Reto Brändli: young chef who learnt from the best
Reto Brändli – born in 1991 – does not shy away from challenges. He was able to prove himself as head chef in the "Cà d’Oro" restaurant at the exclusive "Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski". This was followed by other exclusive positions – and Reto Brändli is already on his way to new adventures.
Head chef in St. Moritz at a young age
When asked how you become a head chef in a grand hotel at such a young age, Reto Brändli, born in 1991, from Pfäffikon SZ, replies: "With a lot of commitment. With a lot of hard work. With creativity. And of course: You also need to have a few skills."
From 2020 to 2022, the man from Schwyz was able to prove himself as head chef at the talent factory of the "Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski". He worked alongside former Executive Chef Matthias Schmidberger, who emphasized the importance of giving young chefs creative freedom. This meant great responsibility for Brändli: The signature restaurant "Cà d’Oro" boasts 17 GaultMillau points and is one of the best addresses in the Engadin.
Brändli’s menu was convincing. And he was satisfied, appreciating that he was allowed to cook 100 percent what he wanted. He wrote the menu, Chef Schmidberger just looked over it and let him get on with it. Brändli also praises the fact that there were no specifications for the purchase costs of his ingredients. It was important that the quality of the goods was right.
An early career start by learning from the best
Before his stint in St. Moritz, Brändli was able to hone his skills with renowned chefs. At the "Waldhaus Sils", he learnt classic French cuisine from old master Kurt Röösli. "I really didn’t know what I wanted to learn, so I just had a taster at the Waldhaus. The boss was happy, I was allowed to stay and do my apprenticeship there."
Other positions followed: He cooked for Dario Ranza and Rolf Fliegauf in Ticino and did an internship in Crissier (still with Benoît Violier). Chef Brändli recalls his 15-month stint with Andreas Caminada: "Andreas Caminada, Tanja Grandits and Nenad Mlinarevic cooked at a polo gala dinner in St. Moritz. I helped out, and after dessert Andreas hired me for Schloss Schauenstein. Every young chef dreams of that!"
Brändli never shied away from challenges: "Sometimes the pastry chef quit unexpectedly, sometimes the pastry chef broke a few ribs, and it was always a case of Reto making the desserts. It was a challenge, but it was fun."
On the road to new adventures
This was followed by a stint at "Cà d’Oro", which he left in 2022 in order to develop further: The ambitious young chef moved from the "Kempinski" in St. Moritz to his first outpost in the German capital – the no less renowned sister hotel "Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin". In the hotel’s 25th anniversary year, he became head chef there in the "Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer" restaurant. And there are further plans: In April 2025, he will return to Switzerland and take over the kitchen management of the "Ecco" restaurants in St. Moritz and Ascona.
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Focus on the essentials: Reto Brändli’s recipe for success
Whenever he finds the time, Reto Brändli can be found on his snowboard. But recreational fun or not, he focusses on his work in the kitchen. Brändli likes to be "in the kitchen from early in the morning until late at night". And he is creative: As head chef in the restaurant at the "Kempinski", for example, he created tasty culinary experiences such as skrei from the Lofoten Islands with razor clams or duck foie gras with green apple and tarragon – "the apple has a lot of flavor".
He also likes to get to know his guests, and a relaxed chat is important to him. In the "Cà d’Oro", he would take a tour of the restaurant as soon as the service was over. From time to time, guests were not only amazed at his cuisine, but also at the tattoos that adorn his forearm. But it doesn’t stop at his forearm: "My whole family is on my body, plus tattoos that remind me of Japan: koi fish and cherry blossoms," says Brändli. The chef also reveals his dream for the future: "To open a small restaurant at home on Lake Zurich one day."
Would you like to discover more great restaurants? With the Platinum Dining Credit, Platinum Cardholders get a credit to the value of CHF 40 once a quarter if they spend more than CHF 250 at a GaultMillau restaurant that accepts American Express.
