16 "Gault Millau" points lost "Burgstrasse 9" closed - Thun loses top restaurant
Star chef Stephan Koltes made "Burgstrasse 9" a top culinary address in the Bernese Oberland. With the closure of the restaurant, Thun has now lost 16 "Gault Millau" points in one fell swoop.
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- The restaurant "Burgstrasse 9" in Thun is closed.
- Chef Stephan Koltes turned the restaurant into a top culinary address.
- However, he terminated the rental contract, partly due to disagreements with the landlords.
- With the closure, Thun loses 16 "Gault Millau" points in one fell swoop.
For a long time, there was only one direction for the top restaurant "Burgstrasse 9" in Thun: upwards. Chef Stephan Koltes took over the restaurant in the listed building in December 2021. Then, in September 2022, the accolade came: "Gault Millau" named Koltes chef of the month and awarded his restaurant 15 points, with a further point added the following year. Burgstrasse 9 also received a recommendation in the "Guide Michelin".
Now, however, the restaurant has closed - and Thun has lost 16 "Gault Millau" points in one fell swoop. Koltes confirmed this to the "Berner Zeitung" (paid content).
Koltes told the newspaper that they had terminated the lease "for family reasons" at the end of 2024. Running the restaurant had been very demanding. There had also been disagreements with the landlords.
Dispute over terrace
A planned terrace, which the award-winning chef said would have enhanced the restaurant, also contributed to the decision. However, the landlords rejected the extension "because it was too risky for them", says Koltes, who now works as Junior Executive Sous Chef at the Hotel Schweizerhof in Bern.
"We accommodated Mr. Koltes in all respects, including financially," says Ruedi Schertenleib, who owns the building together with his wife Claudia. The family took over the house, which was built around 1800, at the turn of the millennium and put their heart and soul into renovating it. "The construction of a terrace turned out to be unfeasible in terms of cost/benefit and in compliance with all regulations," says Schertenleib, explaining his view of things.
New restaurant opens in November
With the closure, Thun loses 16 "Gault Millau" points in one fell swoop - and the Bernese Oberland's much-praised culinary scene is one top address poorer.
Nevertheless, the restaurant at Burgstrasse 9 will continue to operate. According to the owners, a restaurant called Alte Schlosserei will open around mid-November. The owners do not want to reveal any more.
