Restaurant in Fürstenau, Switzerland
Michelin-starred plant-based counter. Book early.
A Michelin-starred plant-based tasting menu on the Schloss Schauenstein estate in Fürstenau, OZ ranked #298 in OAD's Europe rankings for 2025 and holds a five-radish We're Smart rating. Chef Simeon Nikolov runs a nine-course set menu from a counter kitchen, drawing on the estate's permaculture garden. Book four to six weeks out minimum — this is a hard reservation at €€€€.
If you are weighing OZ against Schloss Schauenstein — the three-Michelin-star flagship that shares the same medieval estate in Fürstenau — the decision is simpler than it looks. Schloss Schauenstein is the more celebrated room, but OZ earns its own place. It holds a Michelin star (2024), ranked #298 in the Opinionated About Dining Leading Restaurants in Europe for 2025 (up from #397 in 2024), and took We're Smart Discovery of the Year for Switzerland 2022 alongside a five-radish rating. For a plant-based tasting menu at this level of technical execution, OZ is the right booking , and one of the harder ones to secure in the Swiss alpine dining circuit.
OZ takes its name from the Rhaeto-Romanic word for "today," which tells you something about the kitchen's orientation: the menu follows what is ready, not what was planned six months ago. Chef Simeon Nikolov runs the kitchen daily, drawing from the permaculture garden on the Schloss Schauenstein estate and a network of long-standing regional suppliers. The result is a nine-course set menu that changes with the season and, within that, with availability.
The dining room is built around a U-shaped counter. That layout matters for a special-occasion booking: you are close enough to watch the kitchen work and, according to We're Smart's reviewers, close enough to talk to the chefs. For a date or a celebration dinner where the theatrical element of fine dining is part of the appeal, this is a better spatial choice than a conventional restaurant floor. The counter format creates a shared rhythm for everyone in the room , you eat together, more or less, which suits couples and small groups more than it suits large parties or business dinners requiring privacy.
The vegetarian format is not a constraint to manage around , it is the point. We're Smart's 2022 review noted that "you certainly won't miss meat in these subtle vegetarian dishes packed with flavour and delicate contrasts," citing sautéed local mushrooms on fresh puff pastry with fried celeriac straws and mushroom foam as one example. That dish illustrates the kitchen's approach: textural contrast, roasted depth, and restrained complexity. This is not a restaurant making concessions for non-meat-eaters; it is a kitchen that has built its entire identity around plant-based cuisine at a Michelin level. For context on how this compares internationally, Fu He Hui in Shanghai and Lamdre in Beijing operate in a similar register of refined plant-based fine dining.
One detail worth noting: every menu includes a two Swiss franc donation toward the next generation of chefs, built into the price. It is a small signal about how the operation thinks about its own continuity.
Based on available information, OZ operates a set menu format rather than separate lunch and dinner services in the conventional sense. The nine-course menu is the vehicle regardless of when you sit down. That said, an evening booking at the counter , with the kitchen visible and active , carries more of the theatrical energy that makes the format worth the price tier. If your goal is a special-occasion dinner with full sensory engagement, an evening slot is the one to pursue. For visitors combining OZ with time at the Schloss Schauenstein estate, a daytime arrival allows you to explore the grounds before sitting down, which adds context to a meal that draws heavily on the estate's garden. Contact the restaurant directly to confirm current service times and availability, as hours are not publicly listed.
Book well in advance. A Michelin-starred counter restaurant in a village of a few hundred people in the Graubünden canton , with no walk-in culture and a format that limits covers , does not hold tables. The We're Smart five-radish rating and the OAD Top 300 ranking in 2025 have increased OZ's international profile, which means competition for seats has grown. Treat this like booking a mid-tier Michelin table in a major city: assume a minimum of four to six weeks out for a weekend slot, more during peak alpine season. If you are travelling specifically to eat here, lock in the reservation before you book transport. OZ sits on the estate of Schloss Schauenstein at Obergass 2, Fürstenau , a small village in the Graubünden region, roughly accessible from Chur. Check our full Fürstenau restaurants guide for context on the broader dining options in the area, and our Fürstenau hotels guide if you are planning an overnight stay.
OZ is a €€€€ venue. Price tier and the nine-course format both suggest smart-casual at minimum , the counter setting and the precision of the kitchen call for a considered approach to dress, even if there is no published dress code. This is not a jeans-and-trainers room. For occasions requiring a private dining space or larger group seating, the counter format at OZ is a limiting factor; consider whether Schloss Schauenstein or Casa Caminada better fits the group dynamic. Phone and website details are not publicly listed in our database , reach out via the Schloss Schauenstein estate contact channels to secure a reservation.
Fürstenau is a destination in its own right for serious diners. Beyond the restaurant, explore bars, wineries, and experiences in the area, or extend your Swiss alpine dining trip with nearby standouts: Memories in Bad Ragaz, 7132 Silver in Vals, and Da Vittorio in St. Moritz are all within reasonable reach. For broader Swiss fine dining comparisons, Cheval Blanc in Basel, Hotel de Ville Crissier, Einstein Gourmet in Sankt Gallen, and Colonnade in Lucerne cover different price-point and style profiles.
Quick reference: Michelin 1 Star (2024) | OAD #298 Europe (2025) | We're Smart 5 Radishes + Discovery of the Year Switzerland 2022 | €€€€ | Nine-course set menu | U-shaped counter | Fürstenau, Graubünden | Book 4–6 weeks minimum.
Yes, for plant-based fine dining at this technical level in Switzerland, the price is justified. OZ holds a Michelin star and ranked #298 in OAD's Europe rankings for 2025, with We're Smart awarding five radishes and naming it Discovery of the Year for Switzerland in 2022. At €€€€, you are paying for a nine-course tasting menu with garden-driven ingredients and counter-seat access to an active kitchen. If the format suits you , set menu, no meat, counter seating , it delivers at price. If you want more flexibility or a conventional dining room, Schloss Schauenstein is the alternative on the same estate, at a higher price and credential tier.
Four to six weeks minimum for a weekend slot; more during high season in the Swiss alps. OZ is a Michelin-starred counter restaurant in a small Graubünden village with limited covers. The 2025 OAD Top 300 ranking has raised its international profile further. If you are travelling to Fürstenau specifically for this meal, book before you finalise any other travel arrangements. Contact via Schloss Schauenstein estate channels , OZ does not publish a standalone phone number or website in our current database.
Smart-casual at minimum. There is no published dress code, but a Michelin-starred tasting menu at €€€€ in a counter-format dining room calls for more than casual clothing. Think of it as equivalent to any other one-star European restaurant: you will not be turned away for not wearing a jacket, but the room's formality level warrants a considered choice. Avoid anything you would wear to a casual lunch.
On the same estate, Schloss Schauenstein is the three-Michelin-star flagship , more formal, more expensive, and harder to book, but the obvious step up if credentials matter most. Casa Caminada offers Swiss country cooking at a lower price tier and is the easiest booking of the three Caminada venues in Fürstenau. Outside the village, Memories in Bad Ragaz and focus ATELIER in Vitznau are strong regional comparisons for Swiss fine dining at the same price tier.
Yes, with the right expectations. The nine-course format at OZ is built around spontaneity and seasonal produce from the estate garden , not around a fixed showcase menu. If you want to eat a prescribed set of signature dishes you have researched in advance, this is not the format for that. If you want a technically precise, vegetable-led progression that changes with what is ready, the tasting menu is the entire point of the booking. We're Smart's five-radish rating and the Michelin star both indicate consistent execution at this level. Chef Simeon Nikolov has been running the kitchen daily since OZ opened, which counts for something in terms of continuity.
OZ's dining format is centred on a U-shaped counter , this is the primary seating, not a bar separate from the main room. All diners eat at the counter, which means you are watching the kitchen work regardless of whether you have a conventional table. This is a feature rather than a compromise: the counter format is deliberate and is part of what makes OZ suitable for a date or special-occasion dinner. If you want a conventional table arrangement, Schloss Schauenstein is the better fit.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| OZ | Vegetarian | €€€€ | Hard |
| Schloss Schauenstein | Modern European, Creative | €€€€ | Unknown |
| Memories | Modern Swiss | €€€€ | Unknown |
| focus ATELIER | Modern Swiss, Creative | €€€€ | Unknown |
| IGNIV Zürich by Andreas Caminada | Sharing | €€€€ | Unknown |
| La Table du Lausanne Palace | Modern French | €€€€ | Unknown |
A quick look at how OZ measures up.
At €€€€ for a nine-course vegetarian set menu with a Michelin star and a We're Smart 5 Radishes award, OZ earns its price tier for anyone who takes plant-based cooking seriously at a fine-dining level. Chef Simeon Nikolov runs a kitchen described by We're Smart as Switzerland's Discovery of the Year 2022, and OZ ranked #298 in the Opinionated About Dining Europe list for 2025. If you are expecting meat or flexibility, the value case is weaker — but for refined vegetable cuisine, this is among the most credentialed addresses in Switzerland.
Book as early as possible — ideally several weeks out. OZ is a counter-format restaurant in Fürstenau, a village of a few hundred people in Graubünden, which means demand is concentrated and walk-in culture does not apply here. The combination of a Michelin star, a fixed nine-course menu, and a small counter means availability closes fast, especially on weekends.
The counter setting is precise and chef-facing, so the atmosphere skews serious despite the rural location. Smart-casual is a reasonable floor given the €€€€ price point and Michelin-starred context — think well-put-together rather than formal, but not casual resort wear. There is no explicit dress code documented, but the format and calibre of the kitchen set the tone.
Schloss Schauenstein is the obvious alternative on the same medieval estate — it holds three Michelin stars and is Andreas Caminada's flagship, so it sits above OZ in formality, price, and prestige if you want the full tasting menu experience with meat. If you are travelling further, Memories in Bad Ragaz and focus ATELIER are credentialed Swiss fine-dining alternatives worth considering.
Yes, if vegetarian fine dining is the format you want. The nine-course menu draws from a permaculture garden on the estate and is built around seasonal availability — the kitchen's stated philosophy is a spontaneous, product-led approach. We're Smart awarded it 5 Radishes, the highest recognition in plant-based fine dining, and Michelin added a star in 2024. If you need more than one or two courses to feel satisfied by vegetable cooking, this menu is well-constructed for that audience.
OZ operates a U-shaped counter format, which means counter seating is the dining experience — not a separate bar option. All diners sit at the counter and have a direct view of the kitchen, with the opportunity to engage with the chefs. There is no separate bar or à la carte option documented; the nine-course set menu is the single format.
Location
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