Restaurant in Aschau im Chiemgau, Germany
Alpine detour that earns its Michelin star.
Epicures holds a Michelin star under chef Arnaud Faye and ranks #102 on the OAD Classical Europe list — the strongest fine-dining case in the Bavarian Alps at the €€€€ tier. Book four to six weeks out minimum; this is hard to get into and worth the effort for food travellers already in the Chiemgau region or making a deliberate trip from Munich.
If you are choosing between a Michelin-starred dinner in the Bavarian Alps and a comfortable city-hotel restaurant in Munich, Epicures in Aschau im Chiemgau makes the stronger case for the special-occasion drive. Chef Arnaud Faye's Modern French kitchen has held a Michelin star in both 2024 and 2025, and a 2023 ranking of #102 on the Opinionated About Dining Classical in Europe list confirms this is a kitchen operating at a level you won't find in the surrounding villages. At €€€€ pricing, this is a deliberate, high-investment dinner — not a casual stop — but the credentials justify the commitment for anyone travelling through the Chiemgau region or making a dedicated trip from Munich.
Epicures sits at Kirchplatz 1, on the central square of Aschau im Chiemgau, a small Alpine market town with a population measured in the hundreds rather than thousands. The address itself signals something about the dining proposition here: this is destination fine dining in a setting that is architecturally modest by city standards. Arriving at a Kirchplatz , a church square , in a town this size, you should expect a room that reads intimate rather than grand. The physical scale works in its favour for the guest who values quiet, unhurried service over the energy of a full urban dining room. Parties looking for the buzz of a packed metropolitan room will find the atmosphere here more contained; those who want space, calm, and a dining room that does not demand to be noticed will find Epicures well-suited to the occasion.
The rural Alpine location shapes the spatial experience in a way that city-based Modern French kitchens cannot replicate. Aschau sits in a valley below the Kampenwand massif, and the drive or arrival by train from Munich (roughly 70 kilometres to the northwest) is itself part of the evening's framing. If you are travelling for the meal, factor in the logistical reality: this is not a restaurant you stumble into or visit on a whim. The commitment of travel is part of what makes the meal feel deliberate, and the intimacy of the space rewards that commitment.
Arnaud Faye leads a Modern French kitchen at the €€€€ tier, which in the German fine-dining context means a multi-course tasting format with wine pairing as the expected mode of engagement. The Michelin star , retained across consecutive years , signals consistent technical execution rather than a one-season anomaly. The OAD Classical ranking at #102 in Europe is a meaningful data point: OAD's Classical category rewards discipline and precision over novelty, so Faye's kitchen is being recognised for cooking that holds up across visits, not just for a single headline dish.
On the drinks side, a kitchen operating at this tier in Germany typically supports its food programme with a wine list that takes the Alpine and wider European regions seriously. Bavarian fine dining has a specific relationship with Austrian and German white wine , Riesling and Grüner Veltliner have natural affinity with French technique applied to Alpine produce , and a restaurant at this level in this location should be expected to have depth in those categories. Specific list details are not available in our data, but the combination of Michelin recognition and a €€€€ price point means the wine programme is integral to the full-cost calculation, not an afterthought. If the drinks programme matters as much as the food to you (and at this price, it should), contact the restaurant directly before booking to understand the pairing options and corkage policy.
Epicures is well-matched for food and wine travellers who are already planning time in the Bavarian Alps , Chiemsee lake visitors, guests at Aschau or nearby Prien properties, or anyone routing through on the way to or from Salzburg. It also makes sense as a standalone pilgrimage from Munich for a celebration dinner where the drive is part of the occasion. It is a poor fit for anyone wanting a quick city dinner or a venue that is easy to reach without a car or a planned rail journey. For groups, the intimate scale of a village-square fine-dining room almost certainly means limited large-table availability , contact ahead if your party exceeds four.
With 821 Google reviews averaging 4.0, the breadth of guest feedback here is notable for a restaurant of this scale in a town this small. That volume suggests Epicures draws from a wider catchment than its postcode implies, and the rating, while not exceptional, is consistent with a kitchen that delivers reliably rather than one that polarises. For context, a 4.0 across 821 reviews in a €€€€ format in a rural location reflects a diner base with specific expectations , and a kitchen that meets them more often than not.
For more dining options in the area, see our full Aschau im Chiemgau restaurants guide. If you are planning a full trip, our Aschau im Chiemgau hotels guide, bars guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide cover the broader visit. The closest comparable kitchen in the region is ES:SENZ in Grassau, worth checking if Epicures is fully booked. In Munich, JAN offers a comparable Modern European tasting experience without the drive. Locally, Brasserie Tafern is the more accessible option if you want something in Aschau without the €€€€ commitment.
Booking at Epicures is hard. A Michelin-starred kitchen in a small Alpine town operates with limited covers, and demand consistently outpaces availability , especially on weekends and during summer and holiday periods when Chiemsee visitor numbers peak. Aim to book at minimum four to six weeks out; for a specific date tied to a celebration or travel itinerary, earlier is significantly safer. No phone number or direct booking link is available in our current data , check the restaurant's website directly for reservation access.
Dress code information is not in our data, but at €€€€ with Michelin recognition in Germany, smart casual is a safe floor and business smart or equivalent is appropriate. Overly casual dress will likely feel out of place in the room.
Quick reference: Michelin 1 Star (2024, 2025) · OAD Classical Europe #102 (2023) · €€€€ · Modern French · Aschau im Chiemgau · Book 4–6 weeks minimum · Hard booking.
If you are building a broader itinerary of German fine dining, the following Pearl-listed kitchens offer useful comparison points: Schwarzwaldstube in Baiersbronn for classic French precision in a Black Forest hotel setting; Vendôme in Bergisch Gladbach for Modern European at the leading of the German award tier; Aqua in Wolfsburg for creative Japanese-influenced cooking at the three-star level; Schanz in Piesport for a Moselle-region alternative; Waldhotel Sonnora in Dreis for classic French in a rural hotel context similar in spirit to Epicures; Restaurant Haerlin in Hamburg for Northern German fine dining; and Victor's Fine Dining by Christian Bau in Perl for one of Germany's most decorated kitchens. For Modern French at this level in London, Sketch, The Lecture Room and Library and Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal offer useful international benchmarks for the cuisine. Finally, CODA Dessert Dining in Berlin is the reference point if you want to see what €€€€ creative dining looks like at the more experimental end of the German spectrum.
Book four to six weeks out at minimum. Epicures holds a Michelin star in a small Alpine town with limited covers , weekend tables, in particular, go fast. If you are booking around a holiday period or summer (when Chiemsee tourism peaks), eight weeks is safer. No live availability data is in our system; contact the restaurant directly via their website.
Smart casual is the safe floor; business smart or equivalent is appropriate. At €€€€ with Michelin recognition in Germany, overly casual dress will feel out of place. No official dress code is published in our current data, but the price tier and award level set the expectation clearly.
Yes, for the right guest. A Michelin star held across consecutive years and an OAD Classical Europe ranking at #102 confirm that Arnaud Faye's kitchen is delivering at a consistent level, not coasting on a single good season. If Modern French tasting-format dining is your format and you are already in the Chiemgau region, the case is strong. If you are debating whether to make a special trip from Munich solely for the menu, factor in travel time and weigh it against JAN in Munich, which removes the logistics.
Specific group-booking policies are not in our data. Given the intimate scale of a village-square fine-dining room at this level, large groups (six or more) should contact the restaurant well in advance to confirm availability and table configuration. Parties of two to four are the natural fit for this format.
At €€€€ with a Michelin star and an OAD Classical Europe ranking, Epicures is priced in line with what the credentials justify. The value calculation depends on whether you are already in the region: if you are visiting the Chiemgau, the price-to-quality ratio is strong. If the €€€€ cost requires a dedicated trip from Munich, compare that total spend (dinner plus travel) against a comparable Munich-based experience before committing.
Within Aschau itself, Brasserie Tafern is the accessible local alternative without the fine-dining price point. In the immediate region, ES:SENZ in Grassau is the closest Michelin-level comparison. For a full Modern French tasting experience without rural travel, JAN in Munich is the practical city-based substitute. See our full Aschau im Chiemgau restaurants guide for the complete local picture.
Yes , this is exactly the use case Epicures is built for. The combination of Michelin recognition, intimate village setting, and Modern French tasting format makes it well-suited to a celebration where the journey is part of the occasion. The contained, quiet room is better for a dinner for two or a small group than for a large party. Book well ahead and, if the drinks programme matters, confirm pairing options when you reserve.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epicures | Modern French | €€€€ | Michelin 1 Star (2025); Michelin 1 Star (2024); Opinionated About Dining Classical in Europe Ranked #102 (2023) | Hard | — |
| Aqua | Contemporary German, Italian/Japanese, Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Schwarzwaldstube | French, Classic French | €€€€ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| CODA Dessert Dining | Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Tantris | Modern French, French Contemporary | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Vendôme | Modern European, Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Epicures and alternatives.
Book at least 6 to 8 weeks out. Epicures holds a Michelin star and operates in a small Alpine town with limited covers — that combination means availability disappears fast, especially on weekends and during Chiemsee peak season. If your travel dates are fixed, book the moment you know them.
Epicures sits on the central square of a small Bavarian market town, but the €€€€ price point and Michelin star signal a formal dining register. Treat it as you would any serious tasting-menu restaurant in Germany: jacket for men is a safe baseline, and conspicuously casual dress would be out of place.
For the right traveller, yes. Arnaud Faye's Modern French kitchen has held its Michelin star in both 2024 and 2025, and the OAD Classical Europe ranking at #102 in 2023 adds a second independent credential. The €€€€ tier is serious money in a small-town setting, so it rewards those who are already committed to the tasting format — not those who would prefer flexibility.
Epicures operates in a small Alpine venue with limited covers, which makes large groups difficult. Parties of 2 to 4 are the practical fit for a tasting-menu kitchen at this scale. If you are planning a group of 6 or more, check the venue's official channels and ask early — availability for larger tables will be the binding constraint, not the menu.
At €€€€, Epicures is priced at the top end of German fine dining, and the two consecutive Michelin stars plus a top-200 OAD Europe ranking justify that tier for serious food travellers. It is not worth the price if you are passing through without a specific interest in Modern French tasting menus — the location requires genuine intent to visit.
There are no comparable fine-dining alternatives within Aschau im Chiemgau itself — the town is small and Epicures is its sole restaurant at this level. For nearby options, Tantris in Munich and Vendôme near Cologne represent comparable or higher Michelin-star ambition, while Schwarzwaldstube in the Black Forest offers a different Alpine-region tasting-menu experience.
Yes, with a caveat about effort. The Michelin star, the intimate Alpine setting on Kirchplatz, and Arnaud Faye's Modern French kitchen make it a strong choice for a milestone dinner. The caveat: getting there requires planning — Aschau im Chiemgau is not a city destination, so factor in accommodation and the booking lead time before committing.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
