Eating and drinking in Switzerland

Absorbing influences from French, German and Italian food, Switzerland has a wide range of local cuisines. Beyond famous national staples like Swiss cheese, Swiss chocolate, and fondue, which attract international acclaim, you’ll find regional dishes cooked from local ingredients. Read on to discover the answers to all-important questions about food in Switzerland, from “what is Switzerland’s national dish?”, to “what is Switzerland’s most famous food?”. 

Eating out in Switzerland

The line between cafés and restaurants in Switzerland is blurred. While either can normally do you a full meal, these are generally only available at set times — mostly noon–2pm and 6–10pm — with snacks available in between. 

Tips for eating out on a budget in Switzerland

This comprises two or three courses of substantial, quality nosh, whether in a café or a proper restaurant. The same meal in the evening, or choosing à la carte anytime, can easily double the cost.

Budget travellers should also head for the often surprisingly good self-service restaurants in town-centre department stores nationwide.  

Pricing generally goes by the size of the plate, and they offer a variety of generic dishes – soups, casseroles, pasta, with buffets of fresh salads and chicken-and-rice staples, plus fresh-squeezed juices and fruit smoothies. 

What is Switzerland’s national dish?

The word “fondue” refers to the broad, shallow earthenware or cast-iron pot used to heat the cheese.

Myriad varieties are served nationwide. The classic style, found in the fondue heartland of Fribourg and the Vaud countryside, is a moitié-moitié (“half-and-half”), using either Gruyère and Vacherin Fribourgeois cheese, or Gruyère and Emmental. 

Others may use several grades of Gruyère, or mix in some local Alpine cheese, Valaisian raclette cheese or Appenzeller. 

Alongside standard fondue, you’ll also find fondue chinoise throughout Switzerland, which will have you dipping slivers of meat into spicy bouillon. 

Also look out for fondue bourguignonne (dousing lumps of red meat in hot oil), fish fondues, Valaisian fondue Bacchus, which involves mulled wine, and novelty chocolate fondues.

The fondue ritual — how to enjoy Switzerland’s most famous food

First the cheeses are melted together behind the scenes, generally with a shot of some kind of alcohol cider in the orchard-rich east, Kirsch in the cherry-growing central regions, and white wine in Neuchâtel and Vaud.

Next, the aromatic pot is brought to your table and set over a small paraffin burner. 

You use a special long fork to spear a small cube of bread from a separate dish. Some places also serve little chunks of boiled potato and/or vegetables. 

Then you swoop the bread through the cheese, twirl off the trailing ends, and pop it in.

Fondue tips for first-timers

• Fondue is a winter dish — avoid restaurants offering it in summer.
• Since they’re never eaten alone, fondues are priced as a two-person (or more) deal, or as “fondue à discrétion” or “fondue à gogo”, both of which mean “all you can eat".
• To stop the cheese mixture from separating, give it a vigorous swirl through the pot.
• Lose your bread in the fondue, and traditionally the drinks are on you. To avoid this, adjust the heat regularly. Have it high enough to stop the cheese solidifying, but not so high that the mixture boils or scorches the pot.
• With 150–250g of molten cheese usually consumed per person, fondue is heavy on the system. The Swiss-German remedy is to gulp hot herbal tea, so the cheese doesn’t solidify in your innards.
• Alternatively, follow the fearless Romands and chug chilled white wine. Their coup de milieu of a shot of Kirsch halfway through the meal also supposedly helps things settle. 

Brush up on more culture and etiquette in Switzerland.

What to eat in Switzerland — Swiss cheese

Some Swiss cheeses are still made the traditional way — by hand on summer mountain pastures, though these days a lot is made factory-style in dairies. 

As pasteurization is frowned upon by Swiss cheesemakers, all Swiss cheese is made from raw milk, so not a good option if you're pregnant.

In terms of varieties, there are dozens, mostly named after their town or region of origin.

Distinctive cheese includes pungent Appenzeller, whose smelliest variety, Räss, gains its odour from a herb-and-brine marinade. 

The holey mousetrap classic Emmentaler hails from the Emmental region near Bern. Strictly speaking, though, “Emmental” is the name given to any cheese in Switzerland with holes in it — the holes are formed by the CO₂ given off by bacteria during the final stages of production. 

Then there’s smooth, rich, creamy Gruyère from the mountainous region north of Lake Geneva, while Raclette is a spicy, easily-meltable cheese produced throughout Switzerland for the popular Alpine winter dish. Food in Switzerland doesen't get more satisfying.

What to eat in Switzerland — chocolate

However, chocolate isn’t actually a Swiss invention — its origins as a drink lie in Mexico, while the solid chocolate “bar” was developed by the Bristol-based confectioner Joseph Fry in 1847.  

That said, many early pioneers of chocolate-making were Swiss, including François-Louis Cailler, who started production of what was then largely sold as a restorative tonic at Vevey in 1819. Cailler was soon followed by Philippe Suchard in Neuchâtel. 

All chocolate was dark and bitter until 1875, when Vevey-based Daniel Peter, a candle-maker who married Cailler’s daughter, invented milk chocolate. This came courtesy of the condensed milk manufactured by his neighbour, Henri Nestlé. 

In 1879 Rudolphe Lindt of Bern invented “conching”, a process which created the smooth, melting chocolate loved by millions today.  

Jean Tobler, also of Bern, was another pioneer. Even today, every one of the seven billion triangles of Toblerone eaten annually are produced in Bern.

Switzerland also has a long tradition of confectioners creating hand-filled luxury chocolates for special occasions, including chocolate-covered chestnuts in autumn, and chocolate bears, which are a Bernese favourite. 

Best experience for Swiss chocolate lovers

Best places to stay in Gruyères

• Best for couples: Fleur de Lys. In the heart of Gruyères, rooms overlook the square or south-stretching scenery.
• Best for cosy comfort: L’Hôtel de Gruyères. This homely three-star offers fine views from the terrace.

Explore more places to stay in the region of La Gruyère.

Where to eat in Switzerland — Swiss regional specialities 

Bern

Best places to stay in Bern

• Best for luxury-lovers: Innere Enge. This hosted Empress Josephine in 1810 and boasts Art Nouveau styling.
• Best for history buffs: Hotel Landhaus. Overlooking the river, these are Bern's most attractive budget rooms.
• Best for budget travellers: Bern Backpackers/Hotel Glocke. Excellent dorms and facilities in the Old Town.

Browse more of the best places to stay in Bern.

Meiringen

Given that the town is also blessed with lovely scenery, and opportunities to enjoy some of the best outdoor experiences in Switzerland, it’s well worth a visit.

For example, the Reichenbach falls, where Sherlock Holmes apparently met his end, reveal why you voted Switzerland one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

Best places to stay in Meiringen

• Best for Art Nouveau style: Parkhotel du Sauvage. A former Conan Doyle haunt with atmosphere.
• Best for foodies: Hotel Victoria. A three-star with smart contemporary style and equally stylish restaurant.

Discover more places to stay around Meiringen.

Zürich

Best Swiss food experience in Zürich

Best places to stay in Zürich

• Best for culture vultures: Alma Hotel. An upmarket lakeside designer hotel focused on sustainability.
• Best for couples: Hotel Kindli. One of Zürich’s most charming small hotels.
• Best for nightlife-lovers: Pension Furdich. This quaint hotel is close to bars and clubs, and backs onto a park.

Explore more accommodation in Zürich.

Graubünden

It’s also a prime ingredient in Bündner Gerstensuppe — barley cream soup with vegetables. 

You’ll also see lots of game on Graubünden’s autumn menus — a fine example of the heartiness of food in Switzerland.

Best places to stay in Graubünden

• Best for couples: Arosa Kulm, Arosa. An historic palace hotel right on the edge of the slopes.
• Best for families: Sunstar Hotel, Arosa. A casual hotel near Untersee Lake with its own ski school, spa and pool.
• Best for budget travellers: Viva Hostel., Chur. This modern, lively hostel has a range of rooms, some en suite. 

Discover more places to stay in Arosa and Chur in the region of Graubünden.

Valais

As for what this is (and involves), a large half-round of cheese is held in front of a fire. Then, as it melts, it’s scraped (raclé) onto a plate, and served with boiled potatoes, pearl onions and pickles.

Best places to stay in the canton of Valais

• Best for families: Alpe Fleurie, Villars-Gryon. This chalet-style hotel has a long history of catering to families.
• Best for couples: Auberge de la Poste, Les Diablerets. This rustic 200-year-old inn hosted Stravinsky and Lenin.
• Best for luxury-lovers: Art de Vivre, Crans Montana. A quiet upmarket four-star east of central Crans.

Find your perfect place to stay in the canton of Valais. 

Lausanne

Another local speciality is the saucisson vaudois, or pork and beef Vaud sausage. Famed for its delicately smoked flavour, it's served boiled or steamed with a purée of potatoes and leeks. 

Best Swiss food experience in Lausanne

Best places to stay in Lausanne

• Best for couples: Angleterre & Residence. This classsy waterfront hotel once hosted Byron.
• Best for luxury-lovers: Beau-Rivage Palace. One of Switzerland’s finest hotels, with award-winning food.
• Best for families: Elite. Situated on a quiet, centrally located street, this is Lausanne's best mid-price hotel.

Discover more of the best places to stay in Lausanne.

Ticino

Polenta (cornmeal), risotto, leafy salads dressed lightly with olive oil, and fresh pastas and gnocchi with tomato or pesto sauces, are all staples. 

The Ticinesi also love their sausages, especially rich luganega. Spicy mortadella is unlike the Italian version, and is either cooked or air-dried for eating raw.

Best Swiss food experiences in Ticino

• Head to Lugano to relish a self-guided food tour of town. 
• For an immersive experience that combines history, scenery, fashion, and food, book a guided tour of Lugano with lunch — a chef will help you create the perfect risotto. 

Best places to stay in Ticino

• Best for understated style: Giardino Lago, Locarno. This quietly opulent hotel opens onto the waterfront.
• Best for families: Lugano Dante, Lugano. A quality four-star in a converted townhouse.
• Best for couples: Romantik Hotel Castello, Ascona. This four-star has a distinctive tower and romantic rooms. 

Discover more of the best places to stay in Ticino.

Drinking in Switzerland

The only exceptions are fountains clearly marked “kein Trinkwasser”, “eau non potable” or “acqua non potabile”, with a pictogram of a crossed-out drinking glass. 

Tea is invariably drunk without milk, and coffee has some local variations. In German-speaking areas Kaffee creme, coffee with sugar and cream, is popular, as is Milchkaffee, with fresh milk. A Kaffee fertig is coffee with Schnapps. 

After work, bars and terraces fillwith people enjoying an apéro — derived from the French apéritif, and meaning a drink before dinner. 

A cosy Bierstube or Stübli  is the evening meeting place of choice in many parts of German-speaking Switzerland.

Beer and spirits in Switzerland

Fancy something lighter? A panaché is a beer–lemonade shandy.

Switzerland’s most famous distilled spirit or liquor (Schnapps, eau de vie, aquavite) is Kirsch (cherry spirit) from Zug and around Lucerne, which also happens to be the perfect place to embrace slow travel.

Best places to stay in Lucerne

• Best for style-seekers: Art Deco Hotel Montana. Often rated the best four-star hotel in Switzerland.
• Best for nature-lovers: Seehotel Kastanienbaum. In a village outside the city, this has a lovely lakeside terrace.
• Best for romantics: Wilden Mann. This historic hotel dates back to 1517 and occupies seven townhouses. 

Explore more of the best places to stay in Lucerne.

Wine in Switzerland

Switzerland’s best-known wines come from the steeply terraced vineyards of the Valais. Meanwhile, Canton Vaud hosts the celebrated Côte and Lavaux vineyards above Lake Geneva. 

Best places to stay around Lake Geneva 

• Best for lakeside luxury: Le Rive, Nyon. An opulent four-star in a quiet but central lakeside location.
• Best for couples: Romantik Hotel Mont-Blanc au Lac, Morges. An elegant, historic waterside hotel.
• Best for buzz: Les Négociants, Vevey. A reliable family-run hotel just steps from the main square. 

Discover more great places to stay near Lake Geneva.

Hungry for more about Switzerland? The Rough Guide to Switzerland and our run-down of things not to miss in Switzerland will help you plan.

If you're not a fan of planning, you could book a hassle-free tailor-made trip to Switzerland, with customisable itineraries curated by local experts covering everything from unforgettable highlights of Switzerland, to touring the Grand Circle.

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