A table overflowing with flavours

The grand chalet is lightly poised above the village, not quite an eagle’s nest but certainly miles above our everyday terra firma. The height offers Alps to the left, Alps to the right, and the Matterhorn in the middle… the establishment’s infinity terrace has few equals when it comes to the breath-taking view. With its abundance of wood, balconies, and windows — from the bedrooms to the dining room — here, there’s a constant feast for the eyes.

In the exclusive world of Relais & Châteaux, the dining table is of the utmost importance. And at the Schönegg, the cornerstone of dining is the restaurant Saveurs, which scored 14 points with Gault&Millau for the 2024 edition of the guide. “That gives us an edge when recruiting talent and also keeps us motivated to preserve all the best parts of what we do,” explained Line Février and Sebastian Metry, the young couple at the helm of the establishment. It’s also an extra dose of pressure for chef Reinhold Wrobel, who strives — more than ever — to perfect the presentation of every one of his dishes.

A comfortably discreet chef
The German chef, who arrived in Switzerland at the beginning of his career, has been running the ovens of the house for over two decades — after patiently climbing the culinary ladder, having worked in various places from Ascona to Davos, St. Moritz, and Gstaad. Among his favourite memories is the time he spent at Castello del Sole, working with Othmar Schlegel to serve the best table in the canton of Ticino. Hired as the sous chef of the Chalet Hotel Schönegg in 2000, he became head chef just two years later, and has stayed on ever since.

Standing at the crossroads, Reinhold Wrobel likes to forge connections between tradition and modernity, linking regional ingredients to current trends. “And always with an element of surprise,” he modestly adds. Not the type of man who’s accustomed to being on magazine covers, he’s not very talkative; he’s precise and determined… and gifted with a “very Swiss” consistency. Meats, fish, vegetables, nothing escapes his technique and inspiration. “My hobbyhorse is cold appetizers, as I find they allow for maximum creativity. I like to explore the contrast of flavours and textures; somewhere between sweet and salty, creamy and crunchy, raw and cooked, spicy and mild.”

The iconic Coq au Vin Valaisan
“We try to buy all of our ingredients within a 150 km radius,” explains the chef. Almost everything used in the restaurant is Swiss and often from Valais, including Alpine zander, perch filets from Raron, and dried meats that come from Molinari Sempione in the Simplon region.

The signature dish? The coq au vin, raised on corn in Valais and marinated for two days in pinot noir (with spices and vegetables), before being slow cooked for seven hours at 69° C, served accompanied by mashed potatoes and root vegetables. It’s complex to prepare but very easy to enjoy! Practically everything else changes in relation to what’s available at the market and the chef’s inspiration, which is always evident in the 4-course tasting menu that changes every day. An appealing vegetarian option has recently been added to the menu, which also features local Valais and Swiss ingredients.

A wine cellar for wine lovers
The Metry family has wine in their blood. In Varen, on the other side of the Rhône valley (with perfect sun exposure), the family has been cultivating acres of Pinot Noir and Fendant for four generations. It’s a small production: they only produce 2,000 bottles a year, no more.

A passionate wine lover, Sebastian Metry has assembled an exceptional wine cellar containing over 5,000 bottles, including more than 80 wines from Valais just waiting to be discovered, and top wines from the Bordeaux region, including Chateau Petrus 1988. “We have many super high-quality wines,” specified Sebastian. Want to taste them? Nothing could be easier: in both the Saveurs restaurant and the Uncorked bar, the house offers an incredible selection by the glass, including some delightful grands crus. Lucky wine lovers and regulars may even get a personal invitation into the wine cellar with Sebastien for a tasting among connoisseurs. It’s all part of the warm and welcoming spirit of the Chalet Hotel Schönegg.

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