Marcel Reist

Marcel Reist runs the noble brasserie Esprit in the “Bernerhof” and one senses: a man with a past! Probably the ten years at the “Palace” with the two legendary chefs Peter Wyss and Hugo Weibel have shaped him the most: “It was a tough time, but I learned a lot from the two chefs.” Reist confidently manages the legacy of Bernard Ravet, who wrote the cards in Gstaad until his retirement.

His trick with appetizers? Surprising products, excellently prepared: flash-fried SwissShrimps from Rheinfelden. First-class sardines from Brittany in olive oil and on Charlotte potatoes. Scottish salmon, smoked in Château-d’Œx and carved at the table. Impressive handling of foie de canard, strictly made according to two Ravet recipes: “dodine” with fig chutney or the sauteed duck liver with lovingly pickled plums from a farmer in Baselbiet (“Zwetschgen-Mändi de Häfelfingen”) and a pinch of vanilla from La Réunion. We also liked the high-class coquilles Saint-Jacques; however, the bitter note of the fennel went better with the tender scallops than the somewhat heavy-handed rim sauce.

Chef Reist can’t get two main courses off the menu: jarret de veau and entrecôte flambée. The huge veal shank with marjoram and mushrooms is incredibly juicy, carved at the table. The entrecote, bought at the famous Buure Metzg in Gstaad, is nostalgic: Armagnac is poured over it, flames hiss towards the ceiling – just like in the old days at the Grand Hotel. It’s served with a massive pepper sauce and a small gratin made of potatoes from the own field. French (the conversational language in many Gstaad hotels) makes it sound particularly chic: “Pommes de terre de notre domaine d’Abländschen”. The fish alternative: alpine pike-perch with crispy skin and strong red wine sauce.

Patissier Marcel Mayor has the last word: The Opera, a classic of French cuisine, could not be more elegant and pleasant, and the homemade coffee ice cream goes perfectly with it.