The new summer edition of the St. Moritz Gourmet Festival featured an extraordinary lunch aboard the historic Gourmino dining car, and I was there to experience it for myself. Following an aperitif, we embarked on a train journey that included five exquisite courses from Chef Mikael Svensson of the two Michelin-starred Kontrast in Oslo and Chef Andrea Bonini of the Hotel Grace La Margna. Throughout our elegant lunch, we enjoyed breathtaking Alpine views and even stopped along the famous Landwasser Viaduct.
An Aperitif at the Hotel Grace La Margna
The “Culinary Moments in Motion” event started with a glass of Laurent-Perrier champagne and snacks at the Hotel Grace La Margna’s N/5 bar. Located across the street and uphill from the St. Moritz train station, this grand hotel reopened in 2023 after an extensive renovation. I stayed there last year during the final winter edition of the St. Moritz Gourmet Festival.
4-Hands Gourmet Lunch: The Menu
After our aperitif, it felt like we stepped back in time when we boarded the 1930s-era Gourmino dining car at the St. Moritz train station. The chefs and their team managed the entire process from a small kitchen on the train. Our wine glasses lacked stems, in order to keep them upright as the train jostled at times along the tracks! Here’s the menu from our incredibly special 4-hands lunch:
- Baked turnip with blackened seaweed gel, caviar and oyster sauce. Prepared by Chef Mikael Svensson, this dish featured premium sturgeon roe topped a delicate crown of seaweed gel and turnip discs, nestled in a creamy oyster sauce.
- Nettle risotto with apricot and ricotta. Chef Andrea Bonini prepared a generous portion of risotto tinted green with nettles. The dish was studded with gently sweet apricots and topped with a rich ricotta cream. This was a comforting, satisfying dish.
- Salmon tartare. Midway through our journey, we stopped at the Surava train station for a surprise dish that had not been printed on our menus—a delicious salmon tartare as an intermezzo for us to enjoy outside.
- Wagyu beef. Chef Mikael Svensson served us a tender fillet of grilled Wagyu beef. It was accompanied by a delicate leaf of grilled cabbage and a rich sabayon flavored with a fermented beef garum.
- Framboisier. For dessert, we had an eye-catching framboisier, a light creamy vanilla-infused dessert with raspberries.
Ornellaia Wine Pairing
Each course was thoughtfully paired with a glass of wine from the Ornellaia estate in Tuscany. Plus, during our meal we had the opportunity to hear from Sarah Schmid, a representative of this winemaker, who guided us through the various wines. For example, with the Wagyu beef we had the chance to taste two Bolgheri red wines, from 2015 and 2018. She explained to us that the former was a perfect year in terms of weather, while the latter had been a very wet year. Despite the ideal conditions, I personally preferred the more recent vintage, which felt a bit fresher and fruitier.
Once the Gourmino dining car returned to St. Moritz, the chefs invited us back to the Hotel La Margna’s N/5 bar for coffee or tea, to complete our spectacular experience.
Details:
“Culinary Moments in Motion,” A Culinary UNESCO Train Trip to the Landwasser Viaduct
Friday, August 28, 2026, from 11:30 to 3:30 p.m.
CHF 390, per person
For more information:
Please note: I attended the “Culinary Moments in Motion” event as a guest of the St. Moritz Gourmet Festival. As always, the thoughts and opinions expressed in this article are purely my own.