4 Best Restaurants in St. Moritz, Graubünden

In a 17th-century rustic-luxe Bauernhof (farmhouse) whose raw beams, aged wood, and native carvings have been self-consciously restored, the Chesa Veglia (run by Badrutt's Palace hotel, which is just up the street) is divided into four restaurants: an upscale grill (Grill Chafaö), which uses an original stone oven; a cozy tavern for traditional Swiss dishes (Patrizier Stuben); a pizzeria (Pizzeria Heuboden); and an intimate venue to enjoy traditional fondue (Carigiet Fondue Stübli). Menus include a good range of Continental and local cuisine—with sky-high St. Moritz prices, except for the more casual, family-friendly pizzeria (which, true to St. Moritz style, still uses premium ingredients like truffles and Grison air-dried meat in addition to the classics); the grill, open only in winter, features live piano music in the evenings, and you can people-watch over a drink at the Polo Bar before or after your meal. When Elizabeth Taylor and other legendary VIPs headed to St. Moritz, this was their favored watering hole, and it still attracts a smart and stylish crowd in season.

With its pine-paneled interior and crackling log fire, this traditional Engadine restaurant has all the coziness of Grandma's house: it's more homespun than glitz and glamour, and reasonably priced and low-key for couples or a small group of friends. The specialty is a decadent champagne fondue, though other favorites are veal liver with Rösti and, in winter, escargots. During summer months, there are tables out front that offer partial views of the lake and, as an added bonus, the La Gondla Après Ski bar—in an old gondola, not 10 steps from the restaurant door—is open daily in both summer and winter.

With a focus on the highest-quality ingredients and a simplistic, Mediterranean cooking style that allows each individual taste to shine, dining here is a true culinary experience; be prepared to spend almost as much on a meal as on a hotel room, though the seven-course tasting menu is an excellent value when compared with the à la carte dining. The menu changes seasonally, but it always includes a tempting mix of fish, game, meat, and poultry dishes, with a blend of local and international ingredients. To finish off, try the chocolate mousse made with olive oil; the result is a deeply rich, unctuous dessert, which miraculously remains as light in your stomach as it was in your mouth. 

Well priced for the area, this bright, genial restaurant has nothing swanky about it—lots of wood, ancient moldings in the form of grapes, and a welcoming wood fire where meat is roasted while you watch. In addition to grilled meats and whole trout, there are delicious and varied homemade pastas served family-style from crockery bowls. The owners look after the grill, and their touch with Italian-Romansh cooking is light and straightforward.