Fine dust as a shimmering finish. Colours in pastel tones with vibrant, fresh highlights. Brushes, tweezers, pipettes. You could almost think this was art – and actually, you’d be right. For Heiko Nieder is a master of his craft. A fine dining, Michelin-starred chef whose cooking is out of this world. In his kitchen, nothing is left to chance: each of his creations goes far beyond the familiar, the normal. With his unique style of combining, re-interpreting and arranging, he reaches culinary heights you simply have to experience. If you can get one of the coveted tables in 'The Dolder Grand', Zürich, you are sure to enjoy heavenly moments.
As if the renowned luxury hotel The Dolder Grand wasn’t enthralling enough with its architecture and breathtaking location on the Zürichberg, with Heiko Nieder, it also has a culinary director who has taken high-end gastronomy to a whole new level. And yet this Hamburg-born chef is a down-to-earth family man, who has made a career out of his passion. With success: he now holds 19 GaultMillau points and two Michelin stars. In the kitchen he is creative and a perfectionist, demanding discipline and high performance from himself and his team. He puts extraordinary experiences on the plate, where you can immediately see his attention to detail: the Breton lobster nestles up to some melon; cocoa fruit juice, passion fruit and coconut engulf a Dublin Bay prawn; a cherry sorbet is enthroned on a bed of white chocolate surrounded by green olives and herbs. You almost feel a touch of wistfulness when you end the beauty of these artistic creations by eating them.
'I only became a chef because I enjoy eating.'
Heiko Nieder, Top chef
Dinner is served. And not just live in the restaurants at The Dolder Grand, but in future, in the homes of ambitious hobby cooks, too: in his recently published, almost 400-page cookbook, Heiko Nieder shows us how he pampers his guests with elaborate amuse bouches, aperitifs and set meals. The food concepts he introduces, brilliantly captured by photographer Fabian Häfeli and explained by author David Schnapp, will make you want to try your hand at gourmet cuisine yourself. And they show in an impressive manner just how much craftsmanship, effort and attention to detail go into Heiko Nieder’s daily work. His signature style? You could say it’s high-tech meets boho. Purism, paired with a touch of opulence. Everything is possible, nothing is a must, apart from the balanced flavours and winning presentation. Stay curious, go different ways, discover and try out new things – this is how Heiko Nieder has developed his own unmistakeable style. Gourmet delights to rave about, worthy of all the stars.
Coffee-Table-Book «Heiko Nieder – The Restaurant»
The 270 x 330 mm coffee-table book-style cookbook has 384 pages and is available for CHF 120.00 (recommended retail price) at the Dolder Grand, Zurich itself, in bookshops and online in German.
