"Sushi master Tsutomu Kugota flies his fish from Japan to a chalet counter in Gstaad — a detour worth taking to impress clients."
Tsutomu Kugota, the sushi master at Megu, flies his fish in from Japan to a chalet dining room more than a thousand metres up the Bernese Oberland. Megu is the Japanese restaurant inside The Alpina Gstaad on Alpinastrasse 23, and it earned a Michelin star in 2016 and holds 16 GaultMillau points, which named it Switzerland's best Asian table. It is the most ambitious Japanese cooking in Gstaad, a village better known for fondue and ski-season fortunes.
Kugota leads a Japanese kitchen that sources rare ingredients and flies premium fish directly from Japan's markets to the Alps. The signature is the miso black cod, rich and delicate at once, alongside a sushi and sashimi counter and Wagyu beef cooked to order. The interior was drawn by designer Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance, with a dedicated sushi counter where Kugota works. This is genuine fine dining: a la carte mains start high and a full dinner with sake runs roughly CHF 150 to CHF 250 a head, more at the counter. For the wider context of what a sushi counter at this level should deliver, see our definitive sushi guide.
Megu is a warm, low-lit chalet room with Far-Eastern touches, a sushi counter as its focal point and generous spacing between tables. Sound stays conversation-easy rather than buzzy, suited to a quiet deal or a long dinner. The crowd is hotel guests and Gstaad regulars in winter, thinner in shoulder season. Dress is smart; this is a luxury hotel dining room, so a jacket reads correctly even without a strict code. The counter seats are the ones to request.
Book Megu to impress a client because it stacks the right signals: a Michelin-recognised kitchen, a quiet room that lets you actually talk, and the unmistakable spend of fish flown from Japan to a Swiss mountain. Sit at the counter, let Kugota lead with sushi and the miso black cod, and add a sake flight. It also makes a strong anniversary dinner for the same reasons. Our editors explain why a quiet, well-spaced room matters for occasions like this in our piece on the signs of a great restaurant.
Not for a budget ski-trip dinner or anyone expecting casual izakaya pricing. Megu is a luxury-hotel Japanese room where fish is flown from Japan, and a full meal with sake runs well into three figures per person.
Yes, if you want serious Japanese cooking in the Alps. Megu earned a Michelin star in 2016 and holds 16 GaultMillau points, with sushi master Tsutomu Kugota flying fish in from Japan to a chalet counter in Gstaad. A full dinner with sake runs roughly CHF 150 to CHF 250 a head. It is a special-occasion spend, not a casual one.
Book through The Alpina Gstaad, ideally well ahead in the winter ski season when the hotel and the room are busiest. The sushi counter has limited seats and is the spot to request. Shoulder seasons are quieter and easier. Confirm the room's operating dates with the hotel, since the season is winter-weighted.
Smart. Megu is the Japanese restaurant inside a luxury hotel, so smart attire is expected; a jacket reads correctly for dinner even though there is no rigid code. The room is warm and low-lit rather than stuffy. Resort and ski-town dressing is normal in Gstaad, but step it up a notch for an evening at the counter.
Order the miso black cod, the dish the kitchen is known for, and let the sushi counter lead with sashimi and nigiri from fish flown in from Japan. Add Wagyu cooked to order and a sake flight. Sitting at the counter and letting Kugota guide the meal is the best way to eat here rather than ordering blind from the menu.
Yes, it is one of the strongest client dinners in Gstaad. The Michelin-recognised kitchen, the quiet well-spaced room and the obvious spend of Japan-flown fish all send the right signal, and the room stays calm enough to talk business. Book the counter, let the chef lead, and add sake. It works equally well for a milestone anniversary.
Megu books through The Alpina Gstaad and runs a winter-weighted season; reserve the counter ahead in peak ski months.
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The Alpina's Michelin-recognised Japanese room sits among Gstaad's best tables in our occasion-ranked guide.
Gstaad dining guide →
