Martin Dalsass

Martin was born in Deutschnofen, a province of South Tyrol in northern Italy. After various apprenticeships in Bolzano, the capital city of South Tyrol, he travelled to Paris and Switzerland to further his kitchen experience, eventually joining the Hotel Bellevue in Gstaad in 1980. In 1985, he opened his first solo venture, Santabbondio, in Sorengo, close to Lugano in southern Switzerland. The restaurant won a Michelin star and in 2001, Gault & Milau awarded him their “Chef of the Year” award. In 2011, he and his family moved to St. Moritz and the historic Tavlo restaurant. Due to his kitchen philosophy and use of olive oil instead of butter, Martin has become known to many as the “Olive Oil Pope”.