Haute Cuisine in the Alps: The Art of Fine Dining in Tirol

Last updated on 22.04.2025

Tirol may be a popular holiday region for mountain lovers and active holidaymakers, but did you know that it has also long been a favourite with fans of fine food? With a unique blend of traditional gastronomic culture, creative cuisine and sustainable concepts, Tirol has established itself as a stronghold of excellent dining. The region’s status as a hotspot for good food and outstanding ingredients is demonstrated by numerous awards from various restaurant guides, including the renowned MICHELIN Guide returns to Austria for the first time in 2025 after a 15-year hiatus.

The awards are not only an honour for the establishments, but also an important guide for guests. For more and more visitors, food plays a central role as a motive for travelling – both in summer and winter. Statistically, half of all visitors to Tirol eat at a location outside their accommodation at least once during their stay. When it comes to regional specialities, 40 % of guests visiting Tirol say that it is important to them to try some of the local delicacies.

Bib Gourmand: Excellent value for money

The Bib Gourmand Award, which has been recognising restaurants with an outstanding price-performance ratio since 1997, deserves a special mention among the current MICHELIN Guide awards. The focus here is on fresh and carefully prepared dishes that impress with their flavour and quality – regardless of the style of cuisine. The meals are often simple, without compromising on flavour and quality. Since the beginning of 2025, seven establishments in Tirol have received this special honour:

• Secco, Hall in Tirol (Hall-Wattens Region)
• Scherer, Obertilliach (Osttirol)
• Mocking – Das Wirtshaus, Kitzbühel (Kitzbühel)
• s’Morent, Zöblen (Tannheimer Tal)
• Das Pfleger, Anras (Osttirol)
• Gründler’s Genießer Wirtshaus, Achenkirch (Achensee)
• Saluti, Matrei in Osttirol (Osttirol)

Lisa Morent’s achievements are particularly impressive. At just 19 years old, she is the head chef of the family-run business. Together with her team, she received two MICHELIN awards for s’Morent in Zöblen: the Bib Gourmand and the Green Star for sustainable gastronomy. No other restaurant in Tirol can boast this combination. She looks back on the awards with pride: “Our small restaurant in Zöblen is much more than just a workplace for my family – it is our home, our history and our future. I grew up here, with nature, the guests and everyday life in the kitchen. Today, my aim is to bring this special attitude to life – characterised by regional ties and genuine craftsmanship – to the plate. For us, the Green Star is confirmation that appreciating and passing on the treasures of our environment are goals well worth striving for.”

The Green Star: Sustainability in Tirolean cuisine

Since 2020, the MICHELIN Green Star has been awarded to restaurants that are characterised by their special commitment to sustainability – for example in their working methods, philosophy or seasonality. This includes aspects such as the conscious use of regional products, seasonal cuisine and close collaboration with local producers. Three establishments in Tirol have received this award:

• s’Morent, Zöblen (Tannheimer Tal)
• Guat’z Essen, Stumm (Zillertal)
• Gannerhof, Innervillgraten (Osttirol)

One of the pioneers is chef Peter Fankhauser from Guat’z Essen in Zillertal. He has managed to establish his restaurant as one of only 13 purely vegetarian/vegan addresses in the world with both a MICHELIN Red Star and Green Star – a real rarity. His cuisine is based on a 1,350-square-metre permaculture garden located directly behind the restaurant, where only the highest quality produce is grown. “As a chef, it has always been important to me to grow a basic product myself as close to nature as possible – in harmony with the natural rhythm of the seasons. Today, my guests can see how the vegetables grow right outside the door. In summer, we go into the garden together, experience the origin of the ingredients – and only then does the dish appear on the plate. This turns dining into an experience,” says Peter Fankhauser, explaining the philosophy of his restaurant.

MICHELIN Guide: Tirol at the top

The MICHELIN Guide took a break in Austria for 15 years. Now it is back on the initiative of the nine regional tourism organisations – and puts Tirol at the top. The renowned gastro-nomy guide, which lists hotels and restaurants worldwide deemed to have outstanding qua-lity in terms of ingredients, preparation techniques, creativity and consistency, has awarded 20 restaurants in the region a total of 24 stars, making Tirol the most highly decorated of Austria’s nine provinces. The 2025 MICHELIN Guide has awarded 16 establishments in Tirol one MICHELIN star, while four restaurants have been decorated with two MICHELIN stars:

• Restaurant 141 by Joachim Jaud, Mieming (Innsbruck Region): Under the management of Joachim Jaud, who trained at the Alpenresort Schwarz, this restaurant impresses with its young, ambitious cuisine – and the 27-year-old head chef has already been honoured by the Gault Millau guide with its Young Talent Award.
• Schwarzer Adler, Hall in Tirol (Hall-Wattens Region): This restaurant led by Johannes Nuding, who has cooked at some of the world’s top locations, stands for excellent cuisine in an historic setting.
• Stüva, Ischgl (Paznaun-Ischgl): This restaurant run by Benjamin Parth in the Hotel Yscla delights with modern, refined cuisine at the highest level.
• Tannenhof, St. Anton am Arlberg: After working abroad, Dennis Ilies has settled in Tirol and, together with his team, impresses diners with exciting compositions of the highest quality at the exclusive Tannenhof.

Whether traditional home cooking, creative gourmet cuisine or sustainable gastronomy – Tirol offers a culinary highlight for every taste and invites gourmets from all over the world to experience the region with all their senses.

More information about Tirol’s cuisine can be found at www.tyrol.com/activities/food.