, and garlic mayonnaise. Finally, the Beef Stroganoff is just as straightforward and excellently executed as the rest: The filet pieces are cooked to precise medium to medium-rare, the sauce impresses with robust acidity and an almost creamy, umami-rich consistency; mushrooms are omitted, but thankfully crème fraîche is not, and the accompanying rösti is perfectly classic. Only with the dessert do we ask ourselves: Why is almost all the acidity of the rhubarb, which is elegantly presented in pieces within a millefeuille layered with whipped cream, sweetened until all its tartness is lost, thereby robbing the beautiful composition of all its freshness? Especially since the strawberry sorbet is also prepared to be almost cloyingly sweet. Otherwise, however, an evening at the Hotel Einstein’s second restaurant promises an unpretentious, excellent meal.
Location
Facebook
Instagram
X