No comeback for Christian Jürgens in Zurich

ZURICH. The planned comeback of former three-star chef Christian Jürgens will not go ahead. His involvement with the Villa Florhof in Zurich has come to an end before the hotel has even opened. According to a statement from the operators, Villa Florhof and Christian Jürgens have, after careful consideration, jointly decided to part ways before the hotel opens. Both parties have thanked each other for their collaboration during the set-up phase and wish each other all the best for the future.

Preparations for the opening of Villa Florhof are in their final stages. Overall management is in the hands of Tanja Wegmann, supported by Kilian Rainalter. Villa Florhof will open its doors on 1 August 2026 and welcome its first guests. The brasserie, serving home-style cooking, will be run by John Schiffmann and Christian Hoffmann. The signature restaurant will open as planned in late autumn. Villa Florhof will announce further details of the culinary concept in due course.

John Schiffmann is known for his precise, ingredient-led cuisine that consistently places flavour at the centre of everything. His career took him to Becker’s in Trier and The Dolder Grand in Zurich – before he made his mark as head chef at Restaurant Buech in Herrliberg. Christian Hoffmann also has many years’ experience in German-speaking countries, including at the Palais Coburg in Vienna and several well-known Berlin establishments. Most recently, he worked as sous-chef at the Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer and at Restaurant Golvet in Berlin.

A few days ago, it emerged that two chefs had resigned shortly before the opening. According to the hotel, this matter should have been dealt with “internally, with the help of an external consultant, in a calm manner”. Manager Wegmann emphasised, as reported by the Swiss Gault&Millau, that there had been no row. However, the Swiss tabloid *Blick* had spoken of “significant staffing issues”, without going into detail. According to this report, however, Jürgens and his sous-chef are said to have already left the establishment.