Restaurant Zur Kaiserkron — Schlutzkrapfen & Venison
Zur Kaiserkron on Via Rezia is the kind of wood-panelled Stube that has been feeding hungry hikers and locals alike for generations, and its Schlutzkrapfen — half-moon pasta stuffed with spinach and ricotta, dressed in brown butter and Parmesan — is widely regarded as the best in the valley. Come hungry and order the full three-course Ladin menu.
What to Order
Start with a Speckbrett: a wooden board of locally cured Speck Alto Adige IGP, aged mountain cheese, pickled turnips and dark rye bread. The Speck here comes from a local producer in Selva and has a deeper, smokier flavour than the supermarket version. Follow with the Schlutzkrapfen, whose pasta is rolled thin enough to see the green filling through it.
For a main course, the braised venison cheek with red cabbage and Knödel (bread dumplings) is a winter staple that showcases local game from the surrounding forests. In summer, look for the daily special of grilled trout from the Isarco river valley, served with roasted polenta and wild herbs.
The Setting and Wine
The interior is a textbook South Tyrolean Stube: low timber ceilings, carved bench backs, a ceramic wood-burning Kachelofen in the corner and hunting trophies on the walls. It seats around 40 people, so reservations are essential in high season (July–August and December–January).
The wine list leans heavily on Alto Adige DOC bottles; ask the owner for a glass of Cantina Produttori Valle Isarco Kerner — a crisp, aromatic white that cuts through the richness of the buttered pasta perfectly. Finish with a Grappa di Gewürztraminer distilled in nearby Termeno.
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