Thorsten Probost is the German-born chef who, for almost two decades, made Restaurant Griggeler Stuba at the Burg Vital Resort in Oberlech, in the Austrian Arlberg, one of the most distinctive gourmet addresses in the Alps. He is best known as a pioneer of foraged-herb cuisine — building dishes around wild alpine plants — and was named Gault&Millau Chef of the Year in Austria in 2008.
Probost led the Griggeler Stuba kitchen from 2002 until 2019, turning the mountain restaurant in Lech am Arlberg into a culinary destination before stepping back and later joining the team at the Bio-Hotel Schwanen in the Bregenzerwald.
TL;DR
- German-born chef, born 2 March 1973 in Geislingen, Germany
- Head chef of Restaurant Griggeler Stuba at the Burg Vital Resort, Oberlech (Lech am Arlberg), 2002–2019
- Pioneer of a foraged wild-herb cuisine that influenced Austrian gastronomy
- Gault&Millau Chef of the Year (Austria) 2008, rated 18/20 points
- Stepped back from Griggeler Stuba in 2019; later joined the Bio-Hotel Schwanen in the Bregenzerwald
Thorsten Probost key facts
| Born | 2 March 1973, Geislingen, Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Defining restaurant | Griggeler Stuba, Burg Vital Resort, Oberlech, Austria (2002–2019) |
| Signature | Foraged wild-herb cuisine of the Alps |
| Major honour | Gault&Millau Chef of the Year (Austria), 2008; 18/20 points |
| Training | Burgrestaurant Staufeneck (Salach); Schloss Prielau under Jörg Wörther |
Early life and training
Thorsten Probost was born on 2 March 1973 in Geislingen, Germany, and trained as a chef at the Burgrestaurant Staufeneck in Salach. Through the 1990s he worked in a series of German restaurants and hotels, before serving as chef poissonnier under Jörg Wörther at Schloss Prielau in Zell am See, Austria — the move across the border that set up the Austrian phase of his career.
Griggeler Stuba and herb cuisine
From 2002 Probost was head chef of the Griggeler Stuba at the Burg Vital Resort in Oberlech, high above Lech am Arlberg. There he developed the foraged-herb cuisine that became his signature: dishes built around wild alpine plants — from clovers and wood sorrel to meadowsweet root — gathered in the mountains around the resort. The approach was something of a quiet revolution in Austrian gastronomy and drew followers well beyond Lech, turning the Griggeler Stuba into one of the most sought-after gourmet tables in the Alps.
Signature style
Probost’s cooking put wild herbs and alpine plants at the centre of fine dining rather than the margins. Working with what grew around the resort through the seasons, he built a precise, nature-led style that was unusual for its time and helped establish foraging and herb-forward cooking as a serious idea in Austrian gastronomy.
Awards and recognition
- Gault&Millau Chef of the Year (Austria), 2008
- Rated 18/20 points by Gault&Millau
- Griggeler Stuba established as one of the leading gourmet restaurants in the Austrian Alps
Thorsten Probost in context
Probost belongs to the Alpine fine-dining tradition of cooking closely tied to landscape and local nature, in the same conversation as Austrian peers such as Josef Floh, the Swiss Alpine three-star chef Andreas Caminada, and the German master Joachim Wissler.
Follow Thorsten Probost
Burg Vital Resort, Oberlech — official site →
Thorsten Probost FAQ
Where did Thorsten Probost cook?
At Restaurant Griggeler Stuba in the Burg Vital Resort in Oberlech, above Lech am Arlberg in Austria, from 2002 to 2019.
What is he known for?
A pioneering foraged-herb cuisine built on wild alpine plants, which influenced Austrian gastronomy.
Where is Thorsten Probost from?
He was born in Geislingen, Germany, in 1973, and trained in Germany before moving to Austria.
What major award has he won?
He was named Gault&Millau Chef of the Year in Austria in 2008 and rated 18 out of 20 points.
What is he doing now?
He stepped back from the Griggeler Stuba in 2019 and later joined the team at the Bio-Hotel Schwanen in the Bregenzerwald.
