Restaurant in Gsies, Italy
Solid post-hike regional cooking, fair price.
A Michelin Plate holder in the Val di Casies, Durnwald delivers consistent regional Alto Adige cooking at a €€ price point that represents clear value. The owner runs the floor personally, guiding food and wine choices with a level of attention rarely found at this price. Easy to book and well-suited to post-skiing or post-hiking dinners in the valley.
Yes, particularly if you are visiting the Val di Casies (Valle di Casies) area for skiing or hiking and want a meal that reflects where you actually are. Durnwald holds a Michelin Plate for 2024 and 2025, a signal that Michelin's inspectors consider the kitchen technically consistent and the food worth seeking out, even if it falls short of a full star. At a €€ price point, it is one of the more accessible ways to eat well in this corner of Alto Adige, and the front-of-house experience, led by the owner himself, is meaningfully better than what you would get at a generic mountain trattoria.
If you are coming from a long day on the slopes or finishing a trail walk, this is the right kind of place to land: regional, grounded, and run by someone who clearly cares about the food-and-wine pairing rather than just turning tables.
The dining room at Durnwald is oriented toward the landscape. The windows frame the surrounding Alto Adige scenery, which is not a decorative flourish but a genuine part of how the meal is framed. The space reads as mountain-practical rather than formal: the kind of room where you would not feel wrong arriving in hiking layers, though a degree of effort in dress is appropriate given the Michelin recognition (more on dress below).
For first-timers, the most important thing to know is that the owner runs the floor personally. This matters more than it sounds. In a region where wine lists can be genuinely complex, with South Tyrolean whites from Lagrein and Gewürztraminer producers alongside broader Italian selections, having someone who knows the cellar and can steer you toward the right bottle for what you are eating is a practical advantage. Do not wave off the recommendation. Take it.
The Google rating of 4.6 across 501 reviews is worth taking seriously at this scale. In a village restaurant in a sparsely populated Alpine valley, 501 reviews represents a consistent stream of visitors rather than a local bubble, and the score has held. That combination, Michelin recognition plus a durable public rating, suggests the kitchen performs reliably rather than just on good nights.
The venue data does not confirm a dedicated chef's counter or bar seating arrangement at Durnwald, so claims about a specific counter experience cannot be verified here. What can be said is that in restaurants of this size and style in Alto Adige, the owner-led front of house often functions as a kind of guided experience in itself. The owner's presence on the floor means you are effectively getting a curated, personal passage through the menu and wine list rather than a standard service interaction. Whether you are at a window table or closer to the kitchen, the experience is shaped by that direct relationship in a way that larger or more impersonal rooms cannot replicate.
If counter or bar seating is a priority for your visit, contact the venue directly to confirm availability and configuration before you book.
Timing your visit around outdoor activity makes sense here. Gsies sits in a narrow Alpine valley and draws visitors primarily in winter (skiing) and summer (hiking and cycling). Both seasons are legitimate windows for Durnwald, but the restaurant's identity is closely tied to post-activity dining, which means the meal lands better when you have earned it. Midweek evenings in shoulder season (late May through early June, or October) are likely to offer a quieter room and a more attentive service pace than peak ski weekends in January and February, when the valley fills and mountain restaurants operate under more pressure.
There is no hours data in the venue record, so confirm the kitchen schedule directly, particularly if you are visiting outside of high season when Alpine restaurants sometimes reduce service days.
Booking is direct. No phone number or website is listed in the venue record, so approach booking through local accommodation (most hotels and guesthouses in Gsies will have a direct contact for Durnwald) or check Google Maps for current contact details. Given the €€ pricing and the valley's visitor patterns, same-week reservations are likely achievable for most of the year outside of peak ski weekends. Book ahead if you are visiting over a holiday period or a February half-term week.
| Detail | Durnwald | Typical Alto Adige Peer (€€€) |
|---|---|---|
| Price tier | €€ | €€€–€€€€ |
| Michelin recognition | Michelin Plate (2024, 2025) | Michelin Plate to 1 Star |
| Booking difficulty | Easy | Moderate to difficult |
| Google rating | 4.6 / 5 (501 reviews) | Varies |
| Cuisine focus | Regional Alto Adige | Regional to creative Italian |
| Service model | Owner-led floor | Professional brigade |
See the comparison section below for peer venues across Italy.
It works for a low-key celebration, particularly if the occasion is tied to a ski trip or an outdoor milestone. The Michelin Plate, owner-led service, and regional focus give it enough substance to feel considered rather than incidental. It is not a formal tasting-menu destination, so if the occasion calls for a full ceremony, Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler in Brunico at €€€€ is the more appropriate step up.
Bar or counter seating is not confirmed in the venue data. The owner runs the floor and the service is personal throughout the room, so the guided experience is not limited to any single seating position. Contact the restaurant directly to ask about seating options before your visit.
Let the owner guide you on wine. The Alto Adige produces some of Italy's most interesting whites, and at a €€ price point you are unlikely to be steered toward anything unreasonable. The kitchen anchors on regional tradition, so expect dishes that reflect the valley, including pasta in the style of Schlutzkrapfen, rather than anything creative or avant-garde. The room faces the landscape, which is part of the experience, so a table by the window is worth requesting.
Durnwald is the most recognised dining option in Gsies itself. If you are willing to travel within Alto Adige, Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler in Brunico is the serious splurge at €€€€ with Michelin star recognition. For regional cuisine peers elsewhere in Italy, see La Subida in Cormons. If you are staying in Gsies specifically, Durnwald is your most credentialled option by a clear margin.
No tasting menu is confirmed in the venue record. The restaurant is positioned as a regional trattoria-style experience rather than a tasting-menu destination. If a structured multi-course format is what you are after, Atelier Moessmer or, further afield, Osteria Francescana in Modena serve that purpose more directly.
At €€, yes. You are getting Michelin-recognised cooking, an owner who personally curates your food and wine experience, and a setting that earns its place. That combination would cost significantly more at a €€€ or €€€€ venue elsewhere in Italy. The value case is strong, particularly relative to the price of a comparable meal in a major Italian city.
Smart casual is appropriate. The Michelin Plate recognition suggests a step above a casual mountain café, but the Alpine valley context means heavily formal dress would feel out of place. Clean, well-kept clothing after a day outdoors is the practical standard. Arriving in full ski gear would not be the right read of the room.
No specific information on dietary accommodation is available in the venue record, and there is no website or phone number listed to check in advance. The regional cuisine focus, which centres on dishes like spinach-and-ricotta pasta, suggests some vegetarian-friendly options are naturally present on the menu, but any allergy or intolerance requirement should be communicated when booking. Use the contact details available via Google Maps to confirm before your visit.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durnwald | A delicious plate of Schlutzkrapfen (ravioli stuffed with spinach and ricotta) is just what’s needed after a good day’s skiing or a hike through the woods. And that’s not all – Durnwald celebrates the Alto Adige in all its glory, both in terms of its landscapes, which can be admired from the dining room windows, and its cuisine, which keeps alive the region’s authentic traditions. The owner himself is at the helm front of house – a perfect host who guides guests in their choice of food and wine.; Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | €€ | — |
| Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Dal Pescatore | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Osteria Francescana | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Quattro Passi | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Reale | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Durnwald and alternatives.
It works well for a low-key celebration tied to the outdoors, particularly after a day's skiing or hiking in the Val di Casies. The owner runs front of house personally and guides guests through food and wine choices, which gives the meal a more considered feel than a typical mountain restaurant. That said, Durnwald holds a Michelin Plate rather than a star, so if you want a formal, multi-course occasion dinner, look toward Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler in the broader South Tyrol area instead. At the €€ price point, expectations should be calibrated accordingly.
The venue record does not confirm bar or counter seating at Durnwald, so it is not something you can count on. Plan for a standard table booking.
The kitchen focuses on authentic Alto Adige regional cooking, including dishes like Schlutzkrapfen (spinach and ricotta stuffed ravioli), and the dining room faces the surrounding Alpine landscape. The owner is on the floor guiding food and wine decisions, so this is a guided experience, not a drop-in casual meal. No phone or website is listed in the public record, so book through your hotel or local accommodation in Gsies. It holds a Michelin Plate for 2024 and 2025, which signals consistent quality rather than fine dining ambition.
Gsies is a small, narrow Alpine valley with limited dining options, so most direct alternatives involve driving into the wider South Tyrol area. For regional cuisine at a higher level, Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler in Brunico is the reference point. For something closer in price and format, ask your accommodation for other agriturismo or valley restaurants, as these are not consistently documented in public databases.
The venue record does not confirm a tasting menu format at Durnwald, so this cannot be assessed. What is documented is a regional cuisine approach at the €€ price range with an owner who actively guides your ordering. If you want a structured tasting format, confirm this directly when booking through your hotel.
At the €€ price range with two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025), yes. You are getting documented quality at a mid-range price in a valley where options are scarce, with an owner actively managing the dining experience. It is not a destination restaurant that warrants travel from elsewhere in Italy, but if you are already in the Val di Casies, the value-to-quality ratio holds up.
The venue data does not specify a dress code. Given the Alpine setting, post-outdoor-activity context, and €€ price range, comfortable but presentable clothing is a reasonable baseline. This is not a jacket-required environment by any indication available.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
