In just two years, Clemens Gesser has gone from two to four Gault&Millau toques. His Chef’s Table by Gesser in Sillian, East Tyrol, received 17 points in the Gault&Millau Austria guide for 2027, which made it one of the three highest-rated restaurants in the region (read our news story). Up to eight guests sit at one table right next to the kitchen, and the chef presents every course of his surprise menu himself.
Luxvisor Executive Editor Roger Hohl asked Clemens Gesser about the night he found the fourth toque, his family’s kitchen, his former life as a footballer, and the Michelin star he has set his sights on.
Four Toques
Luxvisor: Gault&Millau has awarded Chef’s Table by Gesser 17 points and four toques in its 2027 guide. How did you hear about the rating, and what does it mean to you and your team?
Clemens Gesser: I only found out at the very end of the presentation in Vienna, at the Hilton, at a fantastic event, when I looked up the ratings in the book at the last moment. My colleague Martin had looked at the results first and told me. But I could hardly believe it and had to see it for myself. And there it was: four of them! There was the fourth toque!
I don’t think there’s much to add. Being allowed to play in the Champions League of gastronomy is a very special distinction.
We are enormously happy that our commitment, our passion and our daily work are recognised and confirmed in this way. This award is not only a great honour for us but also a valuable confirmation that we are on the right path, and an incentive to keep going with full conviction, heart and soul, and the highest standards.
We can only master this challenge together, as a team. Whether it’s our kitchen assistants, the ladies in the scullery or our parents, who lend a hand wherever they can, everyone makes a valuable contribution. Because in the end, it isn’t only individual performance that counts, but the cohesion of the whole team!
A Steep Rise
Luxvisor: Two years ago came your first two toques, last year the third, and now the fourth. What has changed in your kitchen in such a short time?
Clemens Gesser: Yes, it’s really crazy what has happened in such a short time! We are incredibly happy about it, but of course it doesn’t come out of nowhere.
For me, the best comparison is sport. I always wanted to stay on the ball, keep developing and strive to improve. That attitude has stayed with me not only in sport, it is also reflected in my work in the kitchen. It is my personal philosophy to always strive for more, in good times and in bad.
I think I have now found the right line, and you can taste it in our dishes. For me, it’s above all about respect for the produce, about getting the best out of it and using as much of it as possible. Just as important are the right craft techniques, which have to be followed consistently. In the end, one thing is always at the centre for me: flavour.
I’m looking for more flavour and go deeper and deeper into the essence of a dish. Often that means consciously leaving something out, because sometimes less is more. It’s about focusing on the essentials and giving the backbone of a dish more room. That way, the individual components can develop their character, and the flavour comes through even more clearly and intensely.
Where It All Began
Luxvisor: Your grandmother Hildegard and your father Anton ran the kitchen of Hotel Gesser before you, and you did your apprenticeship in the family business. What have you taken from that family tradition, and when did you know you wanted to go your own way?
Clemens Gesser: That’s right, my grandmother was already cooking in the 1950s, and cooking really well. She mastered traditional inn cooking, which I later took over from my mentor and master, my dad. He trained in some of the best houses in North Tyrol and taught me not only the classic craft of cooking but also how to treat whole animals with respect and how to work economically.
I was standing at the stove as a little boy. I was always curious and interested and wanted to know what was happening in the kitchen. After school, I finally decided on an apprenticeship as a cook, and that was definitely the right decision.
When I unfortunately had to hang up my football boots early, in my mid-twenties, a new chapter began for me. I channelled my ambition and my passion into the kitchen. Since then, cooking has been far more than a job for me: it is a matter of the heart that drives me every day.
Formative Years
Luxvisor: Six months on a cruise ship, your time with Norbert Niederkofler, your master chef training with Philipp Stohner: which of these shaped you most, and why?
Clemens Gesser: My time on the ship was one of the most important experiences for me. At just 19, I had to manage and organise everything myself. Of course there was a lot of work, but experiencing the Mediterranean and the Caribbean in my time off was unique. Working with people from more than 40 nations was also incredibly valuable, both for my languages and as a person.
With Norbert Niederkofler, one of the best chefs in the world with three Michelin stars, I was really able to get stuck in. That time was fantastic and taught me an enormous amount professionally.
My personal golden finale was the training as a certified master chef at NQR level 6, the equivalent of an academic bachelor’s degree. It is one of the highest culinary qualifications in Austria. What world champion chef Philipp Stohner and his team have built there is more than remarkable. I take my hat off to them and simply say: merci!
Alpine Home Cooking
Luxvisor: You want to bring the taste of the mountains to the plate. How would you describe your cooking to an international guest who has never been to East Tyrol?
Clemens Gesser: Alpine home cuisine describes it best. We rely on regional ingredients, short transport routes and high-quality basic produce, which we turn into innovative dishes with creativity and craftsmanship. We want to bring the nature of our homeland to our guests’ plates, whether through spruce, Swiss stone pine, local mushrooms or other alpine ingredients. In this way, we combine tradition and modernity and create flavour experiences that reflect our region and make its special features tangible in a contemporary way.
The Chef’s Table
Luxvisor: Eight guests, one table right by the kitchen, a surprise menu: why did you choose this format, and what happens at this table that would not be possible in a classic restaurant?
Clemens Gesser: Even before Covid, we offered our surprise menu in the dining room where our half-board menu is also served. But because our hotel is usually very well booked, free tables were rarely available. Because of the high demand, we finally decided to serve the surprise menu directly at the regulars’ table in front of our kitchen.
But that alone doesn’t make our concept special. The real highlight is the personal presentation: I explain and present every dish myself. This creates a special connection between the kitchen and the guest. Guests learn not only what is on their plate, but also the thoughts, inspirations and emotions behind the creations.
It’s exactly this personal and human level that makes our concept unique. It’s not just about the food, it’s about conveying our passion and philosophy directly. That turns a menu into an authentic experience, where chef and guest meet as equals. That is our very own USP!
Produce and Producers
Luxvisor: Your ingredients come from the region, and much of it you forage yourself and preserve for the whole year. Which product or producer stands for East Tyrol for you?
Clemens Gesser: That’s right, there are several products we are particularly proud of. We work with a number of regional producers and source natural yoghurt, polenta, fish, lamb and seasonal vegetables, fruit and herbs from the region, among other things. We also rely on regional produce for honey: it comes from my grandfather’s own beekeeping. So we are really very well set up regionally.
The absolute bestseller, though, is our East Tyrolean potatoes from Nikolsdorf. They show that it doesn’t always take exceptional or unusual products to convince in culinary terms. What matters is quality, origin and above all flavour. For me, they hold a piece of East Tyrolean identity: honest produce, deeply rooted in our homeland, that delights with its naturalness and genuine taste.
The Whole Animal
Luxvisor: Gault&Millau highlights how consistently you use the whole animal, from lamb heart and veal sweetbreads to saddle of chamois. How do your guests react to offal, and why does this approach matter to you?
Clemens Gesser: That’s one of my most important principles: in my kitchen, as much as possible gets used. Vegetable trimmings also find their place and are turned into stocks, powders or essences, for example. No waste is not a trend for me, it’s a fundamental attitude.
Of course, that also applies to meat. My father showed me early on how to butcher and process a whole game animal properly. That knowledge still shapes me today. From head to toe, every animal holds valuable potential that we should use with craftsmanship and respect.
Whether stocks, soups, powders or refined essences, you can get an incredible amount of flavour out of supposedly simple ingredients. Often, it’s also a question of attitude. If people only found out after tasting what they had just eaten, they might be more open.
At the Chef’s Table by Gesser, we see again and again that even guests who are sceptical about offal at first ask for it enthusiastically on their second visit. That’s exactly what makes me particularly happy!
Two Brothers, One House
Luxvisor: You run the hotel together with your brother Markus, who leads service and wine as maître. How do you divide the roles, and how do you combine the kitchen with managing the hotel?
Clemens Gesser: Yes, each of us has clear tasks and areas of responsibility. Markus is an absolute perfectionist and takes on a large part of the organisation. He looks after hotel reservations and bookings, takes care of our guests and leads the service at the Chef’s Table. With his exceptional language skills, his experience and his know-how, he is enormously important for our business.
We share the management between us. My brother takes a great deal off my shoulders and gives me the freedom I need to concentrate fully on the kitchen, on our culinary development and on our guests. This division is particularly valuable for us, because each of us can bring in his strengths. It’s exactly this interplay that makes us a team and allows us to offer our guests a coherent overall experience.
East Tyrol as a Food Destination
Luxvisor: Twelve restaurants in East Tyrol hold toques in the new guide. Is East Tyrol becoming a culinary destination, and why should a discerning traveller make the trip to Sillian?
Clemens Gesser: Honestly, East Tyrol has been a culinary insider tip for many years, and it is becoming more and more visible. And it’s not only the restaurants with toques and stars, but also many other great hosts who make our cuisine so diverse, individual and exciting.
Sillian, in the middle of the Dolomites, is the ideal starting point for hikes, sports and excursions. Of course it’s quieter here, it’s not exactly party central, but that’s precisely our strength. Slowing down, switching off and enjoying nature, without noise, hustle and bustle or long queues.
Starting the day with a good breakfast in the fresh mountain air, working out or hiking at a leisurely pace, and enjoying an excellent meal in the evening: that’s exactly what quality of life means to me. And anyone who is curious can also explore the surrounding villages and discover the many small special features of our region. East Tyrol stands for genuine enjoyment, closeness to nature and relaxation.
The Next Step
Luxvisor: The MICHELIN Guide already recommends the Chef’s Table. Is a Michelin star a goal for you, and what comes next?
Clemens Gesser: Being included in the MICHELIN Selection in our very first year is a great recognition for our small house. Of course, a Michelin star would be the next big goal, and one we would love to bring home. We are staying on it, working on ourselves continuously and continuing to give our best. For me, life is a challenge, and we are definitely not the type to give up quickly. With passion, ambition and a lot of heart, we will continue on our path. As always: we stay on the ball!
Personally
Luxvisor: What do you cook when you cook only for yourself, and which of your grandmother’s dishes would you never take off the menu?
Clemens Gesser: What I like cooking most are various pasta dishes or a quick, spicy fusion toast, a real umami bomb! But my grandmother’s Reisfleisch, a rice and meat stew, and my dad’s Kaiserschmarrn have a very special place. They are and will remain a true Gesser homage, full of memories, home and family history.
Chef’s Table by Gesser, Hotel Gesser, Sillian 164, 9920 Sillian (Austria) · hotel-gesser.at
Roger Hohl
Roger Hohl has been at the helm of Luxvisor since 2006. From his base in Switzerland he travels to test what the luxury travel industry promises, from the seat at 40,000 feet to the last course of a tasting menu, and writes about it with an independent eye.
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