AUREA FINE DINING HONOURED AS GLOBAL WINNER FOR HEALTH AND WELLNESS CUISINE

Aurea Fine Dining at the Mount Med Resort in Wildschönau, Tirol, is celebrating a major achievement. At this year’s World Luxury Awards Gala at the InterContinental Barcelona, the gourmet restaurant – led by Executive Chef Phillip Schnabel – received top honours in the Health & Wellness Cuisine category. Aurea Fine Dining was named Global Winner at the 2025 World Luxury Restaurant Awards, marking a major milestone for the young establishment.

Against a global field of top restaurants from more than 100 countries, Aurea Fine Dining secured the following title at the 2025 World Luxury Restaurant Awards:

Photocredits: marketing deluxe – Said Boumahdi, Keig Studio

This award confirm that Aurea Fine Dining is raising the bar not only in flavour but in culinary concept. For Executive Chef Phillip Schnabel, food is about much more than taste:

‘Our cuisine is about joy – an essential part of a conscious, pleasure-driven lifestyle that supports body, mind and overall wellbeing.’

Schnabel’s creations combine sensory creativity with a deep understanding of how food affects the human body. The result is beautifully crafted dishes that deliver genuine enjoyment while having a lasting, inspiring impact.

Aurea Fine Dining offers an experience that delights not only the palate but also the eye. Set within an 850-year-old stone vault, the restaurant weaves together history, design and emotion to create a truly distinctive culinary journey. Warm lighting, natural materials and hand-crafted design elements shape an atmosphere of calm, understated elegance. The interior reflects Aurea’s guiding philosophy: refined, high-quality and deeply connected to nature. Every detail – from the tableware to the lighting – embodies a commitment to uniting health, flavour and aesthetics in a fully immersive dining experience

At just 40, Executive Chef Phillip Schnabel is regarded as one of the most dynamic voices among a new generation of top chefs – those who seamlessly combine gourmet cuisine with a deep understanding of nutrition and wellbeing.

Born in Berlin, Schnabel trained at the five-star superior Hotel Concorde Berlin before honing his skills at Gendarmerie Berlin (13 Gault&Millau points) and the legendary Fischers Fritz at the Regent Berlin, which held two Michelin stars under Christian Lohse. His culinary path then led him to Waldhotel Sonnora in the Eifel and at the 3-star restaurant La Vie in Osnabrück, before continuing to build his expertise at the renowned Ecco in Switzerland. Schnabel went on to serve as Chef de Cuisine at Hotel Schweizerhof Saas-Fee, where he earned 14 Gault&Millau points. Further influential stages included Restaurant Attisholz in Solothurn (1 Michelin star, 17 Gault&Millau points), Schloss Lieser in Rhineland-Palatinate, and ESSENCE in Munich (17 Gault&Millau points).

Now based in Wildschönau, Tirol, Schnabel brings his vision to life at Mount Med Resort, where he has developed a cuisine that unites flavour, health and vitality in a truly immersive sensory experience. He oversees not only Aurea Fine Dining but the resort’s entire culinary direction – from the medically grounded metabolic programme and the revitalising Health Optimiser, to the plant-forward Green Local Hero concept.

The jury of the World Luxury Restaurant Awards recognised Aurea Fine Dining for its innovative approach to both fine dining and health-focused cuisine. This accolade places the restaurant at the forefront of a visionary culinary movement that sees healthy indulgence as a new form of luxury, shaped by a more conscious lifestyle.

‘This award is a powerful testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team,’ says Phillip Schnabel. ‘Our mission is to bring the essence of wellbeing to the plate and elevate awareness around nutrition. I’m deeply grateful to my team and to the management for their passion, commitment, and the freedom to create something truly exceptional.’

At Aurea Fine Dining, Phillip Schnabel demonstrates that gourmet excellence and healthy eating need not be mutually exclusive. Under his visionary leadership, cuisine becomes a compass for a holistic, sensory experience – one that leaves a lasting impression.

Established in 2015, the World Luxury Restaurant Awards are recognised as a global mark of excellence in high-end dining. Each year, following jury nominations, around 100,000 guests, gourmets and industry professionals from across the world cast their votes to select the winners. In addition to quality and creativity, judging criteria also include service, atmosphere and innovation. Aurea Fine Dining impressed across the board – with a culinary philosophy that defines luxury as the perfect balance of healthy nutrition, responsibility and pure joie de vivre.

The World Luxury Restaurant Awards are part of the World Luxury Awards, launched in 2006 by former hotelier Brandon Lourens in South Africa. His aim was to create a platform to honour and spotlight pioneers and outstanding contributors within the world of international gastronomy and hospitality. The World Luxury Restaurant, Hotel, Spa and Travel Awards 2025 were held on 25 October at the InterContinental Barcelona and on 31 October at the Parkroyal Collection Pickering in Singapore.