Swiss food: what to eat in Switzerland
Swiss food is cheese, potatoes, bread and good meat, cooked differently in each language region. German-speaking Switzerland brings rösti and sausage, French-speaking Switzerland fondue and raclette, and Ticino polenta and risotto. Eat the regional dish wherever you are, and treat lunch as the meal to spend on.
The short answer
- Order this first
- Fondue or raclette in the cooler months, rösti with a sausage or veal at any time, and a plate of local cheese and dried meat for lunch.
- When people eat
- Lunch is around noon and often the main meal. Dinner starts early, usually from 6 or 7pm, and kitchens in smaller towns may stop by 9pm.
- Tipping
- Service is included. Round up or leave a franc or two if you were happy. Nobody expects a percentage.
- Where to eat well
- Fixed-price lunch menus, bakeries, market stalls and supermarket delis keep costs down. See our city food guides for named places in Zurich, Geneva, Lucerne, Interlaken and Zermatt.
What to eat in Switzerland
- FondueMelted cheese in a shared pot, eaten with bread on long forks. It is a cold-weather meal, usually for two or more, and is on menus across the country.Western Switzerland
- RacletteCheese melted and scraped over boiled potatoes, with pickles and onions. It comes from the Valais, and is easy to find in Zermatt and in market stalls.Valais
- RöstiGrated potato fried into a golden cake, served as a side or a meal with egg, bacon or sausage. The classic partner for veal.Bern and the German-speaking north
- Zürcher GeschnetzeltesSliced veal in a cream and white wine sauce, almost always with rösti. Ask for it by name in Zurich's traditional restaurants.Zurich
- ÄlplermagronenA mountain-hut dish of macaroni, potatoes, cheese and onions, served with apple sauce. Try it around Lucerne.Central Switzerland
- Papet vaudoisLeeks and potatoes stewed slowly and served with a pork sausage. A comfort dish of the Lake Geneva region.Vaud
- CapunsSmall dumplings of dough, dried meat and herbs wrapped in chard and simmered in a sauce. Worth finding in the east.Graubünden
- BündnerfleischAir-dried beef, sliced thin, eaten with bread, cheese and pickles. A good light lunch.Graubünden
- Polenta and risottoTicino cooks like northern Italy. Expect polenta with braised meat, risotto with local sausage, and chestnuts in the cooler months.Ticino
- Basler LäckerliA hard, spiced honey biscuit with nuts and candied peel, sold in tins across the country. Basel is where it started.Basel
How the food changes across Switzerland
German-speaking Switzerland
Potatoes, sausage, veal, rösti and hearty bakes. Dishes are plain and filling, and the beer is good.
French-speaking Switzerland
Fondue, raclette, leeks and sausages, and wine from steep lakeside vineyards. The cooking is closer to eastern France.
Ticino
Italian in spirit, with polenta, risotto, and lunch served under grape pergolas. Merlot is the local red.
The mountains
Cheese, dried meat, simple pasta dishes and soups, made to fuel a day outside. Huts keep short menus.
What to drink in Switzerland
- Swiss white wineChasselas from Lake Geneva's terraced vineyards is the standard. Most Swiss wine is drunk at home, so it is worth ordering locally.
- BeerLager is common and most towns have a local brewery. A small glass is a normal serving, which keeps the bill down.
- Kirsch and other fruit spiritsClear fruit brandies, often poured after a heavy meal. Take it slowly.
- Coffee and hot chocolateCafé crème is a long coffee with cream. Hot chocolate is made properly and is worth it after a cold morning.
- Tap waterIt is excellent, and public fountains are safe to drink from unless marked otherwise. Ask for it at a restaurant, which is often free of charge or cheaper than bottled.
Where to eat in Switzerland, city by city
Zurich
The biggest city, with a lake, an old town and the best rail connections in the country. It suits a first night or last night, and anyone who likes museums and good restaurants.
Order Zürcher Geschnetzeltes
Geneva
A lakeside French-speaking city with the United Nations quarter, the old town and the Jet d'Eau. It suits a short stop on the way to the Alps or France.
Order Cheese fondue
Lucerne
A small old town on a lake, with a covered wooden bridge and mountains behind. It is the easiest base for day trips and suits first-timers.
Order Luzerner Chügelipastete
Interlaken
A town between two lakes at the foot of the Bernese Oberland. It suits hikers and anyone heading for Jungfraujoch, Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen.
Order Rösti
Zermatt
A car-free village under the Matterhorn, reached by train. It suits hikers in summer and skiers in winter, and it is worth the cost on a clear day.
Order Walliser Teller
How Switzerland eats
- Meal timesBreakfast is bread, cheese and coffee. Lunch from noon is the main meal, and dinner often starts from 6 to 7pm.
- CoffeeOrder at the table and sit as long as you like. Cafés expect you to ask for the bill when you are ready.
- ReservationsBook dinner for popular restaurants and for fondue in winter. Small places in mountain towns are often shut on a set day.
- TippingService is included, so rounding up is enough.
- PricesEating out costs more than in most of Europe. A daily menu at lunch, a bakery or a supermarket meal is the usual way to save.
Signs of a place to walk past
A fondue menu in July with a sign outside in six languages and no locals inside.
A restaurant on the main bridge or square with fixed photo menus and a high price for ordinary rösti.
A mountain-top restaurant with no price on its menu, in a place with no alternative nearby.
A souvenir chocolate shop that sells only boxes and has nothing from a local maker.
Food in Switzerland: questions people ask
What food is Switzerland known for?
Cheese above all, in fondue and raclette, plus rösti, sausages, veal in cream sauce and chocolate. Each language region adds its own dishes.
What is the national dish of Switzerland?
There is no official one. Fondue and rösti are the two people usually name, and rösti is claimed by the German-speaking half and fondue by the west.
What should vegetarians eat in Switzerland?
Fondue, raclette, rösti with egg, Älplermagronen and Ticino risotto are all vegetarian, though check for bacon and meat stock. Most menus now offer a vegetarian dish.
Is food expensive in Switzerland?
Yes, compared with most of Europe. Lunch menus, bakeries, market stalls and supermarket delis are the cheaper routes. Tap water is safe to drink.
Do you tip in Switzerland restaurants?
Service is included in the price. Round up or leave a franc or two for good service. Nobody expects a percentage.
When is fondue eaten in Switzerland?
Traditionally from autumn to spring, when the weather is cold. Restaurants serve it year round for visitors, but locals eat it in the cooler months.
What should I try in Ticino?
Polenta, risotto with local sausage, and chestnut dishes in autumn. The cooking is Italian in spirit, with Merlot as the local red wine.
Can you drink the tap water in Switzerland?
Yes. It is high quality, and public fountains are safe to drink from unless a sign says otherwise.