Food and Drink Guide to Switzerland: What to Eat and Drink

Swiss food is hearty mountain cooking shaped by its neighbours: German comfort dishes in the north and east, French finesse around Lake Geneva, and Italian polenta and risotto in Ticino. Eating out is expensive, so knowing what to order, and where, makes a real difference.

Cheese at the heart of the table

Melted cheese is Switzerland's best-known contribution to the dinner table, and it is worth having at least once.

• Fondue: a shared pot of cheese melted with white wine and a dash of kirsch, eaten by dipping bread cubes on long forks. "Moitié-moitié" (half Gruyère, half Vacherin Fribourgeois) is a classic blend. Lose your bread in the pot and playful tradition says you buy the next round.
• Raclette: a half wheel of cheese heated and scraped onto boiled potatoes, served with pickled onions and gherkins. It is especially associated with Valais.
• Cheeses to taste: Gruyère, Emmentaler, Appenzeller and Tête de Moine, shaved into delicate rosettes.

Locals mostly eat fondue and raclette in the colder months, but tourist areas serve them all year.

Regional dishes to look out for

• Rösti: grated potato fried into a crisp cake, a German-speaking staple. The cultural divide between German- and French-speaking Switzerland is jokingly called the "Röstigraben" (rösti ditch).
• Zürcher Geschnetzeltes: strips of veal in a creamy mushroom sauce, usually served with rösti.
• Älplermagronen: alpine macaroni with potatoes, cheese, cream and fried onions, with apple sauce on the side.
• Filets de perche: pan-fried lake perch, a speciality around Lake Geneva.
• Polenta and risotto: comfort food in Ticino, best eaten in a rustic "grotto" with a glass of Merlot.
• Bündnerfleisch: thin slices of air-dried beef from Graubünden.

Street food and quick bites

Grab-and-go food is where you eat well for less. Grilled sausages are sold from stands in most towns: the veal St. Galler Bratwurst, traditionally eaten without mustard in St. Gallen, and the cervelat, often called the national sausage. In autumn and winter, look for roasted chestnut stalls. Bakeries sell Gipfeli (croissants), braided Zopf bread and pots of Birchermüesli, the oat and fruit breakfast created by a Swiss doctor. Supermarket takeaway counters are a popular lunch stop.

Sweets and chocolate

Swiss chocolatiers helped pioneer milk chocolate in the 19th century, and chocolate shops are everywhere. Also try Basler Läckerli (spiced honey biscuits), Zuger Kirschtorte (a cherry-brandy cake), Engadiner Nusstorte (a caramel walnut tart) and meringues with thick double cream in Gruyères.

What to drink

• Tap water is excellent, and public fountains in many towns provide drinking water unless marked otherwise.
• Swiss wine is rarely exported, so try it here: Chasselas (called Fendant in Valais) from Lavaux or the Rhône valley, Pinot Noir from the east and Merlot from Ticino.
• Soft drinks: Rivella, made with milk whey, and apple juice from local orchards.
• Spirits: kirsch and other fruit brandies, sometimes poured into coffee in central Switzerland.

Eating out: how it works

Lunch is the best-value meal, as many restaurants offer a set "Tagesmenü" or "menu du jour" on weekdays. Outside cities, kitchens may close between lunch and dinner, and mountain restaurants can stop serving early. Book ahead for popular fondue spots in winter. Service is included in menu prices, so tipping is optional; rounding up or leaving a few francs for good service is appreciated. Before eating, people say "En Guete" or "Bon appétit", and when toasting, make eye contact with each person.

Vegetarian and vegan dishes are easy to find in cities, less so in mountain villages, where menus lean on cheese and meat. Supermarkets label gluten-free and lactose-free products clearly.

Stay connected in Switzerland

Menus switch between German, French and Italian as you travel, so a camera translation app saves a lot of guesswork, and checking reviews and opening hours helps you avoid a closed mountain restaurant after a long hike. With a HelloSIM eSIM, you install the data-only plan before you leave and it connects once you land, while your regular SIM stays active for calls.