Dominik Hartmann

In between preparing and serving food, the kitchen team at the Magdalena restaurant like to shoot a few hoops on the basketball court. Or hold quenelle-making battles. And on occasion, a two-and-a-half-year-old boy can be seen distributing a bowl of cornflakes around the eatery. The atmosphere at the Magdalena in Rickenbach, Canton Schwyz, is unlike that of other restaurants of a similar calibre. It is easy-going, uncomplicated, almost casual. And yet the service and cuisine are definitely more than up to the mark when it comes to making the guests happy. That's a requirement, not a contradiction.

To make the approach work, a well-coordinated team is needed. At the Magdalena, that consists of Dominik Hartmann, his wife Adriana Hartmann and Marco Appert. The three of them are equal partners in the business. Dominik manages the kitchen, while Marco and Adriana are in charge of the service side – although the young mother has scaled back a little since the birth of her two children. «Everyone has their own strengths, which means we complement each other extremely well,» says Dominik Hartmann, explaining his recipe for success. And he is a success with the critics too. As the «Discovery of the Year» and recipient of 15 points, the man from Schwyz made it into the GaultMillau guide two years ago, while autumn 2021 saw him being awarded a further point.

Dominik Hartmann always dreamt of running his own restaurant. He made his first plans while still at primary school, along with classmate Marco Appert. «But the fact that we've opened our restaurant here where we grew up is pure coincidence.» The Magdalena was previously an eatery and the building was due to be demolished and rebuilt. «We told the owners we were interested. With a little help from Sarah and Andreas Caminada, we then submitted a business plan.»

One pandemic, two Michelin stars and a pop-up bakery later, it's already time for a subtle change of concept. «Since the beginning of 2022, we've only been serving vegetarian dishes.» It's not a major change – beetroot and celery already featured strongly on the menu. «I don't really like meat all that much myself. But I think the region has great dairy products that I enjoy using,» says Hartmann, explaining the move. «We've only really had positive feedback. Of course there are a few sceptical guests too. But by the time they've eaten three courses, even die-hard carnivores are won over.» Beetroot still persists on the menu. «We had beetroot steak on the menu right at the start. And our guests ask for it. That's why we've kept on refining the dish.» In its latest guise, beetroot is served smoked with a radish and beetroot broth.

Text: Kathia Baltisberger, Photos: Olivia Pulver