A Michelin star and a natural source of inspiration

Perched on a mountainside, 45 metres above the roofs of Zermatt, amid tall, snow-covered pines, The Omnia Hotel seems to stand guard over the resort, poised almost to launch itself in the direction of the Matterhorn. Accessing it involves walking through a tunnel that leads to a lift which takes you up to the foyer. Famed for its idyllic setting and the warmth of its welcome, it also boasts a much-frequented restaurant. The man who runs its kitchen is 25-year-old Austrian chef Klemens Schraml, who takes his inspiration from nature in creating stylish cuisine that is full of poetic nuances. The neighbouring fields and forests are his playground, where he ventures every day to source the ingredients for his recipes, such as Alpine herbs, pine needles, nasturtiums and field mushrooms – the little extras that make all the difference on the plate. Conceived as artworks, his dishes are a delight to behold, compositions that combine the finesse of their ingredients and the harmony of their colours. There is plenty for the palate to savour as well, with the flavour of outstanding, seasonal and very often local produce being captured to perfection.

The Omnia pursues a philosophy that is very much focused on sustainable development. “We called on local carpenters to create the building’s architecture, using wood from nearby forests,” said Philippe Clarinval, the restaurant’s general manager. “We apply the same principle to the restaurant, by giving pride of place to what nature has to offer us.” Schraml shares those values and is very much at home at The Omnia. A nature lover himself, he has a wise head on his young shoulders, an asset he acquired at a very early age thanks to his restaurateur parents, who brought him up to respect Austria’s culinary traditions. Hailing from a family of farmers and distillers, he has a taste for local produce and likes nothing better than to savour new experiences in his ongoing quest for fresh, undiscovered flavours. That’s why you’ll find glacier-salt crusted trout on the menu at The Omnia. Schraml hand-picked it himself and uses it instead of salt, on account of its minerality and the hint of earth that it brings to the dish. In his hands, meanwhile, pine needles are transformed into oil for dressing salads, lending them a hint of wood.

The Michelin star awarded to The Omnia is its second, the restaurant having earned its first in 2015, when Stephan Kriegelstein was head chef and Schraml was his sous-chef. Having been in charge of the kitchen since the end of October 2015, the young Austrian has earned a much-coveted star with his own efforts. Two other restaurants in Zermatt also have one to their names: Ristorante Capri, at Mont Cervin Palace, and After Seven, at the Backstage Hotel Vernissage. A hotspot for food and drink, Zermatt consolidates its position at the pinnacle of the culinary world with every passing year. At the last count, its 19 restaurants boasted a total of 254 points in the 2017 Gault&Millau Guide, giving visitors yet another compelling reason to frequent the resort.