The countdown to Christmas is on and this year’s table will be crowned with a seasonal tiramisù. But before we feast we’ll journey to a revamped 17th-century Swiss chalet in the Bernese Alps and take a seat at a cosy ‘osteria’ in Budapest. Plus: we chat to the co-founder of Zürich’s Christmas markets and toast to the season with a contemporary French whisky. Leading the way is Tyler Brûlé.

I’ll start this Sunday with a scene-setter. It’s Saturday afternoon and I’m rinkside at the Kulm in St Moritz, jazz classics are playing for the skaters and lunchers, the furs are out, PC-12s and Challengers are passing overhead on approach to Samedan, we’ve scored tickets to see Conclave tonight and there’s a full baking programme lined up for the days ahead, including Estonian kringel (saffron-raisin bread) and gingerbread cookies.

In the village things are shifting into full swing. Approaches into the Dorf are lined with Italian and German licence plates and if you try to book a table at any of the top restaurants you’ll be told to check in again after 6 January. Thankfully we’ve secured the tables we need and are going with a bit of an experiment for Christmas Eve. Rather than the stress of prepping a Baltic feast this year, we’re having the Estonian chefs at the charming Albana Hotel in Silvaplana take on the assignment. Worry not, I’ll give you a full report next week.

At our client cocktail party in Zürich on Tuesday, I got a lot of: “Do you manage to properly switch off in the mountains?” I’m always tempted to say, “Yes! Absolutely. It’s my time to completely disconnect and return to centre.” This, however, would be an enormous fib. For though there are fewer meetings, there are still plenty of work contacts to catch up with, big ideas to plot in my notebook, columns to write and daily visits to the Monocle resort shop we’ve opened again at the Hotel Steffani (pictured throughout). If you’re up here over the season, make sure to swing by and say hello to Max (or occasionally Tobi), grab a coffee and watch the village pass by. Should your winter pursuits take you to the other side of the Alps, there’s also our outpost in Merano on Dantestrasse. In fact, we’re hosting a shopping eve there tomorrow night if you just happen to be in Südtirol.

Before I go, a big thank you to all who have made the jump from being readers to subscribers, plus those who’ve offered Monocle or Konfekt (or both!) as Christmas gifts. If you’ve not found your way into the club that helps us get out in the world, then you can swiftly sign up here. Also, it was a delight seeing so many of you at Midori House this past weekend for our Christmas market. To set the tone for the coming days, here’s a little highlight reel. Merry Christmas and more next week.

Anyone seeking an authentically Helvetic home for the winter holidays should consider swapping the grand hotels of Gstaad, Verbier and Zermatt for something a little less well-known (writes Grace Charlton). Set in the 800-year-old mountain town of Ernen, in the canton of Valais, Michelhaus is a new property from Reto Holzer. The Zürich hair salon-owner purchased the three-storey building for himself in 2020 before opening it up to holidaymakers.

The chalet was built in 1686 and in dire need of renovation when Holzer bought it. Working with Valais architects and carpenters, he saved the original floors and the stone hearth that still boasts the original inhabitant’s coat of arms. Holzer split the house into two apartments that can each sleep up to five people in plush Hästens beds. Antique milking stools, cowbells and paintings procured from brocantes (secondhand shops and markets) contribute to the old-world decor, while Holzer also furnished the house with modern pieces including Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Couch.

“This is a place for people looking for something rustic and cosy,” he says. Hunkered in Holzer’s chalet, the calm that might elude you in Gstaad, Verbier or Zermatt is as hard to ignore as the Alps out the window.
michelhaus.ch

For more under-the-radar winter escapes and Alpine boltholes, pick up a copy of Monocle’s bumper December/January issue, available online and on newsstands now.

Restaurateur and events entrepreneur Katja Weber co-founded the Zürich Christmas markets on Sechseläutenplatz between Bellevue and the Opera House in 2015 (writes Claudia Jacob). Here, she chats to us about overdoing the cheese at Christmas, where she gets her culture fix and the Berlin-based radio station that has her ear.

With Christmas just on the horizon, this week’s recipe is a celebratory tiramisù decorated with star anise and redcurrants for some seasonal cheer. Chef’s tip: for the best results, this treat should be prepared a day in advance.

Alelí might at first seem a peculiar proposition: a Spanish chef opening an Italian restaurant in the Hungarian capital (writes Alexei Korolyov). But Budapest sees itself as a city at an international crossroads.

Dani García is a chef with a global outlook and impeccable credentials: his former restaurant in Marbella, Dani García Restaurante, earned three Michelin stars in 2019. His latest venture, which opened earlier this year on the ground floor of Budapest’s Dorothea Hotel, is run by the Botaniq Collection hospitality group, which has been gradually revitalising its Hungarian offerings.

Despite its upscale setting, Alelí functions as a charming osteria. Expect plenty of pasta and pizza alongside pork roasts and fish, all inspired by García’s devotion to Mediterranean cuisine. (Don’t miss out on the beef cheek with artichokes and potatoes.) The chef sources his ingredients directly from Italy, while the wine list showcases gems from Hungary, a country renowned for its vineyards. We’ll drink to that.
aleli.hu

Named after the archaic French term for a fortress (ferté), Laferté whisky aims to add a touch of Gallic elegance to this classic liquor (writes Lucrezia Motta). “It took more than a hundred tasting sessions to perfect Laferté’s recipe for a blended malt whisky distilled, matured and blended in France,” co-founder Anthony Davoigniot tells The Monocle Weekend Edition.

There’s an art to a well-executed social gathering. From the tablecloth and playlist to the lighting and pre-dinner tipple, every detail will affect the outcome of your seasonal soirée. This week in our hospitality series, we have a kir royale with Alberto Alessi, president of Italian design company Alessi Spa, which was established in 1921.