No.30 – Schloss Schauenstein

2010 Awards – Highest New Entry

Schloss Schauenstein has been one of Switzerland’s worst kept culinary secrets since influential guide book Gault-Millau named its chef Andreas Caminada as Discovery of the Year in 2005 and now the renovated castle is one of the most talked about restaurants in the country.

Swiss-born Caminada bought the former castle in the Domleschg Valley in 2003 and transformed it into a super slick hotel and restaurant that wouldn’t look out of place in a James Bond movie serving cutting-edge cuisine to match. Intricate styling is Caminada’s hallmark, with food served up in petri dishes, shot glasses and a dazzling array of crockery, as is a fascination with creating variations on
an ingredient theme designed to test the senses. Gault-Millau has subsequently bestowed its ultimate accolade on Caminada twice, naming him Chef of the Year in 2008 and 2010, which, while aiding his career no end, hasn’t helped wannabe diners who now have a longer waiting list to navigate in order to try his food.