Two restaurants are located in the Waldegg hotel, Siam the Thai restaurant and Capra Ibex the fine dining restaurant. Capra Ibex has 5 tables and is only open on Fridays and Saturdays. Reservations are therefore a must.
The hotel is located high on the mountain, so both restaurants are known for the view and that is magnificent. It is already a must to go here because of the view.
We left Kempinski Palace Engelberg with the hotel car. The walk is short, but is way too steep. The welcome at the Waldegg hotel was very warm. We took an Aperol spritz on the terrace.
For the aperitif we got cashew nuts with sesame seeds and toasted granola.
Menu
There is a choice of a fixed 4- or 5-course menu. We decide to go for 4 courses. There is no a-la-card option. The menu can be expanded with a large piece of meat, this is for the people who are really hungry. We were completely full at 4 courses.
The great thing is that you can choose which course you skip if you opt for 4-course. We decided to skip the apple beignet with tonka beans. No dessert for us today.
As the first dish we get scallops with black pepper and pineapple. The scallops are very well fried and the black pepper sauce is so pungent, it was warned about this; we think this is in one word: great. The pineapple fried and mashed provides the sweeter taste. This works very well as a counterpart to the sharp black pepper.
Then walnut risotto with gorgonzola and port. An unknown combination for us. The dish is rich, especially because of the large pieces of gorgonzola and roasted walnuts in the risotto. Over the risotto is port. Again a spicy dish through the gorgonzola and a sweet counterpart through the port. Delicious. The only comment: the amount could have been a little less in our opinion, because of the rich ingredients this dish is quite filling.
The third dish is tuna with peas and lemongrass emulsion. A colorful picture on the board: red, green and yellow. The tuna is fried very briefly, it is still completely red. Underneath the boiled peas and lemongrass gravy. Too bad we didn’t have a spoon, this is again an extremely good combination. The lemongrass was so fragrant and flavorful. Delicious.
Last dish is ravioli with stewed wagyu beef and beans, with a sauce of onions. The wagyu beef is simmered for 24 hours and very tender, beautiful pieces of small cut meat. The sauce is salty and powerful. The onion flavor really comes into its own. The green beans are cut in a special way.
With all this we drink an Amarone Della Valpolicella 2015. Very cherry-like, good wine and nicely priced.
Service
The lady in the service knows her business. Attentive, open for a chat, professional knowledge, self-made wine knowledge. Everything you are looking for in an ideal hostess.
There was only 1 lady walking around, with 5 tables that is of course very good. Finally, we got a digestive from the house. We appreciate this!
Interior
The interior is in Scandinavian style. A fireplace on water, you read it right. The lady is happy to explain how this works. Wooden tables, large sofa stand by the restaurant. Wonderful to be able to eat here for an evening. We were allowed to take our dog with us, he was lying on the terrace and later in the restaurant when we went inside halfway through the meal.
Overall
It is recommended to eat here. Book in time it is full.
In winter there is a new menu every week and more bottles of wine are opened for wine pairing. We thought this was one of the best restaurants in Engelberg. Too bad Michelin hasn’t been here yet.
