On Thursdays and Fridays, Stefan Heilemann also offers guests in a hurry a pretty good lunch deal.
CLASSIC AND TASTY
Most people who make a reservation with an outstanding chef like Stefan Heilemann at the “Widder” on Rennweg in Zurich take their time for this classically tasty cuisine, which the 2021 Chef of the Year cleverly interprets in a very unique way with elements and flavors from Thailand. If you’re not in a hurry, for example, order the turbot cooked whole but boneless and stuffed with Thai farce and scallops – one of Heilemann’s signature dishes and a tribute to his teacher Harald Wohlfahrt. What the talented chef learned from him at the legendary “Schwarzwaldstube” forms the rock-solid basis of his work.
PREFERABLY WITH A SPOON
Stefan Heilemann has long since found his own style and stands for a kind of soul food of the highest quality. This is easiest for him when it comes to shopping: only the best is good enough. Despite this, the dishes at “Widder” (The Living Circle) are pleasantly unpretentious and can usually be eaten with a spoon so that nothing of the excellent sauces is missed. For example, a mighty langostino (caliber 6/9), which is combined with an elegant escabèche and deep-fried chervil chips in an unpretentious and tasty way.
FOUR COURSES IN 60 MINUTES!
This dish is available either on the evening menu or, on Thursdays and Fridays, in the rather attractive lunch menu: amuse-bouche, three starters, main course, two desserts and petit fours for 160 francs. This takes around 90 minutes, but Stefan Heilemann assures us that “we can do it in 60 minutes for guests in a hurry”. The cold starters are then served together and the experienced kitchen team never keeps guests waiting long. “Cheaper, more compact, faster” is the lunchtime formula, says Heilemann. “But we don’t compromise on quality, we serve the same four-course menu as in the evening.” A highlight on the autumn menu is the saddle of venison from an Austrian hunt, which the chef combines with a spectacular Albufeira sauce with yellow Thai curry, a venison “sandwich” and pumpkin.
THE PLACE TO B
The Widder Restaurant run by Stefan Heilemann and Stefano Petta, the GaultMillau sommelier of the year, is one of the best addresses in Zurich (and Switzerland). In addition to the large menu, a la carte dishes are always available. Lunch is also served twice a week (Thursday and Friday) – either the large menu or the lunch formula (160 francs). GaultMillau rating: 18 points.
Text: David Schnapp
Photos: Thomas Buchwalder, Stefania Giorgi, Christopher Alexander Kuhn, Nik Hunger
