Restaurant «1910 · Gourmet by Hausers» Grindelwald : Dorfstrasse 53, 3818 Grindelwald

1910 is unlike any other Michelin star restaurant we’ve been to. Quaint surroundings, a limited number of tables, rustic decor - very unpretentious. The food - knocked it out of the park. We had their vegetarian menu and the technical detail put into each dish was very much appreciated. The non-alcoholic pairing with the meal enhanced the dishes. Our server, Killian, we could tell was passionate about the menu and providing great service. He was personable, always interacting, and even giving us insider tips about New Zealand travel. The end of the meal was capped by a visit from the chefs which is always a delight. Anyone visiting Grindelwald should not miss 1910.

1910 by Gourmet Hausers is located under the Belvedere Hotel. It was a vegetarian menu for the summer, and I could taste fresh basil, cucumber, carrot, eggplant, mushroom, rhubarb... everything that veggies has to offer. Great taste, great technique. They also offer three different pairings! (wine, beer, juice)

Very unfortunate that I feel the need to leave this 1 star review due to the horrid experience we had at the end of the meal. Upon settling the bill we were informed the credit card payment system crashed so we must pay in cash. We were first presented a bill that falsely charged us 6 tasting menus instead of 2, so we asked for it to be amended. Honest mistake that can be overlooked. Then we attempted paying with both our visa and Mastercards, which couldn’t go through because of the said system failure, which was fine. However we did not have enough cash as we were not informed of their issue beforehand, and dinner was around 400 Swiss francs. We asked if we could have an electronic payment link so we could settle it online right away. The waitress got visibly annoyed and frustrated, and took us to reception where they told us it could not be done, which was understandable. However it somehow became a standoff and we were treated like criminals after we explained we cannot withdraw Swiss francs from our bank accounts as we don’t have foreign exchange function. We already offered to let them take photocopies of our passports and full credit card details as well as our hotel info (also in Grindelwald), and to return the next day for payment once their system is fixed, and they could charge us or track us down anytime as they would have our credit card details. However the waitress became very hostile and said it was not a problem with any other guest as they all had enough cash. She demanded to keep our passports and said she’d hunt us down in Korea if we do not pay up (unfortunately this was not an exaggeration but what she said word for word in a hostile manner). First of all we’re not Koreans. Regardless of what that statement meant in her terms, we were shocked by the aggression as we were very polite throughout the exchange up till then. Secondly we already offered to leave every detail possible so they could charge us any time. We understand it was reasonable that they had to ensure customers do not get away with dodging the bill. However, the situation would’ve been handled much better had they told us before dinner so we could come to agreement on how to proceed, and the hostility was completely unnecessary as we already offered all info possible for them to charge us, and had we not checked the false bill, they would’ve expected us to settle it with 1200 Swiss francs in cash which is absurd. She finally gave in after another receptionist intervened. It was just an utter disappointment and ruined our mood for rest of the night which was supposedly a celebration of our anniversary. We returned to our hotel Bergwelt and asked our receptionists right away if they had the same issue, to which they denied. Anyhow we returned to Hotel Belvedere the next morning to settle the payment once they fixed the issue. We explained the incident to the lady at reception and she was very kind and understanding throughout. In all fairness, the food, ambience and kitchen team were lovely, so was the waiter who served us for most of the night. The menu was all vegetarian and reasonably priced, and the eggplant course was a highlight for us. The wine and non-alcoholic pairing were just alright and I’d suggest to skip. We would’ve given it 4-4.5 stars had it not been the nasty end. Having been to a number of Michelin starred restaurants, I’d have to say this subpar service had never and would not occur in any other starred hotel restaurant, and an individual rude staff is more than enough to ruin the entire experience for guests. Service is one of the few things that sets great gastronomy restaurants and hotels apart from mediocre ones and it was a real shame what happened.