La Riva

La Riva, Lenzerheide: Worth the Effort to Book

La Riva operates on a schedule that demands you plan around it. Closed Monday and Tuesday, with lunch service ending at 2 PM and dinner wrapping at 9 PM Thursday through Saturday (Sunday lunch only), the kitchen keeps short hours for a Michelin-starred restaurant. Add that Lenzerheide is a mountain resort drawing visitors with money and appetite, you are dealing with a table that fills weeks in advance during ski season and summer weekends. Book early, be flexible on day, treat Thursday dinner as your most reliable opening. The effort is worth it: this is the only Michelin-starred address in Lenzerheide, it has held that star since at least 2024.

La Riva sits at Voa davos Lai 27, overlooking the Heidsee lake with the Graubünden mountain backdrop behind it. The terrace is the first choice when weather allows. When it does not, the large front windows give the same view from inside, the room is designed to make the most of them. The setting matters because it frames the meal: modern French technique applied with precision, in a dining room where the Alps are visible throughout. For a food and wine traveller, this combination of serious kitchen credentials and genuine Alpine scenery is not easy to replicate elsewhere in the region.

The Kitchen: Modern French with an East Asian Edge

The Michelin descriptor for La Riva gives enough to work. Chef Dominique Schrotter runs what the guide calls an ambitious modern take on classic cuisine, with dishes like a tartare tower of king mackerel paired with chilled pumpkin balls, pear gel, a Périgord truffle dashi. That last element signals where the kitchen goes beyond standard French technique: Schrotter spent time in Bangkok and elsewhere in East Asia, that influence surfaces in the broth work, the precision of contrast, the periodic Sushi Festivals the restaurant runs. If you are looking for a kitchen that stays strictly within French classical convention, La Riva is not it. If you want French structure with East Asian inflection applied at Michelin level, it is a specific and deliberate offer. A vegetarian set menu is also available, which is worth knowing if you are booking for mixed groups.

The Wine Programme

La Riva won the Leading Austrian Wine List award at Star Wine List of the Year Switzerland 2021 and holds the Star Wine List number one ranking in 2025. The 2021 assessment noted a list that covers everything in terms of styles, regions, price levels. For a wine-focused traveller, this is meaningful: the front-of-house team is described as capable of giving considered wine recommendations, not just reading from a list. The Austrian specialisation within a broader programme is unusual at this level in Switzerland, worth using. Ask for guidance rather than defaulting to the obvious choices.

Multi-Visit Strategy

If you are in Lenzerheide for more than a weekend, La Riva rewards repeat visits more than most restaurants at this price tier. The operating structure makes three visits feasible across a longer stay: Thursday dinner to open, Saturday lunch for the terrace with the lake view at its finest in daylight, a Friday dinner to go deeper into the tasting menu or try the vegetarian set. The kitchen's East Asian festival events (Sushi Festivals) run on a separate calendar and represent a fourth distinct experience if timing aligns. On a first visit, prioritise the full tasting menu and use the front-of-house team for wine pairing guidance. On a second, consider the vegetarian menu as a way to see how the kitchen handles restraint. By a third visit, the terrace at lunch with a focused Austrian wine selection is the move.

Ratings and Trust Signals

• Michelin 1 Star (2024)
• Star Wine List #1 Switzerland (2025)
• Star Wine List #1 Switzerland (2021)
• Leading Austrian Wine List, Star Wine List of the Year Switzerland (2021)
• 4.7 from 153 reviews

How La Riva Fits in the Region

For context within the broader Swiss fine dining circuit, La Riva sits at a different access point than peers like Memories in Bad Ragaz or Schloss Schauenstein in Fürstenau. Both carry multiple Michelin stars and require separate destination trips. La Riva is the argument for staying in Lenzerheide rather than driving out: it delivers starred cooking in the same village where you are sleeping, with a wine programme that holds up against any comparison. If you are already in the Graubünden area, also consider 7132 Silver in Vals for a contrasting architectural and culinary experience, or Da Vittorio in St. Moritz if Italian is a priority. For the full picture of where to eat in Lenzerheide itself, including Guarda Val and Scalottas - Terroir, see our full Lenzerheide restaurants guide. For planning the rest of a stay, the Lenzerheide hotels guide, bars guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide cover the rest.