Grand Culinary Opening in Austria
Aurea Fine Dining, 6 June 2025

Austria’s fine dining scene is about to welcome a dazzling new player: AUREA helmed by Executive Chef Phillip Schnabel opens its doors on 6 June in the Tirolean Wildschönau. The new fine dining restaurant pushes the boundaries of gourmet cuisine by uniting the finest ingredients with a wellbeing philosophy. Set within an 850-year-old vaulted cellar, AUREA creates an atmosphere of refined luxury and exclusivity, welcoming just eight guests per evening for an intimate and unforgettable culinary experience. This rising concept is guided by a thread of exceptional quality, meticulous attention to detail and a seamless connection to holistic health.

Photo credits: Michael Huber Photografy, David Innerhofer, Barish Baur

Phillip Schnabel, a native of Berlin, trained as a chef at the 5-star superior Hotel Concorde in Berlin. His culinary journey took him from Concorde to the Gendarmerie Berlin, then to Fischers Fritz at Regent Berlin, awarded two Michelin stars under Christian Lohse. From there, Schnabel moved on to Waldhotel Sonnora in Germany’s Eifel region and then to Switzerland, working at Kurhaus Bergün in Graubünden, followed by a brief return to Germany at the three-Michelin-star La Vie in Düsseldorf. He soon headed back toward Zurich, joining Ecco and then Hotel Schweizerhof in Saas Fee, where he rose from sous-chef to chef de cuisine. His next steps took him to Restaurant Attisholz in Solothurn, Schloss Lieser in Rhineland-Palatinate and then ESSENCE in Munich, before ultimately arriving at Mount Med Resort in Wildschönau.

He developed a passion for creating new dishes under mentor Christian Lohse, enriching it with a personal love for sushi, Mediterranean influences and, above all, an uncompromising demand for quality. Out of this symbiosis, Schnabel crafts his compositions. Particularly fascinating is his approach: his culinary development process starts at the top.

‘Every new dish begins with a flavour vision. From that vision, I build the dish top-down to the last ingredient. I tinker, add, subtract and synthesise until I achieve the flavour I envisioned – one that lingers in the mouth until the very last bite.’

Schnabel, named a Top 50 Chef by Schlemmer Atlas, brings a distinct style to the Austrian Alps: a blend of French culinary foundations, Asian finesse and uncompromising product quality, all wrapped in his signature philosophy – complex but never overworked.

‘I want every dish to tell a story and evoke emotion – that’s when food becomes unforgettable.’ Phillip Schnabel

The culinary journey at AUREA mirrors the alchemist’s quest, where the destination is the vision of self-created gold.

AUREA is located within Mount Med Resort, a pioneering medical wellness destination renowned for its holistic approach to health, longevity and wellbeing. Seamlessly blending gourmet excellence with the resort’s philosophy, AUREA offers an exclusive dining experience that reflects Mount Med’s commitment to quality, innovation and transformative care.