If a single building explains why Gstaad became the quietly international village it is, that building is the Olden. A small chalet hotel on the Promenade, the Olden has been the meeting point of European bon vivants since the early 1960s and remains — several ownerships later — the most atmospherically loaded room in the valley. This piece is the history, why it still matters, and the useful thing: what to order.
A small hotel on a small street
The Olden building sits at Promenade 35, roughly in the middle of Gstaad’s pedestrian heart. As a hotel it predates much of the contemporary village — the chalet itself is 19th century, the hotel function was established earlier in the 20th, and the current visible character (wood panelling, painted shutters, narrow stair, long bar) settled in place by the 1950s.
In Swiss terms it is a “Berner Chalet” of the Saanenland type — carved larch facades, steep shingle roof, deep eaves. What makes it distinct from the rest of the Promenade is density: the ground floor packs a full-service restaurant, a bar, a small lobby and a street-facing terrace into one narrow plot.
The 1960s and the Saanenland’s international turn
In the 1960s and 1970s Gstaad went from a small Swiss ski village into one of the most internationally-known mountain resorts in Europe. Part of that transition happened at the Palace; part happened on the slopes; and part happened at the Olden. The Olden’s bar became, informally, the room where the long-term residents, the returning hotel guests, the chef community and the occasional Hollywood visitor all converged. If you have read a Gstaad memoir from that era, there is a very good chance the Olden features.
What mattered was not glitz — by Alpine grand-hotel standards the Olden is small and casual — but frequency. The same people came back every Christmas, every February, every summer. The room built a community. That is a different kind of fame from the Palace or the Alpina, and it aged better.
Ownership and survival
The Olden has changed hands several times over the last four decades. Each new ownership has preserved the visible character — the panelled walls, the original bar, the painted exterior shutters — while updating the kitchen. The menu in 2026 is Mediterranean-leaning with Swiss anchors: a tartare that has remained on the card for decades, fresh pasta, grilled fish, a local Berner Alpkäse board, and a veal with rösti that always works.
The current positioning is mid-upper-mid-range — CHF 45-120 for a main course, not as expensive as the Palace or Chesery, more considered than Pizzeria Arc-en-Ciel. It is deliberately accessible. That accessibility is what keeps the Olden a community room.
What to order in 2026
A working order for a first visit:
- Apéro on the terrace or the bar: a house negroni, a glass of Chasselas, or a Rivella Red for non-drinkers.
- Starter: the tartare (beef or salmon). The beef tartare has been on the card for decades and is assembled tableside in the classical style.
- Main: fresh pasta of the day, or the veal Zürich-style with rösti.
- Cheese: a small Saanenland board rather than a dessert; the Pays-d’Enhaut Gruyère is usually the strongest cheese on the board in winter.
Avoid the international tourist-friendly dishes toward the back of the card — the pasta and the Swiss classics are why the Olden’s kitchen has stayed relevant.
Ask us to book
First time in Gstaad? We’ll book the Olden as the anchor and plan the rest of the week around it.
Send WhatsAppWhen to go
The Olden is open year-round, which in the Saanenland is rare. The character of the room changes sharply by season:
- Winter: crowded, international, bar-loud. The Olden at 19:30 on a Saturday in ski week is the social summary of Gstaad in one room.
- Spring (April): one of the best quiet experiences in the valley. The terrace opens, the village is empty, the kitchen slows down.
- Summer: the terrace comes fully into its own — a sunny Promenade lunch in July is one of the defining Saanenland experiences.
- Autumn: game menus, quieter room, fireplace inside. A favourite of the local resident crowd.
If you can only eat at the Olden once, book a terrace table on a clear summer Wednesday. It is the distilled version of why the restaurant exists.
The Olden is not the best kitchen in Gstaad, and it never tried to be. What it is, reliably, is the room where Gstaad actually happens.
What the Olden is not
It is not a Michelin-starred room. It is not the quietest terrace on the Promenade. It is not the best value. It is not the place to book for a pure gastronomy evening — that is Chesery, Sommet or LEONARD’s.
The Olden’s argument is not on the plate. It is in the room, the bar, the 60 years of continuous returning regulars, and the sense that when you sit at a Promenade window you are looking at almost the same street that the first international Gstaad guests saw in 1965. That is worth something.
Booking and scheduling
Book 48-72 hours out for dinner in normal weeks, one to two weeks out for peak winter weeks and for July-August weekends. The terrace books separately from the interior — always specify preference.
Late service: the Olden’s kitchen runs later than most village restaurants, typically until 22:30. This makes it a viable landing spot if you arrive on a late MOB or if an earlier reservation fell through. On those nights, walking into the bar and asking for a last-minute table often works.
Ready to book?
Hi, book me a table at the Olden. Date: Time: Party size: Terrace or indoor?
Ask us on WhatsApp
