Posted: May 23, 2016

Driving into the tiny alpine village of Andermatt, the mountain pass roads quickly turn to cobblestone. You are surrounded by traditional chalets with the typical decorated façades of Central Switzerland, and the Bären Restaurant and boutique mountain inn. The Coldesina family has been welcoming guests at their renowned Ticino establishments for generations; the Bären, their newest and northernmost outpost, is a unique mix of Swiss, Italian and their own special family charm. An old Swiss chalet renovated with warm wood interiors, stone floors, Eames furniture, and idyllic views of the village and surrounding mountains, is both modern and classic at the same time. A cozy mountain inn reinterpreted for the 21st century, and one of our favorite destinations in Switzerland.

Father Guerino runs the kitchen, where his creativity leads to dishes like veal and pork cheeks braised with lemon, slow-cooked suckling-pig served family style, and his signature “Cosce di rana” or frogs' legs, which have gained the restaurant 13 points Gault Millau since its opening in 2012.  The extensive wine list highlights the Swiss regions of Ticino & Valais as well as the Italian classics: Piedmont and Tuscany.