The ultimate ‘wow factor’: Grand Resort Bad Ragaz,
Switzerland, awarded third Michelin Star for renowned restaurant, Memories
Bold and full of contrasts, honest and accessible – this is the kind of food you wish you came across more often! – the Michelin Guide 2022
Europe’s Leading Wellbeing & Medical Health Resort has further cemented its reputation as Switzerland’s leader in gastronomy after winning its third Michelin star for its restaurant, Memories. Now with a total of six Michelin stars across its restaurants, Grand Resort Bad Ragaz is becoming the ultimate culinary destination.
In addition to the third star for Memories, the fine dining restaurant also secured a Green Michelin star – an annual award which highlights restaurants at the forefront of the industry when it comes to their
sustainable practices. The Michelin testers also confirmed the stars for the resort’s other two restaurants, IGNIV by Andreas Caminada and verve by sven, which have two and one stars respectively.
“This is a dream come true, for which the team and I have worked very hard and devoted all of our skills, energy and passion, day after day,” says Grand Resort Bad Ragaz’s Culinary Director, Sven Wassmer. “My cuisine is
not only about the best possible quality and flavour experience, but also about how to sustainably enjoy what the Alps have to of er, with over 90% of the produce locally-sourced, so we are thrilled to also be recognised for the Green Michelin star.”
Launched alongside verve by sven in 2019 as part of Grand Hotel Quellenhof’s refurbishment project, Memories is centered around innovation, seasonality and an appreciation of local produce, interpreting the new Swiss alpine cuisine in a bold, minimalist style to create authentic, holistic taste experiences that are closely linked to nature. Sven Wassmer works with local producers to offer a constantly evolving and sustainable menu, with a strong focus on the use of seasonal produce from the local region. Since 2017, Sven Wassmer’s restaurants have also each achieved 18 points in the Gault-Millau.
On the third Michelin star, the Michelin Guide states: “Sven Wassmer’s cuisine certainly has the wow factor.
And yet, he is a chef who steers clear of gimmicks and technical trickery, instead winning diners over with a unique approach that is dif icult to put into words. What seems so pleasingly spare and straightforward on the plate is actually rife with elaborate details that make for deep and well-balanced flavours. The top-notch ingredients he uses reflect a close af inity with Switzerland. Bold and full of contrasts, honest and accessible – this is the kind of food you wish you came across more often! Then there is the chic and casually elegant setting, and a relaxed and charming front-of-house team that provides professional service, ensuring your experience here ticks all the boxes.”
“I am incredibly proud of Sven Wassmer and the entire team who have been working in the background to achieve this since 2019,” says Marco Zanolari, General Manager and Chairman of the Executive Board of the
Grand Resort. “We are not only the undisputed top address in the Swiss culinary landscape, but a front-runner in Europe – no resort can unite more Michelin stars under one roof!”
About Grand Resort Bad Ragaz
Europe’s Leading Wellbeing & Medical Health Resort consists of two five-star establishments, the Grand Hotel Quellenhof & Spa Suites and the Grand Hotel Hof Ragaz, as well as the Palais Bad Ragaz. The rooms and suites, from historic and princely to ultra-modern and purist, offer guests a stylish setting for their stay in Bad Ragaz. The spa resort, which has been awarded the Wellness Destination quality seal by Swiss Tourism, is located in the Heidiland holiday region of Eastern Switzerland. Eight restaurants, with a total of 48 GaultMillau points between them and 1 Michelin star, as well as a bistro and a café provide exquisite culinary delights. In addition, the resort also boasts two golf courses, the Kursaal Meetings & Events Centre, a broad range of cultural activities and its own Casino. Furthermore, Hotel Schloss Wartenstein has been part of the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz since 2016. The Blue Gold of Bad Ragaz, which was discovered in the nearby Tamina gorge in 1242, offers guests an extraordinary and authentic spa experience in the thermal spa and Tamina Therme, the publicly accessible thermal spa. The resort also offers evidence-based medical treatments at the internationally renowned Medical Health Centre and at
the Swiss Olympic Medical Centre. In 2014, the outpatient medical facilities were expanded to include an inpatient rehabilitation clinic.
Grand Resort Bad Ragaz AG
Europe’s leading wellbeing and medical health resort consists of the two five-star hotels Grand Hotel Quellenhof & Spa Suites and Grand Hotel Hof Ragaz and Palais Bad Ragaz. The rooms and suites, whose styles range from historical and princely to ultramodern and purist, offer guests a stylish setting for their stay in Bad Ragaz. Eight restaurants boasting a total of 48 Gault Millau points and four Michelin stars, a bistro a Sushi Take Away and a café are a guarantee of culinary excellence. Two golf courses, the Kursaal Meeting & Events Center, a broad range of cultural activities and the resort’s very own casino round off the experience. In 2016 Hotel Schloss Wartenstein was incorporated into Grand Resort Bad Ragaz. The ‘blue gold’ of Bad Ragaz discovered in the nearby Tamina Gorge in 1242 offers guests at the Thermal Spa and the Tamina Therme public spa an extraordinary and authentic spa experience. This is sup-plemented by the evidence-based medical services provided at the internationally renowned Medical Center, which includes the Swiss Olympic Medical Center. In 2014 the outpatient facilities were expanded by an inpatient rehabilitation clinic. The 25 luxurious rooms at the clinic and an outstanding range of healthcare services provide an ideal setting for a rapid convalescence. Since January 2020 the renowned Kliniken Valens operate as Medical Partner of the Clinic Bad Ragaz.
HISTORY
From the discovery of the spring until its establishment as Europe’s leading wellbeing and medical health resort
1242
A bird hunter from the Benedictine Abbey of Pfäfers discovers a hot spring in the wild setting of the Tamina Gorge. The spring is an ‘akratotherme’, a pure hot spring with a low mineral content. The water originates 20 metres to the right of the Tamina Gorge at 639 metres above sea level and has a constant temperature of 36.5oC. It is not long before the water from this gushing spring is used to heal the sick.
14th c
Mention of the existence of bathing facilities leased on behalf of Pfäfers Abbey can be found for the first time in a document dating from 1382.
Bathing takes place in depressions hollowed out in the rock near the spring’s source.
For a long time, it remains extremely difficult to gain access to the Tamina Gorge.
Bathers have to be let down on ropes into the gorge. Those who can afford it have themselves carried in a sedan chair to the source. Tradition holds that bathers remain between six and seven days without interruption in the waters undergoing their treatment.
1535
The famous medical practitioner and naturalist Paracelsus von Hohenheim (1493–1541) spends a season at Bad Pfäfers and during his stay he compiles two highly regarded works on thermal waters, their healing powers and how to properly take the waters. In this way he becomes the first known spa physician in Pfäfers-Ragaz, thus laying the foundations for the spa therapies later on.
1630
The first bathhouse at Bad Pfäfers is constructed and for the first time the thermal waters are conveyed over a certain distance from the gorge. Thereafter spa patients are able to reach the spring using a well-laid-out albeit steep path.
1774
The Benedictine abbot Bochsler von Uznach builds a new court for the governor’s residence in Ragaz, Palais Bad Ragaz, which is now a building of historic interest.
1838
Following its secularisation Abbey Pfäfers is dismantled. Ownership of the thermal spring and the bathhouse at Tamina Gorge is transferred to the Canton of St. Gallen, which generously finances and gradually expands the domain of Ragaz. This leads tothe construction of a road to Tamina Gorge.
1840
A water pipe measuring four kilometres conveying the warm spring water from its source to the village of Ragaz is built on 31st May. The former governor’s residence, the Palais, is converted into Hotel Hof Ragaz. The ‘blue gold’ flows directly to the hotel through the new pipe made of wood.
1868
The internationally renowned Swiss architect Bernhard Simon (1816–1900) buys the domain of Ragaz from the Canton St. Gallen and with it the concession granting him the right to use the thermal spring for 100 years. In the purchase and concession agreement he undertakes to complete construction of ‘a grand hotel with a garden and a park’, a facility for drinking the waters, a Kursaal building and new bathing facilities in time for the beginning of the 1870 season. Simon, who among other things also constructed on behalf of the Russian nobility in St. Petersburg, is regarded as the founder of today’s Wellbeing & Medical Health Resort and world-famous spa.
The ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of Hotel Quellenhof takes place on 1st April 1868.
1869
The ceremonious opening of Grand Hotel Quellenhof together with the Helenabad pool named after the Russian Grand Duchess Helena Pawlowna takes place on 10th July.
1870
The Kursaal is opened.
1872
Bernhard Simon builds Europe’s first thermal baths and swimming pool in Bad Ragaz, the Tamina Therme as they are known today.
The glamorous years of the Belle Époque witness the arrival of illustrious guests in Ragaz. The beautiful and the rich meet here to take the waters. They include the German poet Rainer Maria Rilke. He stays in Ragaz on numerous occasions, often invited by his patron, Princess Marie von Thurn und Taxis-Hohenlohe. Rilke’s exclamation ‘Just being here is wonderful!’ is still closely associated with the spa today. Johanna Spyri also spends a considerable amount of time at the Quellenhof, where she finds inspiration among other things for her famous stories about Heidi.
1900
Bernhard Simon dies on 28th July. He had already sold and transferred all his posses-sions and rights to his three sons in 1891.
1904
The first 9-hole golf course is built in the Ragaz area of Heulöser.
1914
The end of the Belle Époque means that guests also stay away. The turbulent years marked by the First World War and the Great Depression trigger an ever more intense fight for survival between hotels and bathhouses.
1934
The Canton of St. Gallen establishes the status of Ragaz as a spa town. Thereafter the village is entitled to call itself Bad Ragaz.
1939
At the beginning of the Second World War the Quellenhof is empty. A fire breaks out engulfing the roof truss in 1941 and the hotel is closed until further notice. The baths and Hof Ragaz continue to operate.
1957
The hotels, spa facilities and the Medical Centre are renovated and expanded under the direction of the Zurich architect Otto Glaus. New spacious parks are laid out. The thermal water concession is extended until 2007. The ceremonious opening of the renovated Quellenhof takes place on 7th June. Two years later the spa undertaking is renamed Thermalbäder und Grand Hotels.
1960
The thermal water conduit is renewed.
1962
A new golf clubhouse is built at its current location. The Golf Club Bad Ragaz was extended to an 18-hole course in 1959. The Swiss golf course architect Donald Harradine who played a major role in the remodelling of the 9-hole golf course in 1929 had approved the plans submitted.
1973
Changeover to year-round operation and opening of the third thermal swimming pool with a large hall for recumbent patients and a solarium. At the same time the old baths are renovated and a new heating system comes into operation.
1988
78 million Swiss francs are invested to bring the facilities in line with the most modern international standards. The construction work lasts a total of eight years.
1990
Palais Bad Ragaz is inaugurated following its makeover in all its splendour 1992 An imposing wellness, fitness and spa area (To B. The Leading Health Club) with the thermal waters as its centrepiece is opened connecting the luxury hotels Hof Ragaz and Quellenhof.
A new hotel wing is opened at Grand Hotel Hof Ragaz (57 single rooms, 20 double rooms and four suites).
1995
The old Grand Hotel Quellenhof is demolished.
1996
The new Grand Hotel Quellenhof is reopened in November following a 20-month construction period.
The first edition of the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open takes place at Bad Ragaz golf course.
2000
The wellness area is expanded to 2500 square metres. The themed newly designed luxury cabins offer considerable room and privacy for various new treatment methods.
The renovation of the golf clubhouse and the 18-hole course takes place in November.
2001
Bad Ragaz is awarded a B-type concession to operate a casino (participating interests: 66.66% Grand Hotels Bad Ragaz AG, 33.33% ACE Admiral Casinos & Entertainment AG).
2002
The casino opens on 27th December following construction work lasting 10 months.
The company Thermalbäder und Grand Hotels Bad Ragaz (T&G) is renamed Grand Hotels Bad Ragaz.
2003
The Garden Pool is built between Grand Hotel Quellenhof and the Kursaal. The concession agreement for the thermal spring in Tamina Gorge is renewed and now runs until 2067.
2004
The sports medicine section at the Medical Centre Bad Ragaz is renamed the Swiss Olympic Medical Centre by the Swiss Olympic Association.
2005
The ‘To B. Health Club’ enters the ranks of The Leading Spas of the World.
2006
The 9-hole executive golf course with the Golf Academy of Heidiland Golf Club opens in May.
The Board of Directors approves the major project ‘Paracelsus’: an investment programme for the renovation and expansion of the resort spread over several years.
2007
The founders’ meeting for the Tamina Therme takes place on 28th November. It now operates as an independent company limited by shares.
Construction of the new and exclusive Spa Suites commences.
The Kursaal reopens on 7th December following 10 months of renovation work as a modern Business & Events Centre.
2008
The Tamina Therme spa is demolished and then rebuilt.
The Grand Hotel Hof Ragaz closes its doors in March. During the course of the ensuing renovation work the central courtyard is completely demolished and rebuilt. At the Palais Hotel the rooms are gently renovated.
The new treatment building at the Medical Centre reopens in April. The renovation of the clinic commences.
The spa’s repositioning as a resort with uniform standards is underlined in May when its name is changed to Grand Resort Bad Ragaz.
70 rooms in the wing of the Helenabad at Grand Hotel Hof Ragaz and a section of the new ‘To B. Wellbeing & Spa’ with the ‘To B. Beauty & Care’ open in September.
The new sauna landscape at the hotel spa and the extravagant Private Spa in an area measuring 100 square metres open in time for Christmas. The complex also includes the world’s first herb steam bath decorated with Swarovski crystals.
2009
Following its renovation the Grand Hotel Hof Ragaz resumes full operations in April.
The new Asian restaurant Namun (awarded 13 Gault Millau points the same year), the new Mediterranean restaurant Olives d’Or and the Salon Davidoff open their doors.
In May 56 new lofts and suites at the Spa Suites are available to guests. Each bathroom is a wellness oasis equipped with a whirlpool, steam shower and in part with a sauna. Ragaz thermal water flows from all the taps. The penthouse suite measuring 440 square metres is one of the largest suites among Swiss hotels and can be expanded to 600 square metres.
The new Tamina Therme spa situated in an area measuring 7300 square metres opens in June. The health spa open to the public now also boasts a sauna area and beauty and massage treatments.
2011
Grand Resort Bad Ragaz AG establishes the Academy of Hotel Excellence (AoHE) in June as an independent company.
At the Medical Centre the medical specialist disciplines are expanded to include dermatology, plastic surgery, gynaecology, alternative medicine and dentistry.
The gourmet restaurant Äbtestube is awarded one Michelin star.
2012
In September the ‘To B. Wellbeing & Spa’ is renamed the ‘36.5° Wellbeing & Thermal Spa’.
Further physicians specialising in orthopaedics and internal medicine begin offering their services at the Medical Centre during the year.
2013
The new infusion sauna Sauna Nera opens in the outdoor area of the Tamina Therme in September. This ideal venue for sauna events and shows is the setting of the first Swiss sauna infusion championship held at the end of October.
Following its renovation, the casino celebrates its 10th anniversary on 13th September and establishes a world first with its sitting roulette game.
Construction work to renew the thermal water conduit commences.
2014
In recognition of its high degree of medical expertise the health department of the Canton of St. Gallen grants the Medical Centre an operating licence to run an in-patient rehabilitation clinic. Services for musculoskeletal and internal oncological rehabilitation commence in September on the first to third floors of the Spa Suites.
2015
The resort and Bad Ragaz celebrate 175 years of thermal waters at the spa. The construction of the new thermal water conduit is completed in the spring. The water pipe measuring 4.5 kilometres and costing around five million Swiss francs marks a milestone in the supply of water to the population.
The restaurant Äbtestube closes in November. The following month the 3-star chef Andreas Caminada opens his second restaurant on the premises just vacated: the IGNIV by Andreas Caminada under the management of Chef Silvio Germann.
2016
In February Grand Resort Bad Ragaz AG purchases Hotel Schloss Wartenstein in Pfäfers.
The PGA Seniors Open is renamed the Swiss Seniors Open and celebrates its 20th anniversary.
Just ten months after its opening the Michelin Guide awards the restaurant IGNIV by Andreas Caminada its first star.
2017
The clubhouse at Bad Ragaz Golf Club costing 12 million Swiss francs opens its doors on 28th April after 222 days of renovation work. The golf club’s restaurant is now operated under the name gladys.
The Tamina Therme spa inaugurates the ‘haki® – The Art of Touch’ treatment suite – the only one of its kind in the world.
The resort announces that the Grand Hotel Quellenhof will undergo comprehensive makeover worth 45 million Swiss francs in 2019 coinciding with its 150th anniversary.
The Swiss interior designer Claudio Carbone, also responsible for the Spa Suites, is engaged to carry out the new interior design work.
In October the well-known Liechtenstein company Huber Fine Watches & Jewellery opens its first and only Swiss branch at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz.
The sushi takeaway KOiSO opens in December in the passageway between the Tamina Therme and the Medical Centre.
2018
Grand Resort Bad Ragaz AG becomes a strategic partner of acasa Catering, founded by Andreas Caminada and Sandro Steingruber. The luxury catering company then moves its headquarters to Bad Ragaz and incorporates three restaurants at the resort into its culinary portfolio (IGNIV by Andreas Caminada, Acasa, BBQ & Buffets).
The resort continues to develop its three-generation concept. In May a new Family Spa opens in the Thermal Spa. The Children’s Villa is also comprehensively renovated and now also offers a range of entertaining activities for teenagers.
In preparation for the alteration work at Grand Hotel Quellenhof, Grand Hotel Hof Ragaz also gets a makeover. The rooms are gently renovated, and two new lifts are added. The new florist’s shop Grande Fleur opens its doors in April.
Palais Bad Ragaz is once again managed as a self-standing hotel and is now included among the hotels in the renowned Relais & Châteaux collection.
The 25-time Grand Slam winner Martina Hingis becomes the ambassador of the Well-being & Medical Health Resort.
2019
The major renovation of the Grand Hotel Quellenhof begins on January 28th. After only five months of renovation and an investment of 45 million Swiss francs, the completely renovated Grand Hotel opens its doors again on July 1st, just in time for its 150th anniversary. The signature restaurant Memories and the health and lifestyle restaurant verve by sven, both of which were newly designed by top chef Sven Wassmer, complement the Grand Hotel perfectly. As the Wine Director of the Grand Hotel Quellenhof, Sven Wassmer’s wife, the sommelier Amanda Wassmer-Bulgin, is responsible for the wine offering there. The reception desk is centralized as part of the renovation. All guests are now welcomed in the Grand Hotel Quellenhof and directed to their rooms from there.
On 1st February the Tamina Therme opens the Ragaz Sauna Village in an area measuring 1000 square metres featuring the largest infusion sauna in Switzerland. Around three million Swiss francs were invested in the extension work.
The former reception at the Grand Hotel Hof Ragaz is being converted into a lightflooded area for pop-up concepts. In October 2019, the Harley-Davidson workshop Bündnerbike (located in the village of Maienfeld) moves in and builds two custom bikes in front of the guests until February 2020.
2020
The Clinic Bad Ragaz teams up with the renowned Kliniken Valens and operates as Clinic Bad Ragaz – Medical Partner Kliniken Valens from January 1st. Neurological rehabilitation under the direction of chief physician Dr. med. Serafin Beer is now also available two patients in the 25 rooms of the clinic.
In February, Sven Wassmer’s signature restaurant Memories is immediately awarded two stars by the Michelin Guide just eight months after its opening. The IGNIV by Andreas Caminada restaurant, headed by chef Silvio Germann, now in its fifth year, is awarded its second star at the ceremony in Lugano.
Interior Designer Claudio Carbone
Carbone Interior Design AG
Lighting concept Design firm SANS SOUCI
In close collaboration with Claudio Carbone, the entire lighting concept at the Grand Hotel Quellenhof was specially remodelled by hand. Except for the lamp stands in the rooms, already part of the fittings before the makeover, which – after being fitted with new lampshades – will be reused.
Each and every lamp created by the design firm Sans Souci draws its inspiration from nature and tells its own tale.
The Ragazer thermal water
The Tamina spring is considered to be the most abundant acratotherm, or hot spring, in Europe. The water originating from this spring has various beneficial health effects: for instance, it helps alleviate ailments of the musculoskeletal system or cardiovascular system, and many more.
The Tamina thermal spring originates from rock at 36.5°C, and is classified as a fluoride calcium-sodium-magnesium-sulphate-bicarbonate water. The spring is considered to be Europe’s most abundant acratotherm, or hot spring. For centuries, the healing powers of this water has been used to treat signs of wear and tear on the musculoskeletal system as well as consequences of accidents and injuries. The strengths of the Tamina spring can also help in the treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular system, such as high blood pressure, or act as a supplementary treatment for diabetes and obesity. Preventative programmes for targeted exercise, recovery and relaxation (numerous course offerings) complete the range of medical applications. It is frequently asked what the general health effects of staying in thermal water are.
The effects of a thermal mineral bath can be explained drawing on physics and chemistry, i.e. referring to water pressure, buoyancy, water temperature and the water’s ingredients. In terms of physical properties, buoyancy in the water has the most outstanding effect on
people’s health, relieving both joints and pain. Therefore, physical activity in the water is particularly suitable for treating obesity or soft-tissue rheumatism. The density of the water (viscosity) in turn activates the muscles thanks to the water’s resistance. Excessive
movements are slowed down, which protects the joints.
The water pressure is especially beneficial for people suffering from venous diseases: Water compresses the veins and arteries from the outside – including even the smallest vessels.
Furthermore, it affects the lymphatic system, helping move tissue fluid in the vessels and thus making the blood thinner. At the same time, the return flow of blood from the low-pressure system (legs) is redistributed into the chest, increasing the central blood volume.
This causes a change in heart activity: the amount of blood pumped per heartbeat increases while peripheral vascular resistance decreases. The result is a 30-per-cent rise in blood circulation compared to being in a non-aquatic environment.
A prolonged stay in the water (ideally 45 to 60 minutes, or longer) increases circulation in all organs. The kidneys, in particular, are involved in the hormonal control processes. Bathers also excrete increasing amounts of urine and salt. This fact was already known to the Romans in antiquity: they called their divers “urinators”. Urination is the body’s response to the aquatic environment because blood pressure and blood volume are readjusted.
During physical activity in thermal water (34.5°C), thermal reactions occur: The body endeavours to balance the temperature by transporting heat through the vessels to the skin surface and releasing it to the outside. The upper range for thermal equilibrium is reached at a water temperature of 35.0°C for low- to medium-intensity movement. Lower water temperatures (32.0°C) are better suited for higher-intensity activity in order to prevent the
body from overheating. In principle, people with musculoskeletal problems should perform physical activities in a warm environment (> 30.0°C, ideally at 32.0°C): the muscle tone is lowered and the connective tissue is warmed, which makes it more elastic and thus improves mobility.
Water offers an ideal environment for older people. In hip- to belly-deep water, reactions can be trained as well as equilibrium to prevent falling, and osteoporosis can be improved since there is no risk of injury. Last but not least, the chemical components of the thermal water also have an effect: depending on the time of bathing, in addition to the daily recommended fluid intake (about two litres), between half a litre and one litre of the bicarbonate-rich spa water should be consumed. The immediate effect of the water’s ingredients and the amount of fluid will unfold in the gastrointestinal tract in the form of accelerated gastric emptying. If you drink sufficient volumes of water, the urine output is also increased, which contributes to draining.
Memories
Awakening memories and creating new, lasting ones – this is what Sven Wassmer would like his guests to experience during their stay at his signature restaurant Memories. The Memories is a feel-good place, where the young top chef can present his reduced Swiss Alpine kitchen and can create an authentic and natural experience.
IGNIV by Andreas Caminada
A whiff of Andreas Caminada (and his cuisine) can be detected in the air at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz. The top chef from the Canton of Grisons caused a veritable sensation with his restaurant IGNIV by Andreas Caminada. Silvio Germann is at the helm of the restaurant’s kitchen and sommelier and restaurant manager Francesco Benvenuto takes care of guests. At the heart of the restaurant lies the concept of sharing.
His name is synonymous with top cuisine, innovation and thinking outside the box: Andreas Caminada. The chef originally hailing from the Canton of Grisons also sparked a culinary revolution in Bad Ragaz with his restaurant concept ‘IGNIV by Andreas Caminada’. When it was opened the restaurant at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz turned the world of fine dining on its head. Since 16 th December 2015 a completely new approach to high cuisine has been pursued at the IGNIV by Andreas Caminada. For each course, guests are presented with a number of bowls, plates and dishes each served with a particular dish. The whole concept is based on the idea of sharing: eating, sharing and in so doing socialising, stimulating social intercourse at the very highest culinary level. This means for example that the menu may be made up of up to 30 different dishes.
The restaurant IGNIV by Andreas Caminada – which incidentally means ‘nest’ in Rhaeto-Romanic (Switzerland’s fourth official language) – located in Bad Ragaz is run by Chef Silvio Germann. The young chef originally from Lucerne attended Caminada’s school and caused a sensation in 2017 when he was voted the ‘Discovery of the Year in German-speaking Switzerland’) by Gault Millau. This was followed close on the heels by further distinctions such as 17 Gault Millau points and 1 Michelin star. In 2020, the Michelin guide awarded the restaurant its second star. Guests are enthusiastic. And the team is fully motivated.
Part of its success among guests should also be attributed to the dedicated restaurant manager and sommelier Francesco Benvenuto. In 2018 he was voted ‘Sommelier of the Year’ by Gault Millau. The native German with Italian roots knows better than anyone else how to look after his guests and prepare a ‘nest’ of wellbeing for them. The two young men and their equally young team are the heart that beats at the centre of this small but classy restaurant.
The renowned Spanish interior designer Patricia Urquiola is responsible for the interior concept in which only the striking fireplace in the middle of the building in whose basement the restaurant is located harks back to the palace’s rich historic roots. In the course of just a few weeks the Spaniard managed to create an eminently harmonious, delicate décor with a tranquil colour scheme. Something that immediately catches the attention and constitutes one of the highlights of the interior décor is the unusual parquet wall covering. The ‘Igniv by Caminada’ logo was created by the graphic designer Remo Caminada – the cousin of the 3 star chef from Graubünden.
Silvio Germann
Silvio Germann, originally from Lucerne, has been leaving his unmistakable mark at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz at the restaurant ‘IGNIV by Andreas Caminada’ since 2015. The enthusiastic golfer, who hasn’t even turned 30, has made it to the top of Switzerland’s gastronomic élite. With two Michelin stars and 17 Gault Millau points he enthrals gourmets from near and far. He is one of the most brilliant culinary diamonds in Switzerland’s restaurant scene.
He is one of the youngest top chefs in Switzerland: Silvio Germann. Three years ago the choice of chef Andreas Caminada, holder of 19 Gault Millau points, fell on Germann to put into practice his new restaurant concept ‘IGNIV by Andreas Caminada’. The young chef, originally from Lucerne, is ready to start developing new fields and to secure his place in the gourmet world. His recipe for success is to keep whipping up ever newer and more surprising dishes.
Silvio Germann was involved from the very first moment in implementing the food concept at the exclusive restaurant IGNIV by Andreas Caminada at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, together with the 19-point Swiss chef Andreas Caminada. Silvio Germann has managed the fortunes of the IGNIV since the end of 2015. The Gault&Millau guide voted Germann the Discovery of the Year in 2017 and his first star came in the same year. In 2020, the
Michelin guide awarded him his second star. Silvio Germann takes pleasure in cooking. He says that this profession offers so many possibilities that it is ‘a joy to tie his apron and fire up the grill’ every day.
When he’s not busy in his challenging job in the IGNIV’s kitchen Germann relaxes pursuing sports – above all golf and football. His choice of sport is not entirely unexpected because when he was young Germann dreamed of becoming a professional football player. But things turned out otherwise. After embarking on apprenticeships as a bicycle mechanic, landscape gardener and roofer Silvio Germann finally decided to train as a chef. Working in a kitchen appealed most to the young teenager.
Germann completed his apprentice years at the Sempacherhof hotel in his home city of Lucerne. His career then took him to the restaurant Epoca in Flims, awarded 17 Gault Millau points. The chef de cuisine at the restaurant situated in the Bündner Oberland was none other than Sandro Steingruber – nowadays he is the manager and co-owner of acasa Catering (another company based at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz).
A short time later Germann made a quantum leap in his career when he secured one of the hotly coveted jobs working under the orders of the Bündner top chef Andreas Caminada. At the restaurant Schloss Schauenstein in Fürstenau Germann worked his way up the ladder
methodically. He remained three and a half years at the restaurant situated in the Domleschg Valley before his fortunes took him elsewhere in the world, Sao Paulo to be precise in Brazil. There he was offered the opportunity of taking over management of the restaurant IGNIV by Andreas Caminada in Bad Ragaz. Germann acquired the necessary know-how before the IGNIV opened in December 2015 working with famous star-bedecked chefs throughout Europe – including Quique Dacoste, one of Spain’s best chefs.
The concept at the IGNIV is centred on sharing. A combination is put together from various menu components, which are ultimately served as shared dishes in pans and plates. An exclusive and enduring pleasure experience for friends and acquaintances alike. The young and innovative kitchen team always manages to surprise their guests with their culinary creativity.
Francesco Benvenuto
He is the passionate Italian at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz with a wealth of knowledge about wines: Francesco Benvenuto. The Gault Millau Sommelier of the Year 2018 is the host at the restaurant IGNIV by Andreas Caminada and elicits admiration from guests there with his charm and expertise.
Together with Silvio Germann Francesco Benvenuto is the face at the helm of the restaurant IGNIV by Andreas Caminada, but much more importantly he gives the restaurant a soul. He is a host, restaurant manager and sommelier all in one. The sommelier with Italian roots comes from the German city of Dusseldorf on the Rhine. He was born and brought up there – but his roots can be found in the ‘toe’ of boot-shaped Italy, in Calabria. In Cosenza to be precise, a provincial capital in Southern Italy. As a child he returned there each year with his family during the summer holidays. The route taken by the Benvenuto family during the journey by car passed through Switzerland and at the time Francesco was already clear in his mind: ‘One day I will live and work in Switzerland.’ As a young child the mountains and nature already fascinated him. Which was another reason for his decision to work in the hotel sector. ‘Because I knew that that was the easiest way of getting a job in Switzerland.
Francesco Benvenuto now smiles when he reminisces. He did eventually come to Switzerland, in particular to Grand Resort Bad Ragaz. He lives together with his wife and daughter in Prättigau, only a stone’s throw from Bad Ragaz and his beloved winegrowing region, the Bündner Herrschaft.
Francesco discovered his passion for wine with his grandfather in Calabria. ‘During the holidays I always accompanied him to the vineyard to work there.’ He spent his holidays working in the fields rather than lounging about on the beach. Nevertheless he looks back with happiness at the time spent with his ‘nonno’. ‘That’s when I learned to be modest and realised how beautiful it is to share.’ The Gault Millau Sommelier of 2018 knows that you don’t need a great deal to be happy. ‘What’s opposite your front door is more than enough’, says Benvenuto. His grandfather has continued to live in the same way up to the present day. And similarly for his grandfather, the most important thing is to be able to receive guests and make them happy with his wine. The grandson does exactly the same thing nowadays at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz.
The passionate host looks forward each day to the opportunity of treating and looking after the guests at the restaurant IGNIV by Andreas Caminada. Together with chef Silvio Germann, Benvenuto led the fortunes of the first IGNIV and made the concept a success.
Francesco Benvenuto relaxes away from his duties in the restaurant in the wine cellar. He goes there to wind down. ‘It may sound funny but the faint clinking of bottles when I rearrange them has a calming effect on me.’ He doesn’t need a radio or human company.
Just the sommelier and his wines. ‘It’s almost a kind of meditation, when I dedicate myself entirely to the wines and to sorting the bottles’, says Benvenuto and smiles.
The wine expert likes structured wines that are complex. ‘For me, it’s very important to be able to taste the origin of a wine right down to the smallest detail.’ This is why this connoisseur invests a considerable amount of emotion and expertise when selecting and compiling a wine list. In addition to the wine list for the IGNIV restaurant, as Wine Director of Grand Hotel Hof Ragaz, Benvenuto is responsible for the complete range of wines of the hotel. The German sommelier with Italian roots raves and is wildly enthusiastic about wines from the Bündner Herrschaft. This is the reason why they clearly dominate the restaurant’s wine list. But other winegrowing areas are also represented. ‘It may well be that I occasionally include a wine in the list because of a gut feeling’, explains the sommelier. But for him, cultivating a relationship with wines is fundamental. ‘I always dream of visiting all the winegrowing areas and producers of the wines I keep in my cellar at least once.’
In autumn 2018 the unfailingly radiant young men was able to pour out his first ‘very own’ wine. A pinot noir from the Fromm vineyard in Malans bearing his name – Benvenuto – in large letters on the label. The pride in the wine expert’s eyes was clear for all to see.
‘Together with the winegrower, I went to the vineyard and was able to really and truly accompany my wine from the moment the first leaves sprouted until it was bottled’, recounts Benvenuto. ‘It was an extremely labour-intensive experience, but it was also wonderful to be there when something so special was taking place.’ Today, this wine is among the most popular choices at the IGNIV restaurant and sells out very quickly.
verve by sven
“Verve” denotes an artistically creative lightness and symbolizes a generally positive elated attitude to life. Many people still mistakenly associate healthy eating with restriction. However, verve by sven proves very impressively that a conscious and healthy lifestyle can still be very delicious and has a positive effect on the inner wellbeing.
Sebastian Titz
The near Bad Ragaz
The 35-year-old graduated from the haute cuisine restaurant “Schneggen” in Buchs (14 GaultMil-lau points). He then gained experience in the 5-star hotel industry. Among others at the Hotel Schweizerhof in Zermatt and the Tschuggen Grand Hotel in Arosa. For about seven years Titz cooked in the Gasthof Rössli in Escholzmatt (1 Michelin star and 17 Gault Millau points) and most recently held the position of chef de cuisine at the Hotel Villa Honegg in Ennetbürgen (14 GaultMillau points).