«Cucina Itameshi» comes to Cresta Palace Celerina!
Two cuisines, one surprisingly perfect pairing – and a new stage in the Engadin this winter: Cresta Palace Celerina is bringing the successful dining concept «Cucina Itameshi» to the mountains as a pop-up. From 3 December, Italian soul meets Japanese precision at the historic four-star superior hotel – relaxed, unexpected and with a generous dash of big-city flair.
Tonno Crudo, Italo Kimchi and, of course, the crowd favourite Udon Cacio e Pepe: these and many other Italian-Japanese fusion dishes have already delighted countless guests in Zurich's Old Town. From 3 December 2026 to 29 March 2027, they will find a new home in the former Grand Restaurant at Cresta Palace Celerina, which will be transformed into «Cucina Itameshi» for the winter season.
Food lovers have known it for some time: Italian and Japanese cuisines are kindred spirits. Both rely on just a few exceptional ingredients and pure, authentic flavours. Rather than culinary showmanship, the focus is on precision, quality ingredients and the art of creating depth through simplicity. A perfect example of this harmonious pairing is Udon Cacio e Pepe. The tonnarelli of the original Roman recipe are replaced with hand-pulled, springy udon noodles. Pecorino, pepper, an egg yolk. It hardly gets any simpler. Outstanding ingredients, craftsmanship and balance give this classic a modern, effortless twist. Its soul remains unchanged.
«When we launched Cucina Itameshi, we never imagined the concept would take us from Vienna via Zurich all the way to Celerina», says Tobi Müller. Together with Eduard «Eddi» Dimant, he opened the first Cucina Itameshi in Vienna in 2024, before the concept went on to win over diners in Zurich. «That makes us all the more excited about this next chapter, our joint pop-up in the beautiful Engadin, and the opportunity to introduce our concept to so many new guests in a completely different setting.»
Tradition meets contemporary culinary creativity
With Cucina Itameshi, the grand hotel continues its journey of developing its culinary offering through distinctive restaurant concepts. «Following ‹Ya Mama by Moses Ceylan›, we are delighted to welcome another exceptional concept to Cresta Palace with Cucina Itameshi, bringing fresh culinary inspiration to the Engadin», says Bardhyl Coli, General Manager of Cresta Palace Celerina.
Florian Mainzger, the new Executive Chef at Cresta Palace Celerina since 1 October, will play a key role in bringing the concept to life. Before the opening, he will travel to Vienna for training, gaining first-hand insight into the concept and the finer details of Cucina Itameshi. He will then bring the pop-up to life in Celerina together with the hotel's kitchen team.
A truly perfect match? Almost. When it comes to tiramisù, Cucina Itameshi draws the line at fusion. «No reinterpretation can match the original», Tobi Müller firmly believes, preferring to leave this classic untouched. «The tiramisù was already a huge hit in Zurich, and we want it to be just as popular in Celerina.»
Opening hours: 3 December 2026 to 29 March 2027, daily from 6.30 pm to 10.00 pm
