Food in Zurich: 9 Quintessentially Swiss Dishes and and Where To Eat Them

If Zurich has an ascetic side, it typically shows up at breakfast. One of the city’s best-known culinary exports, Bircher muesli is a humble and health-conscious way to start the day. That doesn’t mean it isn’t satisfying, though.

Typically made with a mix of oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits, the granola-adjacent morning staple is most often served with milk or paired with yogurt. Restorative enough to set you up for a day of Alpine sightseeing—but not so heavy that it slows down your ensuing culinary adventures—Bircher muesli is a local classic for a reason.

Where to try Bircher muesli in Zurich: Muesli is pretty ubiquitous in Zurich, but the trendy Bros Beans & Beats does a particularly popular version. It also features on several Zurich food tour itineraries.

Of course, sometimes more is more—and if you prefer to start the day in Zurich as you mean to go on, then rösti may be the best breakfast choice. A close cousin of the latke or the hash brown, the Swiss rösti is made with finely grated potatoes and then fried.

When eaten for breakfast—most often on weekends, or after a late night out on the town—it’s generally paired with fried eggs, speck, and Zopf (Swiss braided bread). At lunch or dinner, it’s more often cast as a hearty side dish.

Where to try rösti in Zurich: Visit Haus Hiltl, the world’s first vegetarian restaurant, as it’s a great place to enjoy a brunch comprising rösti and eggs. It also shows up on the menu of Zeughauskeller, an ultra-authentic Zurich eatery.

It’s not hard to guess why fondue is one of the best-loved traditional Swiss foods in Zurich. Typically made with a mix of popular Swiss cheeses, including Gruyère and Emmenthal, that are then melted, fondue is pretty much as indulgent as it gets. However, the specifics vary from recipe to recipe.

Some fondues feature local white wine, lemon juice, or a splash of cherry kirsch; others are seasoned with everything from garlic to freshly grated nutmeg. Whichever version you end up enjoying, get your dainty fondue fork ready, grab a platter of bread or freshly boiled potatoes, and prepare to do some serious dunking.

Where to try fondue in Zurich: Fondue is typically a wintertime dish, frequently served at in-season, pop-up eateries. However, you can find it year-round at Le Dézaley in the Old Town (or on a dedicated tasting tour).

Switzerland has clearly turned melting cheese into an art form, because fondue isn’t the only noteworthy, liquid-cheese–centric dish in town. If you’re visiting Zurich during the winter months and are craving something cozy, then be sure to seek out raclette.

True to name, the dish is made with Raclette cheese, another highly meltable, richly flavored Alpine favorite. After a portion of the cheese is melted, it’s scraped directly onto a waiting pile of boiled potatoes. Typically, cornichons and pickled onions are served on the side to provide a necessary acidic contrast to all that richness.

Where to try raclette in Zurich: The Raclette Factory and Raclette Stube are two raclette specialists worth seeking out.

Its name might not exactly trip off the tongue for many travelers, but Zürcher geschnetzeltes is one of the city’s best-known dishes—and, unless you’re a veggie, is a mandatory part of any Zurich food tour.

As is true of many other locally beloved dishes, Zürcher geschnetzeltes is ideal for cold weather. Similar to stroganoff, it features pieces of veal (including, in some cases, offal), cooked in a creamy sauce made with white wine and mushrooms. To add to the decadence, Zürcher geschnetzeltes is most commonly enjoyed alongside rösti, although other carbs (including pasta) are a good alternative.

Where to try Zürcher geschnetzeltes in Zurich: Opt to enjoy Zürcher geschnetzeltes at one of Zurich’s classic restaurants, such as Kronenhalle, Zunfthaus zur Waag, or Restaurant Kindli.

On a budget, and wondering where to eat in Zurich that won’t break the bank? It’s hard to do better than wurst—aka: sausage—which is one of the city’s most popular, and affordable, street food options.

First, choose from several kinds of wurst when ordering, including German-style bratwurst; cervelat, often described as Switzerland’s national sausage; and locally loved wiedikerli. Your grilled wurst is then typically served on bread, rather than in a soft bun, with sauerkraut or other condiments on offer. Given that it’s cheap, hearty, and satisfying year-round, wurst remains a reliable Zurich staple.

Where to try wurst in Zurich: The Sternen Grill is a popular option for takeout, though Wurst & Moritz is another solid choice.

It’s easy to forget that Switzerland makes exceptional wine. It probably doesn’t help that the country is comparatively overshadowed by its neighbors, including France, Italy, Austria, and Germany, all of which have larger wine industries.

But that’s all the more reason to make sure you sample some of Switzerland’s beautifully underrated wines during your visit, including at some of the tasting rooms and wineries located along Lake Zurich. Some of the varietals to look for here include räuschling, Müller-Thurgau, riesling, and pinot noir—but generally speaking, it’s hard to go wrong with the country’s crisp, zippy, and light-bodied wines.

Where to try Swiss wine in Zurich: If you want to visit the wineries, opt for popular options such as Bachmann Winery and Diederik Winery. Many of the best restaurants in Zurich will also have Swiss wines on the menu.

Zurich’s must-try dishes aren’t all meat- or cheese-based—after all, this is a place that’s celebrated for its confectionery. Take Luxemburgerli, which was debuted by the famed Swiss chocolate house Confiserie Sprüngli in 1957, and have since become a symbol of the city.

Similar in construction to the French macaron—except smaller, lighter, and airier—Luxemburgerli today come in a range of hues and flavors, including everything from pistachio and white chocolate–Champagne to raspberry and caramel fleur de sel. Sprüngli even produces iterations on the classic format, from chocolate-covered “bisous” to larger Luxemburgerli stuffed with ice cream, so you have plenty of temptations to choose from.

Where to try Luxemburgerli in Zurich: Unsurprisingly, Confiserie Sprüngli is the best place to try Luxemburgerli. It has several locations across Zurich, including a flagship right on the main Bahnhofstrasse shopping street.

It wouldn’t be a guide to Zurich’s food scene without chocolate. Swiss chocolate is globally renowned as some of the world’s finest; whether or not you’re a die-hard chocoholic, you really can’t leave town without indulging.

A Zurich chocolate tour is a great way to navigate to some of the city’s finest confiseries and bakeries; some tours also include admission to Lindt Home of Chocolate, one of Zurich’s blockbuster cocoa-themed attractions. Wherever you end up going, look out for treats ranging from filled bon bons and truffles to chocolate bars, ultra-thick hot chocolate, and pralines. (You’ll definitely want to pick up some souvenirs to take home, too.)

Where to try Swiss chocolate in Zurich: You have plenty of choices when seeking out sweet treats; in addition to Lindt and Sprungli, other local highlights include Läderach, Confiserie Honold, and Max Chocolatier.