Lo St. Moritz Gourmet Festival The season is changing, and with its first summer edition, it's also changing the way we present the gastronomy of the Upper Engadine. From August 25 to 30, 2026, the event brought together international chefs, teams from the region's leading hotels, and the public for a series of events that alternated haute cuisine, excursions, nature, and less conventional venues.
The 32nd edition therefore represented more than a simple shift from the winter to the summer calendar. The festival, founded in 1994 and over the years one of the destination's key gastronomic events, experimented with a unique format, designed to capitalize on the warmer months.
The decision comes after more than three decades of history. Created to enhance the traditionally quieter winter season for the luxury hotel industry, the festival helped consolidate the gastronomic reputation of St. Moritz and the Engadine. According to data released by the organization, the region now boasts over 200 Gault & Millau points and eight Michelin stars.
The first summer edition therefore represented a new step in the development of the event.
Six days of haute cuisine and local cuisine
The program brought together nine partner hotels and numerous international guest chefs, creating a calendar of 35 events and 15 gourmet dinners . Gastronomy wasn't confined to the dining rooms: a significant portion of the program was designed to connect the dishes with the local area and typical Engadin summer activities.
Among the highlights was a wildlife-watching outing with hunter and host Claudio Laager, followed by Nicolai Tram's cuisine prepared over an open fire. This approach took the tasting experience beyond the traditional restaurant setting, transforming it into part of a broader experience.
Hike & Fine Dining , with Pascal Steffen and Janko Glotz, also featured on the outdoor activities front . In this case, the hike through the Alpine landscape preceded the gastronomic experience, creating a sequence in which movement and cuisine became part of the same event.
The underlying concept was different from a simple series of starred dinners. The festival's first summer sought to make greater use of the opportunities offered by the Engadine during the warmer months.
When bad weather becomes part of the program
One of the episodes that best illustrates this approach is the Val Chamuera Tavolata. Weather conditions forced the event to be postponed, and the table was moved to the historic Chesa Merleda in La Punt.
Here, the former stables hosted the event led by James Baron and guest chef Álvaro Clavijo. The logistical hiccup effectively demonstrated the flexibility of the new summer format: not a program rigidly tied to a single location, but a series of experiences capable of adapting to the local area and the day's conditions.
This is a particularly significant feature for an event that aims to stand out from the traditional sequence of tastings organized inside hotels.
Cuisine also travels by train
Among the most original proposals of the week was Culinary Moments in Motion , an experience built on board a train along a railway line included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
At the table during the journey, chef Mikael Svensson and Andrea Bonini met for a four-handed menu. The train journey thus took on a gastronomic as well as touristic function, bringing together cuisine, travel, and the Alpine landscape.
The idea was part of a broader program that sought to utilize different modes of enjoyment. This approach appears consistent with the festival's announced repositioning: not simply moving to August what had been offered in winter for years, but building an edition capable of capitalizing on the season's characteristics.
Hotels remain the heart of the event
Despite the expansion into new locations, the nine partner hotels continued to represent the festival's main focal point.
In St. Moritz, Badrutt's Palace Hotel, Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski, Grace La Margna St. Moritz, Kulm Hotel St. Moritz, and Suvretta House participated. In Pontresina, the Grand Hotel Kronenhof was involved, while the program also included Krone Säumerei am Inn in La Punt Chamues-ch, Nira Alpina in Silvaplana-Surlej, and Hotel Waldhaus Sils in Sils-Maria.
The simultaneous presence of different facilities allowed the events to be spread across multiple locations in the Upper Engadine, involving St. Moritz, Pontresina, Sils, Silvaplana and La Punt-Chamues-ch.
Among the most anticipated events were the Gourmet Safaris, the Opening Kitchen Party at Badrutt's Palace, and the Garden Party at Suvretta House. These varied formats, but they all shared the same goal of bringing together guest chefs, local kitchen teams, and the public.
Mikael Svensson on Nordic cuisine and Upper Engadine
One of the protagonists of the new summer edition was Mikael Svensson, chef and founder of the Kontrast restaurant in Oslo, awarded two Michelin stars and the Michelin Green Star.
His presence has led to several events. At GRACE LA MARGNA ST. MORITZ, the chef worked alongside Andrea Bonini on a five-course lunch accompanied by a vertical tasting of Laurent-Perrier's Grand Siècle.
The next day, the offerings shifted to the Kontrast Meets Grace dinner , which focused on Svensson’s Nordic cuisine, characterized by seasonality and a focus on sustainability.
The collaboration continued aboard the Gourmino, the historic dining car used for Culinary Moments in Motion . The four-course menu was accompanied by a selection of Bindella wines during the journey along the UNESCO railway line.
From dinner to a gastronomic journey open to the city
The festival also reserved space for less exclusive and more accessible formulas for residents and visitors.
The week concluded with the Open Mini-Safari by Valser, a gastronomic journey through various parts of the destination. With the Festival Gourmet Pass, visitors could choose between four or six tasting stations among the nine partner hotels and the village square.
Each stop offered a signature bite accompanied by a drink, including non-alcoholic beverages. The pass also included a Cerutti il Caffè tasting, a De Cecco Pasta Bite , and a festival bag.
The format marked a departure from the more structured events of the week: the public could independently build their own itinerary, meeting the chefs and discovering various proposals without necessarily attending a formal dinner.
An increasingly central summer season
The relocation of the St. Moritz Gourmet Festival is part of a broader transformation of the Upper Engadine tourism offering. The event was originally created with the aim of strengthening the winter season; now the challenge is to enhance a time of year when the destination offers a wide range of outdoor activities, culture, sports, and food tourism.
St. Moritz's summer calendar includes numerous events and initiatives, and the festival has become part of this program as an event dedicated to international gastronomy.
For St. Moritz Tourismus AG, the first summer edition demonstrated the potential for combining high-end cuisine, regionality, and hospitality. CEO Marijana Jakic particularly emphasized the collaborative efforts of the hotel partners and their desire to build an offering that reflects the region's diversity.
A new chapter after more than thirty years
The organization's results are positive, and the response from the public, partners, and operators is seen as a confirmation of the decision to change the season.
The transition, however, isn't just organizational. For an event founded in 1994 and built over time around the winter season, summer represents a different positioning within St. Moritz's tourism offerings.
The first edition highlighted some of the possible directions: outdoor events, food tours, mobile experiences, connections with nature and hiking, but also maintaining the central role of large hotels and dinners with international chefs.
The result is a festival that retains its signature cuisine identity, but expands the venues and ways in which it is presented.
The next test will be whether the formula can become a regular fixture in the Engadin summer. The date is already set: the 33rd edition of the St. Moritz Gourmet Festival will take place from August 24 to 29, 2027.
Updated information about the event is available on the official St. Moritz Gourmet Festival website and on its social media channels.
