Chalet Suisse

“The Swiss Restaurant in New York City”

Chalet Suisse
Swiss
1924–1988

Ownership:

Konrad “Konni” Egli (c. 1961)

Alfred & Clara Baertschi

Executive Chef:

Dietmar Schlüter (1975–1988)

Erwin Herger (c. 1961–1975)

Konrad “Konni” Egli

Location:

6 East 48th Street (1966–1988)

45 West 52nd Street (1924–1966)

Publications:

Duane, Diane. “Chocolate Fondue: Its True History and the Original Recipe.” The Mind Palate. Blog, February 1, 2025 (illustrated). [Features a recipe for Chalet Suisse’s original chocolate fondue.]

Khatib, Joumana. “‘An Editor Can Save You from Yourself’: Remembering Alice Mayhew.” New York Times, February 5, 2020.

Smith, Andrew F. “Chalet Suisse.” In Andrew F. Smith, ed., Savoring Gotham: A Food Lover’s Companion to New York City. New York: Oxford University Press, 2015: 100-101.

Schlüter, Dietmar. Chalet Suisse: Fondue, Veal and More. BookSurge, 2007.

Lovegren, Sylvia. Fashionable Food: Seven Decades of Food Fads. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2005: 240. [Credits Egli with the invention of fondue bourguignonne in 1956.]

Mariani, John. Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink. New York: Lebhar-Friedman, 1999: 130.

Sheraton, Mimi. “Delicious, Solid, Countrified Swiss.” New York Times, December 19, 1980: 30.

Britchky, Seymour. “Rare and Well Done.” New York 13, 5 (February 4, 1980): 41-43.

Canaday, John. “The Last Word in Restaurants from Canaday.” New York Times, August 6, 1976: C1, C13. [Canaday signs off from his brief stint as the New York Times restaurant critic with a list of his favorite restaurants, including Chalet Suisse (“How can food be at once so hearty and so subtle?”), La Caravelle, Gino’s, and Maxwell’s Plum.]

Canaday, John. “Restaurant Reviews: If You Are Not Deterred by That Bill, Pleasant Chalet Suisse Is Worth a Visit.” New York Times, February 14, 1975: 30.

Humphrey, Sylvia Windle. “Fondue Orientale: Good Dunk Dish.” San Bernardino County Sun, July 28, 1963: C-8. [Features recipe for Konrad Egli’s Fondue Orientale.]

Beard, James. “Spécialités de al Maison.” Gourmet 9, 5 (May 1949): 51.

James, Rian. Dining in New York. New York: John Day Company, 1930: 67-69.

Notable Guests:

Jonathan Alter (Journalist)

James Beard (Chef): “It is like writing about home to write about the Chalet Suisse, for I have lunched and dined there many times over a period of years.” (1)

Alice Mayhew (Editor)

Notes:

Chef and owner Konrad Egli brought fondue neuchateloise – Gruyère and Emmental with garlic, white whine, and kirsch – to New York, and is also credited with inventing fondue bourguignonne, featuring strips of beef dipped in oil, in 1956. After moving to 6 East 48th Street, near the Swiss Center, Egli was encouraged to help promote Swiss brand Toblerone and introduced fondue au chocolat at the restaurant in 1966. (2)

(1) Beard, 1949: 51.
(2) Smith, 2015: 100.

Cover photo: Postcard. Ebay. Accessed March 25, 2020.