Franz W. Faeh

The Recognition Hotelrating Schweiz named Faeh Chef of the Year for 2025/26, a plain accolade for a chef whose public identity is tied to continuity at one of Switzerland’s great hotel kitchens. The title sits beside his role as Culinary Director, where the aim is evolution rather than revolution. That restraint is not a lack of conviction. In his own words: "I’m not keen on grand philosophies. I put my faith in the product, and in my own experience and intuition. Here in the Palace kitchens, the ingredients and flavour always take centre-stage."

The Work

Behind It At Le Grand Restaurant in Gstaad, Switzerland, Faeh is known for Swiss grand-hotel cuisine, including classic Palace dishes and table-side service such as flambéed preparations. The style depends on recognition as much as invention: guests return to dishes that feel settled, polished and exact. Loup de mer «Façon Hongkong» is described by Faeh as his signature dish. It is a steamed fish with pak choi, soy sauce, mirin, chili and coriander. Among the bestsellers are «Ravioli Palace», made with Simmental beef, sage butter and aged Parmesan. The restaurant also lists «Spaghetti Gildo» among its popular table-side flambéed dishes, with «Crêpe Suzette» in the same tableside tradition. His appetite for classic hotel cooking comes through in another line of his: "I absolutely love them – as do our guests. There’s nothing quite like a delicious rainbow trout in white wine and chive sauce, or a grilled chicken supreme club sandwich. A premium burger is another must-have." The visual language is similarly controlled. Faeh says, "I don’t like overblown decorations. ‘Less is more’ applies here as well."

The Road Faeh’s connection to the hotel began early. From 1978 to 1981, he was an apprentice at Gstaad Palace, a formative stretch that places his later leadership in the same Swiss address where he first trained. His career then widened across Asia with Regent Hotel Group, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Jakarta in Indonesia, and Bangkok in Thailand. The same international chapter included service as private chef to the Thai royal family. Those experiences now sit behind a kitchen language that favors flavor, ingredient quality and calm judgment over elaborate theory. The result is a career arc that runs from apprenticeship in Gstaad to Asian hotel kitchens and royal service, then back to a Swiss grand-hotel setting where signature fish, Simmental beef ravioli and flambéed classics define the table.