Chef
Peter Knogl
Executive Chef, Cheval Blanc at Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- Basel, Switzerland
Known for
- Three Michelin stars at Cheval Blanc, Basel
- Contemporary French cuisine with Mediterranean and Asian influences
- Signature sauces like Rouennaise
i. Biography
From Deggendorf in Bavaria to Basel, Switzerland, the line of work here is contemporary French cooking disciplined by hotel fine dining and opened to Mediterranean and Asian influence. Peter Knogl’s record shows an apprenticeship path through Tantris in Munich and a long station at the Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois, where since 2007 he has been Chef de Cuisine - Responsable of Cheval Blanc by Peter Knogl. The cooking is described less by accumulation than by control: French structure, cross-border seasoning, and refinement shaped early by Heinz Winkler.
The Climb
A commis post at Tantris in Munich is a technical education in hierarchy, repetition, and restraint. Early in his career, Peter Knogl worked there, in one of the defining environments of serious European cooking, where precision is built before it is displayed. That training line carried from Deggendorf in Bavaria to Basel, Switzerland, and into the Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois. Today, Peter Knogl is Chef de Cuisine of Le Cheval Blanc, Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois (since 2007), a role defined by continuity as much as position: the same room, the same standard, and the same pressure to refine service after service.
Where They Are Now
Since 2007, the working platform has been the restaurant in Basel, Switzerland, where Peter Knogl has been Chef de Cuisine - Responsable. He is also head chef at the Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois, a role that has continued from 2007 to the present. In fine dining, that duration matters: a restaurant’s identity is built through repeated choices, not isolated plates. The cooking is identified as contemporary French cuisine shaped by Mediterranean and Asian influences. The French base supplies structure; those southern European and eastern registers supply brightness, aroma, and contrast. Peter Knogl’s own description of a Wagyu dish makes the method plain: "Wagyu, as a Japanese product – with a beef jus with Asian flavours. Thus both continents find perfect harmony." The point is not novelty for its own sake, but proportion: each element has to earn its place in the composition. Basel is the city attached to the work, and the Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois is the hotel setting. Within that frame, the room is defined by polish, precision, and calibrated contrast rather than excess.
Signature
Signature dishes include Macaron cumin/melon/sardine. The construction signals the kitchen’s interest in controlled opposition: sweet against saline, spice against fruit, and a compact format that leaves little room for imprecision.
Peer Recognition
Recognition includes Three Michelin stars for Cheval Blanc by Peter Knogl and Swiss Chef of the Year (2011). Those distinctions place the Basel work in an international fine-dining register while keeping the craft tied to one long-running address.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Peter
Who is Peter Knogl?
Peter Knogl is Chef de Cuisine - Responsable.
Where did Peter Knogl work before?
Earlier in their career, Peter Knogl worked at Tantris.
What recognition has Peter Knogl received?
Three Michelin stars for Cheval Blanc by Peter Knogl.
