The story
Since taking the helm in 2007, Knogl has guided the restaurant to the highest international acclaim. Cheval Blanc has held three Michelin stars since 2015, along with a consistent 19 points from GaultMillau. In 2025, La Liste ranked it the number one restaurant in the world. These accolades speak to a kitchen that never rests—Knogl is known for his exquisite, deeply flavoured sauces and a relentless dedication to refining each dish.
The dining room, overseen by Maître d’hôtel Giuseppe Giliberti, delivers service that is warm, intuitive, and precise. Sommelier Christoph Kokemoor, awarded the Michelin Guide Switzerland’s Sommelier Award in 2019, curates a wine list that pairs seamlessly with the menu, often revealing unexpected discoveries.
The atmosphere is one of understated elegance. Guests are asked to dress with style, and the space is set for focused, unhurried meals. This is classic French haute cuisine at its most refined—a place where technique, ingredient, and creativity converge.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
Exceptional cuisine
The young kitchen brigade and the experienced host Hervé Mahler are doing a fine job. Operating in the shadow of the formidable Peter Knogl, they ensure that diners also enjoy exceptionally good food in the very pleasantly elegant brasserie with unobstructed views of the Rhine. A meeting place for Basel, an enrichment for the outstanding hotel. If it says Brasserie, there must be a genuine Brasserie inside. The brasserie classics are listed separately on the menu, and the chef delivers: a huge Wiener schnitzel, for instance, that barely fits on the large plate. A Rib Eye Café de Paris with matchstick fries, a plaice with potato mousseline. Also very popular: beef tartare with a generous splash of cognac. Talented chefs need a stage, and they get one too. Maître Mahler discreetly draws guests' attention to the "Menu de la Brasserie". Here, the kitchen can really let loose. Even the start was remarkable (and very refreshing): slices of top-quality red tuna with grapefruit (!), daikon, coriander, ponzu, lemon, and ginger. Then a highlight: a "minestrone" that isn't one at all, but rather an extra-class clear, robust broth. The same goes for the noble additions: pieces of South African spiny lobster, foie gras cubes. Normally, veal medallions with conchiglioni would follow now, but the maître has a better idea: turbot with the season's first (French) asparagus and playful Parisian fries. Applause for the perfectly poached, snow-white turbot, special applause for the outstanding champagne beurre blanc! Then the "dessert cart" is rolled out, featuring a grand, highly tempting parade of cakes and tarts. It's nice to see that the "Grand Hotel" can still afford this "carriage". An impressive wine list. News just before deadline: Thomas Schaefer has (unfortunately) left the brasserie. Executive Chef Thomas Beiglböck takes over. PS: New restaurant at the "Les Trois Rois". In the heritage-listed wing renovated by Herzog & de Meuron, the "Banks" has opened: relaxed Euro-Asian cuisine, a trendy bar right in the middle of the venue.
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