With the release of the latest gourmet guides “Gault Millau 2016” and “Guide A la Carte 2016,” Ischgl once again confirms its reputation as a gourmet hotspot. According to Gault Millau 2016, the Tyrolean village of Paznaun, with its 1,600 residents, boasts a total of 12 toques across five restaurants. Beyond its fine-dining establishments, the Paznaun–Ischgl region offers year-round culinary highlights such as the “Kulinarischer Jakobsweg” in summer and the “Sternecup der Köche” in winter.
The latest editions of Austria’s most influential gourmet guides, “Gault Millau” and “Guide A la Carte,” once again confirm the success of Ischgl’s leading restaurants. According to the Gault Millau 2016 released on October 22, three of the six top-ranked gourmet restaurants in Tyrol are located in Ischgl. Even when compared to Austria’s culinary capitals, Vienna and Salzburg, the small community of 1,600 residents in the Paznaun valley, with its 12 toques across five restaurants, holds its own with pride.
The achievements of Ischgl’s top restaurants in detail:
Martin Sieberer, head chef of the Paznauner Stube at Hotel Trofana Royal, earned an additional point in Gault Millau 2016, maintaining his 3 toques (18 points). In the Guide A la Carte, also published in October, Sieberer improved by one point and continues to hold 5 stars (97 points). The exceptional 27-year-old chef Benjamin Parth, head chef of the Restaurant Stüva at Hotel YSCLA, once again impressed the gourmet critics, retaining his previous year’s results of 3 toques in Gault Millau (17 points) and 5 stars in Guide A la Carte (96 points). The Restaurant MAD at the Designhotel Madlein also scored highly in the current Gault Millau edition, earning 3 toques (17 points), and achieved 4 stars with 90 points in Guide A la Carte. Gunther Döberl of the Schlossherrnstube at Schlosshotel Romantica was awarded 2 toques (16 points) in Gault Millau 2016 and 3 stars (82 points) in Guide A la Carte. Completing Ischgl’s top five restaurants, the Lucy Wang, with head chef Klaus Brunmayer, received one toque (13 points) from Gault Millau.
Alfons Parth, chairman of the Paznaun–Ischgl Tourism Association and a passionate gourmet himself, is delighted with the continued strong performance of Ischgl’s restaurants: “We are, of course, proud as a region to be represented with five restaurants in Austria’s leading gourmet guides. Together with our culinary initiatives, such as the Kulinarischer Jakobsweg, we are successfully embedding gastronomy as a key part of our tourism offering. This goes hand in hand with the ongoing evolution of the restaurant scene throughout the Paznaun valley. We can truly celebrate the exceptional level of top gastronomy we have achieved.”
Culinary excellence as a year-round theme
In the Paznaun–Ischgl region, gastronomy holds an important place all year long. In summer, the Kulinarischer Jakobsweg combines international culinary art with traditional alpine cuisine, as top chefs from around the world “adopt” selected mountain huts and create special dishes using regional ingredients — served as seasonal delicacies for hikers. Since its inception, the legendary chef Eckart Witzigmann has acted as patron of this culinary initiative. Starting July 10 of the coming year, food-loving hikers will, for the first time, be treated to creations from five renowned European chefs across five Alpine Club huts.
In winter, Ischgl also hosts annual culinary events that bring together top names in the gastronomy world. Highlights include the “Sternecup der Köche” (April 10–11, 2016) and the “Ski World Championships of Gastronomy” (April 13–15, 2016), which combine the pleasures of fine dining with skiing fun.
More information about Ischgl’s gourmet offerings is available at [www.ischgl.com](http://www.ischgl.com)