Aroleid Restaurant — Restaurant in Zermatt

Distincly average food.

I could be wrong but it feels like at some point a really good chef came in here and created a fab menu.. but that currently the menu is being prepared by someone who doesn't really know what they are doing.

Presentation was poor. Flavours were all wrong. Dishes were either tasteless or overpowering. We had a variety of dishes. In particular the duck was overpowered with curry, risotto overpowered with lemon.. etc etc. Michelin starred today, this restaurant was certainly not!

Also concerned to note parmesan in a dish on the vegetarian menu......parmesan is NOT suitable for vegetarians and the waiter was unable to tell us whether it was actual parmesan on the dish or fake parmesan produced with no rennet. The waiter went off to ask the chef about this, but never returned with the information😫.

The other annoying thing is that when my daughter asked for some tap water to drink she was told "there isn't any" which is untrue because they obviously have water in their taps and Swiss drinking water is perfectly good to drink...The waiter then brought out a re-fill bottle of guess what.. tap water.. for which we then got charged 8chf just because it was chilled.🤣. Honestly, if you didn't laugh you'd cry.

Only place to hang helmets on a snowy day was above the table so they were dripping all over our food.

Little kids meal (see photo) for 18 CHF was a joke and pint of beer (also see photo) had more head on it than beer in the glass😫.

This restaurant is trying to be something it's not. There are better mountain...

On our last day of a week in Zermatt, and after having lunched at all our favourite and excellent spots, we were recommended to try Aroleid Kollektive. It was described as “more contemporary” vs the majority of restaurants. What we weren’t told was that we were about to have a truly exceptional gourmet experience. To begin with, as a wine professional in London constantly seeing and trying novel and interesting wines, looking at their wine list immediately told me we were somewhere that stood out from the extraordinary (hardly anything is ordinary in Zermatt to be fair!). A fairly succinct yet varied list of small grower, local and foreign wines, with a gentle bias towards ‘natural’ / orange / skin contact wines, but more conventional options too, and not a single item I did not feel curious to try (if I’d had all the money in the world!!). But when the dishes started appearing and circulating around the table, that rare feeling of “I did not expect this and I am gobsmacked” kicked in and stayed put firmly right up until the last sip of their home-roasted, single origin Arabica bean coffee which was as exquisite as everything I ate. The fact that the GM-Head Chef-Owner and his Sommelier wife were leading the front-of-house proceedings, and were happy to spend time talking to us, telling us their story, closed the circle perfectly. I could not have hoped for a better final lunch experience on what was an extraordinary week of good weather and snow in the company of good friends. As many stars as can be seen shining on a clear night sky in...

Ever wondered what it’s like to dine inside a reality show? We found out. And spoiler alert - it wasn’t the finale we hoped for.

First, let’s talk about location. Our table? Right next to the staircase leading to the main toilet door. Imagine a delicate blend of food aromas enhanced with a splash of cleaning products (Clorox, perhaps?) for that extra sensory experience. Romantic, right?

Then came the waiting game. 45 minutes until the first dish arrived - not after we sat down, but after we ordered. Honestly, I’ve had Amazon deliveries arrive faster.

When we finally managed to wave down some bread and butter, the bread was still frozen. A bold move. Perhaps they’re trying to pioneer the “farm-to-freezer” trend?

The dishes themselves? Let’s just say the kitchen must have its own interpretation of the menu - because none of what we ordered matched what appeared on the table. And the bill? Even with a friendly discount, we almost overpaid thanks to a couple of surprise charges for dishes we never saw, let alone tasted.

Key Takeaways: Bring a book. Or two. Dining here is a time commitment. Double-check the bill. Trust, but verify. Especially if you skipped starters —because it might still show up on the bill. Keep expectations low. If Michelin stars were handed out here in 2022 or before, where are they now?

Would we go back?

Let’s put it this way - only if we’re feeling adventurous and need material for another story. Until then, we’ll stick to places where the bread isn’t on ice and the menu...