In the cold of winter, there’s nothing like sitting by the warmth of an open fire, in a charismatic wooden ski lodge. For generations, guests have enjoyed the haute cuisine of the Hospiz Alm in St Anon in a traditional wooden restaurant in the mountains of St Anon in the Austrian Alps.

The Hospiz Alm is a gourmet restaurant in the Arlberg Hospiz Hotel in the Alberg1800 resort, in the magically pretty ski valley of St Anon, Austria. Having received 15 Gault Millau points in 2019, eating a meal here is thoroughly enjoyable. Many guests have described the way that the enjoyment of their meals here stay with them long after they have hung up their ski gear for the season, and despite the fact it is a more expensive meal, guests agree it is worth every last euro. Whether you chose to stop for a lunch as a midday break on the slopes, or whether you decide to come for a romantic, chic evening meal, the Hospiz Alm will feed you many delicacies like their famous mango and avocado lobster, as after 7pm Chef Stefan Griessler cooks up a number of delectable specialities. Every Wednesday there is even a fondue night, bringing people in the community together to enjoy this delicious Austrian tradition.

The Hospiz Alm is part of one of the oldest hotels in the Arlberg region, where its history dates back to 1386. It has one of the oldest wine cellars in Europe, and also the largest, which gives both restaurant and hotel the unique reputation and status it has earnt for itself. The hotel has 87 beautiful rooms that follow a more Tyrolean style that combines alpine design, with a European flourish and decadence. The 4 restaurants in the hotel, including the Hospiz Alm are all amazing fine dining experiences, that bring the traditional gourmet dishes of the region to a whole new level, that will leave its guests feeling blissfully satisfied and comfortably full.

The Hospiz Alm is divided into two parts: the restaurant with the open fireplace and the St. Christoph sun terrace. The restaurant itself is an epitome of the combination of the alpine, mountain style with exquisite fine dining, as despite the traditional wooden design of the Alm, the chic blue tablecloths, folded napkins and decorative tableware set the scene for a fancier meal.

This restaurant also has one of the best seats for a sunny view of the beautiful valley – the sun terrace. Find yourself seating here with your feet up, a glass of champagne in hand, as you enjoy the glorious view of the snowy slopes and mountains before you. With this premier seat, you’ll feel like the real king of the mountains.

The Hospiz Alm also is a beautiful setting for weddings. After a stunning ceremony in the Arlberg Hospiz Hotel chapel, and the accommodation of the 180 square metre Presidential suite, with its three marble bathrooms, a whirlpool and private sauna, any couple will find themselves experiencing the wedding they have dreamed of. The senior manager Adi Werner ensures that every couple receives some of the finest wine the valley has to offer from his famous wine cellar – some of these bottle were award the 5 star Diamond Award, and some contain 18 litres of wine a bottle – and the head chef Steffen Sonnenwald creates aromatic dishes and tastes that make for a wonderfully romantic dinner. The Hospiz Alm and the Arlberg Hospiz Hotel have been awarded the seal of one of the top 100 Wedding Venues in the UK magazine Brides Conde Nast in 2018, and you can truly see why – this would be among one of the most romantic weddings.

The quality of the food at the Hospiz Alm is supreme. Both the restaurant and the sun terrace provide taster menus with a number of amazing specialities that will treat your tastebuds. In the main restaurant, try the marinated mango lobster, with its bed of avocado and sprinkling of basil, where every bite is worthy of its famed reputation. The Rib Eye steak, with aromatically seasoned potatoes with rocket and bell peppers is another fantastic dish, or for the vegetarian guests, the cream of parsley with yolk and salted lemon is a veggie favourite.

The tasting menu for the St. Christoph is quite an exotic selection of dishes, from marinated eggplant with the goat’s cheese snofrisk, and the citrus explosion ponzu sauce, to the flavoursome roasted octopus with a medley of cauliflower, Pak choy and salted kimchi vegetables. Enjoy a number of dishes like this, with a whipped and blended frozen expresso martini, reaching the peak of sophistication on the sun terrace on the side of the mountain.

After enjoying a scrumptious dinner, you may fancy a bliss of sweet tastes off the dessert menu. The Farmer’s yoghurt is a traditional favourite, with juicy plum combined with the crunch of poppy seeds and the sweetening scent of cinnamon – sure to satisfy any sweet tooth without being too overpowering. The Chocolate cake, with its gooey fluent core, is perfect for every chocoholic, and with the blueberries and unique combination of sour cream making this dessert a must try, as its richness competes with the flavour of the cream. Should you fancy a more traditional dessert, the Hospiz Alm also cooks a delicious flamed Crème Brûlée with wild fruits and sorbet that will cleanse your palette, or even the Austrian staple dessert, the delightful apple tart with berry compote and cream flavoured with vanilla.

When it comes to the drinks at the Hospiz Alm, there is a large array of choice to say the least. The Arlberg Hospiz Hotel has its very own wine cellar, which is a maze of shelves towering up to the ceiling, stacked full of some of the finest wine St Anon has to offer. This wine cellar is worth a huge 6 million, and with bottles even as big as 18 litres, you most certainly won’t be short of flavoursome wine to accompany your dinner. The wine cellar truly earns its title as the world-renowned collection, for Adi Werner is the “Wine King of the Arlberg”.

The hotel offers a number of tasting menus for the wine, but the one favourite recommendation is the 2011 Beerenauslese, which can be enjoyed with any meal.

In the Hospiz Alm, every guest is given a fantastic experience, from the kind staff, to the amazing and exquisite dishes, and the elite wines, but in the comforts of a chic, yet cosy, alpine restaurant. The 3 course meal either by the warmth of the fire, or basking in the rays on sun on the terrace, will make any trip to St. Anon a wonderfully memorable holiday for every luxury traveller.