Foodies’ delights by The Dolder Grand’s top chef in Saint Moritz/Switzerland:

Some time ago, I had the chance to attend a private dinner at chef Heiko Nieder, one of Switzerland’s top chefs. On behalf of BMW Switzerland, the Michelin 2-star chef – normally at The Dolder Grand Hotel in Zurich – prepared a delicious meal in Saint Moritz. After having stayed at The Dolder and having dined at Heiko Nieder’s The Restaurant in the past, I did a post what it is like being a guest at this hotel but I did not go into details about the chef’s cuisine. I would like to catch up on this now, after some information on the BMW event.

Heiko Nieder & BMW Switzerland

Each year, BMW holds an exclusive happening for VIP customers. In 2020, Stéphanie Borge, director brand management at BMW, invited a small number of those to a luxury getaway in Saint Moritz. This included choosing an upper-class BWM for driving to the Grisons Alps, staying at the Badrutt’s Palace Hotel and attending a private dinner at chef Heiko Nieder.

My brother–in–law and my sister–in–law were also among the invited. And as my husband and I were in the right place at the right time – we both drive BMW cars too – , we could join them to the Heiko Nieder dinner. On this occasion, the chef in his function as BWW ambassador did not only cook for his guests but also let them know about fancy food presentation.

Private dinner at Heiko Nieder in Saint Moritz

In pouring rain, private chauffeurs in BMW cars drove up to the Badrutt’s Palace Hotel

to bring the invitees to the Bellavista Hotel in nearby Surlej. In good weather, this would have meant lingering in the hunting lodge’s gardens with view of the Lake Silvaplana. But it should not be. Instead the guest gathered indoors to have an aperitif.

After some words of the hosts, the activities started (wine tasting, food plating and product presentation). The highlight for me was of course chef Heiko Nieder’s instruction how to arrange food on plates in a nice way.

It was interesting to see what tricks the chef has up his sleeve in this regard. And he came across as likable person, too.

What I liked most was to watch Heiko Nieder and his team doing the preparations for the dinner, and this under difficult conditions. After all, it was only a makeshift kitchen in a confined space!

And I was very curious whether he would be able to bring the usual quality on the table!

Then it was time for the dinner that was served at a big communal table.

7-course dinner from Dolder fine dining chef

When my husband and I dined at Heiko Nieder’s The Restaurant at The Dolder Grand Hotel back in 2015, we had opted for a 12-course dinner. And that was simply too much for me to absorb at the time. So, I was pleased to learn that we “only” get seven courses.

Already the first dish was a hit, tuna with egg yolk and mustard.

Also the lobster from Brittany accompanied by melon, fennel, coriander and green curry was persuasive.

And the same is true for everything that followed. Next was some more seafood, Norway lobster paired with cocoa fruit juice, coconut, passionfruit, chili and dill.

Hake with krautsalad juice, bacon and green pepper ended the round of seafood.

The first meat course was venison that came with garden herbs, sunflower seeds and Angostura.

This was followed by braised Wagyu cheeks in combination with green asparagus, wild garlic and bbq sauce.

The sweet end of the meal, white chocolate with cherries, green olives and herbes de Provence,

left a lasting impression, too. And the chocolates were the cherry on the cake!

And my verdict? I was thrilled with what the chef had offered. It was a delightfully balanced series of artfully composed dishes that surprised at every bite. A greatest-hits album, indeed! Also the service under the lead of the sommelier, Lisa Bader, knew to persuade. A big compliment to the sous chef, André Wehrstedt, too, who did a great job coordinating the meal.

And imagine, I liked this dinner even better than the one at the Dolder Grand back in 2015. I felt that it was more to the point compared with the one at the time where I was a bit lost about the complexity of the whole.

Dining at Heiko Nieder at The Dolder Grand Hotel in Zurich

After all this praise, you might be interested in dining at chef Heiko Nieder at his place of work at the The Dolder Grand Hotel in Zurich. As mentioned, I did stay here and dined at The Restaurant in 2015 (my post).

In the meantime, some things might have changed. I myself have noticed that the pricing has lately become steeper than I had it in my mind. This especially is the case in terms of spending the night here. If you want a room with a lake view, which I highly recommend, you have to dig quite deep into your pocket. In case of staying over the weekend, you have to be prepared to spend 1,000 SFR/US$ per room and day.

As to the costs of dining at Heiko Nieder, the 10-course dinner amounts to 298 SFR/US$, the 6-course to 248 SFR/US$. This is expensive yet justifiable compared to other restaurants of the same class in Switzerland. However, I once came upon the price of the wine pairing to the 10-course dinner. This was 348 SFR/US$ per person, which I find far over the top. In this context, I discovered that the wine pairing is not listed anymore on the home page, whatever that may mean.

In any case, a dinner at Heiko Nieder is a must for every fine dining lover coming to Zurich.

Whether you chose to do so with our without staying and wine-pairing, this is up to you. If you do not mind visiting The Restaurant at lunch time, then you have the chance to order the rather reasonably priced Amuse Bouche Menu (112 SFR/US$). Friends of mine have already done this several times. And they were delighted about the cross-section of everything Heiko Nieder’s cuisine has to offer.

Date of visit: August 2020 / we were invited to the private dinner plus transport from and back to the hotel

The post Dinner at Michelin 2-star chef Heiko Nieder at BMW event first appeared on Swiss Traveler