On 8 September 2026, acclaimed chef Markus Stöckle opened Marküs, an intimate yet vibrant new restaurant situated at Glockengasse 7 in Zurich’s Altstadt. Housed in one of the city’s oldest surviving structures – dating back to 1260 – Marküs represented the most personal and creative chapter of Stöckle’s career to date.
Named as a playful nod to the chef’s nickname, Marküs bridged Stöckle’s impressive culinary arc: from his Bavarian roots and time in Japan to top-tier three-star multisensory kitchens and the vibrant regional cooking of Spain. The result was a hyper-seasonal, joyfully unrestrained tasting menu grounded in a deep sense of time, place, and respect for his home, Zurich.
Stöckle’s cooking balanced meticulous technique with a sense of joy. Dishes reflected close relationships with local producers, rounded out by in-house fermentations and an ongoing scientific collaboration with ETH Zurich. Highlights from the launch menu included a reimagining of Älpler Makkaronen and Whitefish sourced directly from Samuel Weitmann on Lake Zurich, paired with doubanjiang made from fermented beans crafted by Beatrice Peter & Jorge Vasquez of Grüthof, Wildenbach, scallions and fresh sansho pepper from Esther Ratgeb & Matthias Brück in Zurich Oberland.
The tasting menu was deliberately paced and balanced to leave guests feeling contented rather than weighed down, creating a holistic experience of food, wine, and atmosphere.
“It was a true honour to cook in this location and feel the energy and history of the building”, said Chef Markus Stöckle. “There was an incredible sense of freedom here for me. I saw myself as a caretaker of a 700-year-old story of hospitality, and I couldn’t wait to share our vision with our guests.”
The contrast between past and present defined the physical space. Chef Markus Stöckle worked alongside Milan-based design team Studio Dragó. While the ground floor made a striking statement with lacquered red walls and bold black trim, the upper level – the historic Goethe Room, where Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once stayed – retained its original 13th-century wood panelling. The design delivered a dining environment that was simultaneously loud and intimate, historic and undeniably contemporary.
Opened on 8 September, Marküs brought together the freedom and precision of Markus Stöckle’s cooking within one of Zurich’s most remarkable historic settings.