The Restaurant St. Hubertus:
a starry cuisine

The crackling fireplace welcomes the guests in the St. Hubertus foyer and sets them up for a cozy evening. Natural wood and hunting trophies give the ambience an elegant and alpine atmosphere. Ten tables, one by the fireplace and one with a window to the kitchen, are discretely allocated throughout the main dining room.

History

Back in 1996, the Pizzinini family decided to dedicate the back of the pizzeria to the gourmet kitchen ran by the new chef Norbert Niederkofler, recruited by Rosa Alpina in 1994. The aim was to raise the level and reputation of the hotel becoming attractive for an international clientele. Awards came pretty quickly thereafter: The First Michelin star was awarded in the year 2000, the second in 2007 and the third in 2018.

Our identity: A Journey through time

A radical and courageous decision was made after careful considerations in 2011: Classic gourmet cuisine with fine products from all over the world was replaced – the new leitmotiv was territoriality and seasonality in the consciousness of our old traditions from that moment onward.

The Menu

"Cook the Mountain" - the name says it all: Norbert Niederkofler communicates his philosophy of life through his dishes, which stand for an authentic mountain cuisine. The menu is developed by Norbert Niederkofler together with his team. Each plate is created following the principle that the palate has to perceive something greasy, something crunchy and something fresh.

We would like to point out to our esteemed guests that ingredients such as fresh dairy products, local meat and freshwater fish are an integral part of the authenticity of the Cook The Mountain experience.

Please communicate any food intolerances or allergies in order to ensure the best possible service.

Menu

Our wine cellar

To satisfy an international and demanding clientele, we present wines from the world’s major vinicultures but we love to emphasize the regional wines from Alto Adige / South Tyrol. Our sommeliers are always looking for rarities from small producers, which are very difficult to find.

Wine list

Revival of Seasons

The menu at the St. Hubertus changes with the seasons, bringing a natural rhythm to the kitchen, as nature wants. Dishes are made according to the available products. The nature offers exactly those seasonal nutrients that humans need: For example, delicate herbs in spring, various berries in summer, mushrooms in autumn and beets for the long winter months, which are harvested and stored during autumn.

Relationship with suppliers / producers / farmers

The supply chain is shortened: intermediaries are eliminated; a one-to-one relationship with the farmers is restored. There is a direct exchange between the chefs and the local farmers, learning and evolve from each other thoughts. Farmers get a different financial perspective as an alternative to the milk production dependency and lower milk prices.

Chef Niederkofler in a salad field with his supplier

Medium to long-term planning of orders

The crucial point of the consistent adherence to the self-imposed concept of "Cook The Mountain" is the ordering of the product such as vegetables, which must be ordered in the spring for the summer but also for the upcoming fall and winter. It is the same also for our meat and freshwater fish.

Detail of a freshly product picked by the hands of a farmer

Old methods of food preservation

Many researches on old techniques of preserving the products and foods were made through reviving those old knowledges.

  • Fermentation: Fermentation is currently very much in vogue, but this technique of food preservation actually has a centuries-long tradition. Particularly suitable for fermenting are solid vegetables such as root vegetables and cabbages. Fermented vegetables are very rich in vitamins and contain many nutrients. Thanks to probiotic bacteria, fermented bacteria have a positive effect on the intestinal flora, as it is easy to digest.
  • Ferment: One of the most important ingredients in baking bread is time. In the alpine region, the bread is made from sourdough. The so-called "Dampfl" is the sourdough base that makes the dough fermenting. If you always feed the sourdough, i. e. the existing lactic acid bacteria with water and flour, this is called the sourdough “mother”, which for decades can serve as the basis for baking. This kind of bread is characterized by a particularly easy digestibility and a very good taste.
  • Curing: Curing serves to protect the food from microbial spoilage and thereby to preserve it. For this purpose, the meat is rubbed with salt and a spice mixture and stored at low temperatures, thereby resulting in a significant liquid loss.
  • Smoking: Smoking of meat and fish serves primarily for the preservation, but also for the flavoring.
Traditional food preparation at the Restaurant San Cassiano Details of a naturally preserved hams Chef Norbert Niederkofler kneading the dough Natural bread-lieving process The chef's assistant evaluates the bread baking