🇨🇭 Switzerland · French cuisine · b. 1977
The visionary chef of Schloss Schauenstein who revolutionized Swiss cuisine in a castle.
Andreas Caminada was born in 1977 in Ilanz, Switzerland, in the canton of Graubünden, and is recognized as one of the greatest chefs internationally. Raised in the small village of Sagogn, he showed a great passion for cooking from a young age.
In 1996, he completed his apprenticeship at the Hotel Signina in Laax and until 1998, he worked in various professional kitchens, serving as a pastry chef at the Hotel Walserhof in Klosters, before experimenting with other roles at the Hotel Deuring Schlössle in Bregenz and the Bareiss restaurant in Baiersbronn.
In 2003, at just 26 years old, Caminada opened his restaurant Schloss Schauenstein in the ancient castle of Fürstenau in Graubünden, considered the smallest city in the world. He began to revolutionize Swiss cuisine, reinterpreting and modernizing it, using local and seasonal ingredients to create innovative combinations with subtle flavors and artistic aesthetic. The restaurant has held three Michelin stars since 2010 and is consistently ranked among the world's best restaurants.
In 2015 he launched IGNIV, a project centered on conviviality and sharing, developed across multiple locations (Bad Ragaz, Zurich, Bangkok). In 2021 came Oz, a vegetarian fine-dining restaurant earning one Michelin Star and a Green Star.
Alpine terroir and seasonal purity. Caminada believes that great cooking emerges from deep respect for local ingredients and the rhythm of the seasons. His philosophy is rooted in Swiss mountain traditions but expressed through modern technique and artistic vision — not copying the past, but understanding its spirit and evolving it.
Three Michelin stars; the flagship in a 13th-century castle since 2003.
Contemporary fine dining focused on sharing and conviviality; one Michelin star in multiple locations.
Vegetarian fine-dining restaurant in a former carriage shed; one Michelin star and Green Star.
“Tradition is a starting point, not a destination.”
— Chef philosophy statement
“Every season brings new inspiration from the mountains around us.”
— Interview on Alpine cooking
Completes apprenticeship at Hotel Signina in Laax.
Opens Schloss Schauenstein in the castle of Fürstenau at age 26.
Earns first Michelin star.
Awarded second Michelin star.
Awarded third Michelin star.
Launches IGNIV group across multiple locations.
Opens Oz vegetarian fine-dining restaurant with Michelin star and Green Star.
Schloss Schauenstein is a three-Michelin-starred restaurant housed in a 13th-century castle in Fürstenau, Graubünden, Switzerland. Andreas Caminada opened it in 2003 at age 26 and built it into one of the world's most celebrated restaurants.
IGNIV is a project launched in 2015 by Caminada focused on conviviality and sharing. It operates as fine-dining restaurants in Bad Ragaz, Zurich, and Bangkok, each holding one Michelin star and emphasizing community and contemporary cuisine.
Yes. Oz, opened in 2021 in a former carriage shed opposite Schloss Schauenstein, is a fully vegetarian fine-dining restaurant that earned one Michelin star and a Green Star in recognition of its sustainable practices.
Caminada specializes in Swiss Alpine cuisine, reinterpreted through modern technique. He emphasizes seasonal, local ingredients from the Graubünden region and uses refined presentations inspired by contemporary fine dining.
Caminada was just 26 years old when he opened Schloss Schauenstein in 2003. He achieved three Michelin stars by 2010, cementing his status as one of the world's youngest three-star chefs.
Read more on Wikipedia