Andreas Caminada, born in 1977 in Ilanz, Switzerland, in the canton of Graubünden, is now recognized as one of the greatest chefs internationally. Raised in the small village of Sagogn, he showed a great passion for cooking from a young age. In 1996, he completed his apprenticeship at the Hotel Signina in Laax and until 1998, he worked in various professional kitchens, serving as a pastry chef at the Hotel Walserhof in Klosters, before experimenting with other roles at the Hotel Deuring Schlössle in Bregenz and the Bareiss restaurant in Baiersbronn.
At the beginning of his career, Caminada was greatly influenced by French cuisine, passed down to him by chefs such as Beat Bolliger, Claus-Peter Lumpp, and Hans-Peter Hussong. Over the years, he discovered and embraced a culinary identity increasingly tied to the Alps. His focus is not on traditionally luxurious ingredients, but rather on freshwater fish, often overlooked cuts of meat, and vegetables in all their forms. "Food should be a sensory journey that leaves a lasting impression and, above all, that makes you happy."
In 2003, at just 26 years old, Caminada opened his restaurant Schloss Schauenstein in the ancient castle of Fürstenau, considered the smallest city in the world. Here, he began to revolutionize Swiss cuisine, reinterpreting and modernizing it, using local and seasonal ingredients to create innovative combinations and subtle flavors with an artistic aesthetic. His commitment was soon recognized: in 2005, the Gault&Millau guide named him Discovery of the Year, while the Michelin guide awarded Schloss Schauenstein its first star.
In the following years, Caminada continued to gather prestigious accolades: in 2008, he was named Chef of the Year by both the Gault&Millau and Bertelsmann guides, and Schloss Schauenstein received its second Michelin star. In 2010, the Gault&Millau guide once again named him Chef of the Year and assigned him an exceptional score of 19 points, equivalent today to the maximum recognition of 5 hats out of 5. In 2011, at just 34 years old, Caminada reached the pinnacle of the gastronomic Olympus when the Michelin guide awarded him the third star.
Today, Schloss Schauenstein maintains its three Michelin stars and 19 Gault&Millau points for 13 consecutive years, and is the only Swiss restaurant present in the prestigious World's 50 Best Restaurants ranking. But Caminada's activity is not limited to his main restaurant: on the same estate, he opened Casa Caminada, a guest house serving regional dishes, and Oz, a vegetarian restaurant that uses products sourced directly from the castle's 2-hectare estate.
The chef has also taken his IGNIV restaurant concept beyond his place of origin and even beyond Swiss borders, opening locations in Bad Ragaz, St. Moritz, Zurich, Andermatt, and Bangkok. The IGNIV restaurants combine haute cuisine with a unique sharing concept, offering an innovative and engaging gastronomic experience.
Caminada is also known for his commitment to promoting young talent through the Fundaziun Uccelin, founded in 2016 together with his wife Sarah. The foundation offers young chefs and hospitality professionals the opportunity to immerse themselves in leading institutions on all continents, with over 100 global partners among restaurants and producers.
In addition to his culinary activity, Caminada has published several books and served as a judge on the television program MasterChef Schweiz. In 2025, he will return to television as the host of the show Dinner Club on Amazon Prime, where he will explore international cuisines alongside German celebrities like Moritz Bleibtreu.
With a deep connection to his homeland, Andreas Caminada has worked tirelessly to put Fürstenau on the global culinary map. His story, from village boy to culinary icon, is an example of dedication, passion, and commitment to pursuing gastronomic excellence, elevating Swiss cuisine to unprecedented levels.
