Zum Ritter in the local news

Life has returned to the ground floor of the former Hotel Schwert in Näfels. The restaurant had remained dark for three years, but now the lights are on again. In the stylishly renovated dining room, the tables are set, and the scent of fresh food and coffee fills the air. The last lunch guests have just left.

“This place is both a stroke of luck and destiny for us,” says Jozef Balog. The 45-year-old is beaming. For him and his partner, Martin Sulak (30), the opening is the fulfillment of a long-held dream. “We’ve been talking about it again and again for the last three or four years,” Balog explains. Martin, in particular, had long harbored the desire to start his own business as a trained chef with extensive culinary experience. They searched the region for a suitable location for over a year. Balog, a real estate professional by trade, used the time to complete his hospitality management exams in St. Gallen.

A Phone Call During a Ski Trip

The decisive tip came somewhat by chance. “We were in the middle of a ski trip in March when a good friend called me,” Balog recounts. She knew someone who was leasing out a restaurant. On March 17th, Balog and Sulak viewed the property for the first time. “When we walked in, Martin and I just looked at each other—and we knew immediately: This is what we want.” It was love at first sight.

The crucial message followed just a week later. “Exactly on my birthday, March 25th, I received the text message that we could take over the restaurant,” says Balog. “It was the most beautiful gift—and our destiny.” After that, everything moved quickly. On April 14th, the contract was signed and the keys handed over, and preparations began the next day. At the end of April, the first employees joined the team, on May 1st the operating license was granted, and on May 5th the restaurant opened its doors under a new name: Zum Ritter.

Homemade, Fresh, Without Compromise

Jozef Balog and Martin Sulak focus on cuisine that is regionally rooted yet looks beyond the horizon. “The foundation is Swiss cuisine with international influences,” says Sulak. His passion for cooking is palpable—and craftsmanship comes first. Almost everything is homemade and freshly prepared. “I make all the sauces myself.” This is exactly what sets them apart from many other establishments. “We put virtually no convenience products on our plates.”

The menu is deliberately kept concise. From Tuesday to Friday, there are daily changing lunch menus: salad and soup are always included, complemented by a meat dish and a vegetarian option. At lunch and in the evening, guests can order à la carte.

Among the dishes that emerged as crowd favorites in the first few days is the veal cordon bleu. “It’s selling very well,” says Sulak. “Our burger is also popular.” Classic meat dishes like Chateaubriand with homemade jus are particularly close to his heart. “You don’t find that often these days.” Those who wish can even order their steak by weight—an entrecôte is available up to 500 grams upon request. For dessert, Sulak serves, among other things, a warm lava cake with a liquid chocolate center and ice cream; homemade tiramisu will soon be added.

“We want to offer fair prices—no high-price standard,” says Sulak. A lunch menu costs between 20 and 24 francs, homemade pasta dishes start at 17.50 francs, and the popular veal cordon bleu is 40.50 francs. Zum Ritter is also open in the afternoons for coffee and cake. A small cake buffet is planned; only a suitable display case is missing. The restaurant itself seats around 50 guests. Above it is a cultural hall for 40 to 80 people—a space that Balog and Sulak also plan to utilize in the future.

The Chef Who Wants to Be Seen

In addition to the two elegant chandelier-style ceiling lamps, the open kitchen is an eye-catcher in the dining room. Guests can watch Sulak cook directly—something the tall head chef enjoys. “I like the direct contact,” he says. “The worst thing in the past was when the kitchen was in the basement and the food had to be sent up by lift. There were constant misunderstandings over the intercom.” At Zum Ritter, it’s different: “Here I see what’s going on immediately and have direct contact with the service staff.”

After his culinary training in Slovakia, Sulak worked in restaurants in Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein, most recently spending three years in an upscale establishment in Schaan.

Incidentally, Sulak and Balog didn’t meet in their shared homeland, but in Switzerland—at Christmas in 2020. “Our first date was on December 24th in Glarus,” Balog says and laughs. “I had just returned from Slovakia and was staying with a colleague there. He spontaneously wanted to go visit his mother and told me to come along.” But he didn’t want to show up without a gift. At the same time, Sulak, who was working in Graubünden at the time and would have spent Christmas alone, reached out. “So I said: Just come over.” Balog cooked something, and so the two spent Christmas Eve together.

After that, the relationship quickly grew serious. “We saw each other every week,” says Balog. “There was an hour’s drive between Glarus and Schaan, but that didn’t matter.” In 2022, the couple moved in together in Buchs SG.

Hospitality as a Family Affair

Anyone entering Zum Ritter quickly senses what host Jozef Balog stands for. Hospitality is not just an empty phrase to him: For Mother’s Day, for instance, he bought a large bouquet of roses and handed one to every mother among the guests. “We want guests to say: We felt comfortable here—and we will gladly come back.”

This “we” is meant literally. Zum Ritter is a pure family business: Balog takes care of the office, organization, and service, while his partner Sulak stands as head chef in the kitchen. They are supported by several family members from Slovakia. “My sister Margita leads the service, my older sister Jara helps in the kitchen—together with her son David, who is a cook,” explains Balog. Brother-in-law Ladislav takes care of the technology, cleaning, and everything that happens behind the scenes.

The family also lives together in the former hotel above the restaurant. The innkeeper’s apartment is on the first floor, while Balog and Sulak live one floor above.

The new restaurant name also has a family background. The historic building in Näfels has been called Hotel Schwert for over 150 years—the lettering is still emblazoned on the facade. “A sword belongs to a knight [Ritter],” says Balog. Added to this is his own family history: “My family name can be traced back to 1556 in the Hungarian-Slovak history of the Habsburg era. My ancestors were actually knights.”