Tucked high in the South Tyrolean Alps, FORESTIS is the kind of place where time slows down and days pass quietly—glass walls looking out to the Dolomites, fresh alpine air, spa rituals and hikes through the forest. But it’s when the sun goes down that the real magic begins. Follow a narrow path into the woods and you’ll find YERA.
Opened in the summer of 2025, YERA is FORESTIS’s boldest project yet: a forest restaurant unlike anything else in the Alps. The name “YERA” comes from the old Germanic word meaning “the harvest,” a nod to ancient seasonal rhythms and the Celtic calendar that subtly guides the kitchen.
Chef Roland Lamprecht leads the kitchen here, and he doesn’t just cook—he tells stories through the elements. Each course draws from earth, water, air, or fire, reflecting the natural world outside the stone walls. The experience moves through two “chapters”: light and dark, echoing the shift from day to night, summer to winter.
Earth brings deep, grounding flavors—roots, broths, umami. Water is bright and clean, like spring in the Alps. Air is light and herbal, barely there on the tongue. Fire finishes it all with smoke, char, and warmth.
YERA isn’t your typical restaurant. In fact, it’s not really a restaurant at all—more like a three-hour ritual wrapped in firelight, and a story. When you arrive, you hand over your phone. Not as a gimmick, but because what happens next deserves your full attention. You enter a space that’s all earth and element: stone walls, a timber ceiling, and furniture shaped from entire tree trunks. Everything is custom-made by local artisans—even the cutlery, which feels slightly unfamiliar in the best way. At the center of it all, a single fire burns. And around it, the experience unfolds.
There’s no menu to read. No choices to make. Just a sequence of 14 dishes that arrive one by one, slow and certain, as if you already know what’s coming.
Now, let’s talk about the drinks—because they’re not just along for the ride. They’re a huge part of what makes YERA unforgettable.
Hannes Unterberger, YERA’s mixologist, is doing something completely different. No spirits. No classic cocktails. Instead, he’s created a whole new category of drink pairing that’s all his own—focusing on ferments, fruit wines, and wild botanicals from right outside the door.
“We make everything ourselves” Hannes says. “Fermented plum wine, spruce wine, rhubarb wine, kombuchas, vinegars—you name it. It all comes from the mountain.”
He serves 12 unique drinks alongside the 14 dishes. Some are lightly alcoholic (nothing over 5% ABV), while others are completely alcohol-free. One example? A risotto made with ground elder (a wild herb). The drink served with it? Ground elder too, infused into a fermented wine. The same goes for wood sorrel with char—you taste it on the plate and in the glass.
The entire YERA concept is grounded in the seasons—not just in the usual farm-to-table way, but in an ancient, elemental rhythm inspired by the Celtic calendar. Ingredients are used at their energetic peak. Wild herbs, fruits, roots—all harvested and preserved to carry their essence through the year.
By the end, something strange happens. You realize you haven’t checked your phone, or looked at the time, or thought about what comes next. The room feels quieter. The air feels sharper. The fire glows warmer.