Eintracht

A Michelin-recognised table in a Swiss village — and a more honest value proposition than most

If you are choosing between Eintracht in Kestenholz and one of Switzerland's constellation of four-symbol tasting-menu destinations, the comparison is less useful than it first appears. Eintracht operates at €€ pricing and has held a Michelin Bib Gourmand in both 2024 and 2025 — that specific award exists to flag restaurants where the kitchen delivers cooking Michelin inspectors consider worth a detour, at a price point the average diner can actually afford. The Bib Gourmand is not a consolation prize for places that fell short of a star; it is a separate, deliberate signal. For most travellers passing through the Solothurn canton, Eintracht is the right booking, not a fallback.

Under chef Erik Höfling, the kitchen operates under an International cuisine designation , a label that in Switzerland typically signals a menu built around seasonal Central European produce interpreted through a broader technical vocabulary, rather than a narrow national or regional brief. That flexibility tends to produce menus that are easier to share across a table with varied preferences, which matters when you are booking for a group or bringing along guests who are less committed to a single cuisine direction. At €€ pricing, the room and the cooking occupy the same tier as a confident neighbourhood restaurant in Zurich or Basel, but with considerably less competition for reservations.

Kestenholz is a small municipality in the canton of Solothurn, roughly equidistant between Olten and Solothurn town. It is not a destination in the way that Fürstenau or Bad Ragaz are, which is precisely the point: the Bib Gourmand here reflects a kitchen that is performing well above what the address would lead you to expect. That gap between expectation and execution is, historically, exactly what the Bib Gourmand format is designed to surface. If you are building a food-focused trip through this part of Switzerland and want to anchor one meal around genuine quality without the €€€€ outlay, Eintracht belongs on the shortlist alongside options in Lucerne, such as Colonnade in Lucerne, or in Sankt Gallen at Einstein Gourmet.

Google reviewers rate the restaurant at 4.6 across 207 reviews , a score that, at that volume, is harder to dismiss as a statistical anomaly than ratings built on fewer visits. The consistency implied by that number aligns with a kitchen that has maintained Bib Gourmand recognition across consecutive years, which requires passing re-inspection rather than trading on an initial designation.

Groups and the private dining question

The venue database does not confirm a dedicated private dining room at Eintracht, and without that data the honest answer is: contact the restaurant directly before assuming a group booking will come with a separate space. What the format does support is the inference that a 4–6 person table in a mid-price Swiss village restaurant is likely manageable without formal private dining infrastructure. For groups where the conversation and the occasion matter as much as the food, the €€ price tier keeps the per-head cost in a range where a full table can eat and drink well without the bill becoming the story. For larger parties that specifically require a private room, it is worth comparing options in nearby cities, where venues like Cheval Blanc by Peter Knogl in Basel operate at a higher price tier but with more formal private dining infrastructure.

For a special occasion at this price point, the two consecutive Bib Gourmand awards provide genuine cover: you are not gambling on an untested kitchen. The International cuisine brief gives the menu enough range to work for mixed groups, and the absence of a tasting-menu-only format , standard at most €€€€ Swiss destinations , means guests can order to their own pace and appetite. That is a practical advantage that gets overlooked when reviewers focus exclusively on the cooking.

Booking and getting there

Booking difficulty is rated Easy. Eintracht is not operating at the reservation pressure of a Zurich or Geneva destination, which makes this a realistic same-week or even same-day booking in many cases , a contrast to Swiss restaurants at the €€€€ tier, where lead times of several weeks are standard. The address is Neue Str. 6, 4703 Kestenholz. Kestenholz sits on the rail corridor between Olten and Solothurn, making it accessible without a car for travellers already moving through the region. If your base is Zurich, the journey is under an hour by train to the nearest station. For travellers combining this with other Swiss food destinations, the broader region supports pairings with Hotel de Ville Crissier in Crissier to the west or 7132 Silver in Vals to the east for a more ambitious itinerary.

For International dining context at a comparable price point elsewhere, Haubentaucher in Rottach-Egern and Loumi in Berlin are useful reference points for what the category delivers across different markets. Within Switzerland, you can browse our full Kestenholz restaurants guide, or explore hotels, bars, wineries, and experiences in the area to plan around your visit.

FAQ

Is Eintracht worth the price?

• At €€ pricing with back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in 2024 and 2025, yes , this is one of the stronger value cases in the Solothurn canton.
• The Bib Gourmand is Michelin's explicit signal for quality-to-price ratio; Eintracht has passed that bar twice in a row.
• Compare it to Switzerland's €€€€ tier , Memories in Bad Ragaz or focus ATELIER in Vitznau , and you are spending a fraction of the per-head cost for food that Michelin considers worth a detour.

Is the tasting menu worth it at Eintracht?

• The database does not confirm a tasting menu format at Eintracht, so do not book assuming one exists. Confirm the current menu structure directly with the restaurant.
• If a tasting format is available, the €€ price tier and chef Erik Höfling's Bib Gourmand track record make it a reasonable proposition for the price point.
• If you specifically want a formal tasting menu experience in Switzerland, Schloss Schauenstein in Fürstenau or Da Vittorio in St. Moritz operate that format explicitly, at a higher price tier.

Is Eintracht good for a special occasion?

• Yes, with the right expectations. Two consecutive Bib Gourmands mean the kitchen is consistent , that matters for occasions where a disappointing meal is not recoverable.
• The €€ price point keeps the occasion accessible without requiring a significant financial commitment, and the International cuisine brief accommodates mixed groups.
• If the occasion calls for full ceremony , private room, sommelier-led wine pairing, formal service , consider Cheval Blanc by Peter Knogl in Basel or L'Atelier Robuchon in Geneva for the infrastructure to match.

What should a first-timer know about Eintracht?

• It is a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant in a small Swiss village , set expectations around an intimate, unfussy setting rather than a grand dining room.
• The International cuisine designation means the menu is likely to have range; you are not locked into a single cuisine tradition.
• Booking is easy relative to Swiss fine dining norms, so there is no pressure to plan far in advance.

Can Eintracht accommodate groups?

• Small groups (4–6) should be manageable at a restaurant of this type and price tier, but the database does not confirm a private room.
• Contact the restaurant directly before booking a larger party if a separate space is a requirement.
• For groups that need confirmed private dining infrastructure in the region, Basel and Lucerne offer more options at higher price points.

What should I wear to Eintracht?

• No dress code is formally documented, but smart casual is appropriate for a Bib Gourmand-level restaurant in Switzerland.
• Kestenholz is a village setting, not a city address, so the atmosphere is likely relaxed rather than formal , but arriving dressed down relative to the cooking quality is worth avoiding.