The scent of wood, fire, and freshly ground coffee hangs in the air. Wood chips crunch underfoot on the shiny brass floor, while flames dance quietly in the designer fireplace by St. Gallen stove maker Josef Christian Buck. The light refracts off the old walls, which tell tales of decades filled with long nights, music, and encounters.
Many of the relics from earlier days, such as the characteristic brass floor, the fireplace, and the old bottle drop, were carefully preserved during the renovation. The building itself has an eventful past: as early as the 1980s, the bar was considered a fixture of St. Gallen's nightlife. In August, people celebrated and drank—it was a place where life pulsated.
The charm of the building was already unmistakable back then: warm materials, handcrafted details, and an unmistakable patina that has remained. Gamper, who had known the restaurant since his youth, had always felt connected to the building. However, the restaurateur, known for his Süd Bar, had no plans to open a new restaurant.
But when the homeowners approached him about it, he didn't hesitate for long: "I was already a guest here when I was 18," he says. "If this house ever becomes available, I want to take it over." This spontaneous decision turned into an intensive project: three months of renovation, many nights with craftsmen, cables, and plans, always with the goal of preserving the original spirit of the house. In December 2024, the time had come: the renovation was complete and the August team was ready to welcome its guests.
Three floors full of life
The bar opens up on the ground floor: warm, convivial, with the fireplace as its focal point. Climb the stairs and you find yourself in the Beizli: a room with around twenty seats, subdued lighting, and the tranquility of a place where time stands still. The cuisine here is seasonal and regional – honest, precise, and without pretension. The menu features monthly changing lunch menus and a fine à la carte selection, inspired by eastern Switzerland and cooked with passion.
Through a small window, you can watch chef Jeremy Gmür as he concentrates on arranging the plates with precision. The steep "Himmelsleiter" staircase leads further up to the smoking room under the glass dome. A quiet room made of wood, glass, and metal, where you can retreat and linger undisturbed. Gamper himself is not a restaurateur in the traditional sense. He is an entrepreneur, event organizer, and former professional snowboarder. And someone who hardly ever stands still.
His days are long, his projects numerous. "I've often been asked if my day has more than 24 hours," he says and laughs. Discipline and passion characterize him, and his guests sense that too. When asked if he would advise others to open a bar, he replies: "Only if you really want to. It's not a job you can do on the side. But you get honest feedback—directly, every night."
Passion as a way of life
He expects the same enthusiasm from his team. "We are all very different characters, but we work very well together. That makes our team very progressive and modern. Everyone can do everything, everyone steps in when necessary. If someone is unavailable, the next person takes over without question," explains Gamper. The combination of experience and willingness to learn keeps the concept flexible and the processes stable. But the most important thing is: "We all really enjoy working in the restaurant business." And you can feel that.
The bar menu changes monthly. Some drinks remain, such as the Espresso Martini or the Secret Garden (a kind of basil smash milk punch based on vodka) and the house Negroni, aged in oak barrels and served with stamped clear ice. Many of the ingredients come from the 9000 Spirits distillery in Urnäsch, which Gamper co-founded. After just ten months, August is going better than expected. Regulars from the surrounding area meet curious visitors from Winterthur, Zug, or the Grisons. Everyone comes because they sense that something genuine is happening here.
