RESTAURANT

The restaurant is the center of the Schwanen. This is where people eat, talk and have breakfast. And we work here, invite and host.

AT HOME LIKE IN THE DINING ROOM

Our restaurant is called the dining room. Simply because I want to welcome our guests as I do at home. That's all it needs. The dining room is light, fresh and bright. Oak parquet, benches, walls and ceilings made of natural silver fir, chairs made of maple. I think we've created a space with a good vibe. I'm always looking for new ideas to improve the atmosphere; after all, it's our dining room.

Corey Lee, with whom I ran the restaurant "Benu" in San Francisco, describes our shared philosophy to a T.

request

Food, guest service and hotellerie is identity – it’s the most revealing thing about you, about your culture, where you come from, how you live, what’s important to you.

Corey Lee of Benu, San Francisco

TIME SPRINGS IN THE FOREST PARLOR

It is not always advisable to follow the experts. Sometimes it is much more worthwhile to trust your own intuition. Like my Säle (grandmother) Katharina Moosbrugger, who, among other virtues, taught me exactly that. Fortunately, she recognized the value of the centuries-old Bregenzerwälder Stube and the wine cellar below. During the reconstruction in the 1960s, she saved this showpiece with convinced resistance despite the renewal efforts and the advice of advisory boards and architects.

Walking in this parlor over the creaking parquet of walnut and oak is an experience in itself. The tables are made of Bizauer cherry wood, pear and maple. Generations of people have dined and worked here, now it is up to us to let this room keep its historic charm while serving dishes that move with the times.

WILDE WEIBER MENU

The WILDE WEIBER menu owes its name to a guest who said to my mother: "Eor sand ja wilde Wibor to cook 4 different menus for 4 people." The idea was born during a visit of my parents to me in New York and was a hit in Bizau from the beginning. Now there is the WILDE WEIBER menu in 5 courses, on request also with wine accompaniment from me!

5 courses 90,00 + wine accompaniment 48,00

Daily, except Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday noon. Only with advance reservation. We are happy to accommodate allergies or vegetarian lifestyles with advance notice.

Reserve

GOOD VIBRATIONS IN THE HERRENZIMMER

With so much women's economy, it also needs a men's room. No, the name actually comes from the fact that we not only have good cooks in the family, but also successful entrepreneurs. The so-called Bregenzerwald Cheese Counts exported their cheese to the entire Austro-Hungarian monarchy. One of them was my great-great-great-grandfather Gallus, who bought the SCHWANEN for his son Jakob from an ancestor of my mother. You see, we are simply the SCHWANEN, no matter from which perspective you look at it.

In the men's room, I was able to put my signature on an entire room for the first time. We completely revamped 1950s and 1960s vintage chairs from Italian designers in the Milan area with casual colors and fabrics. It has become a place for dialogue and inspiration. Relax on the historic Bregenzerwald canapée with literature from Antonia's library or with current newspapers. Socialize, have an aperitif, digestif, unwind or just relax.

HERBS AND CHESTNUTS IN THE GARDEN

Am I a city person, or do I still fit into this rural area in the back Bregenzerwald?

The transformation of the herb garden on the east side of the SCHWANEN was my first garden project . From the dry stone reading wall to the raspberry bushes and numerous Hildegard spices for the kitchen to the sanded wooden tables, I did everything myself by hand and implemented. I liked the craftsmanship and what came out of it. Somehow it felt close to nature and fit the SCHWANEN. I was sure our guests would like it too. Two weeks of springbreak went down, but it was worth it.

The garden has turned out well, we try to improve things every year. The chestnuts, which have grown wide in the meantime, spread their branches far over the tables and give the best shade. Sitting in the garden, you can enjoy our cuisine as well as participate a bit in village life, watching the churchgoers or Xaver, who you see cycling by every day at three.

In the meantime, I have been able to live out my garden lust even more. But of it I tell you here more.

FROM THE SOUND AT THE TABLE - CERAMICS FROM MASTER HAND

On my first visit to the restaurant Benu in San Francisco, my later workplace, I was completely thrilled by the dishes there. Corey Lee develops his own plates for new dishes & signature dishes. These are not hidden in the cabinet, but are presented as styling elements in the room.