207 Best Restaurants in Switzerland

This sleek restaurant brings a taste of Ticino to Luzern's New Town with hearty and reasonably priced Swiss-Italian dishes like spinach gnocchi, sausage with polenta, mature Ticino Alp cheese, and all sorts of pizzas. In addition to beautiful mosaic tiles and a crackling fireplace, the dining room features the work of young local artists, and the lounge hosts live piano music some evenings. From April to October, the restaurant sets up camp in a leafy park across the street.

Wood-and-steel furniture mixes with black-painted walls and a fully stocked bar at this trendy St. Gallen café near the farmers' market. With unusually long opening hours, you can come for coffee and a morning snack---locally sourced baked goods or Birchermüesli (Swiss oatmeal) are good bets---and return for happy hour or a nightcap. The café features weekend brunches, an extensive cocktail and wine menu, and a focus on organic products. Add free Wi-Fi, and the only challenge here is finding an empty table.

The coats of arms of old Spanish provinces and garlands of onions and garlic line the dark-paneled interior of this upstairs Niederdorf restaurant, specializing in big steaks, seafood, omelets, and paella. Be sure to sample the excellent house Rioja (Zurich's oldest Spanish wine specialty shop adjoins, so the choice is extensive). The lively downstairs bar serves amazing tapas, great for lunch. Many of the waiters come from the old country, so they know what they're talking about.

The lively Bohemia lives up to its name as a free-loving brasserie where musicians, artists, locals, and travelers gather for food, community, and people-watching on Marktplatz. Waiters in jeans and suit vests scurry between bistro tables, delivering elevated cuisine like beef tartare, Alpine pike perch, and mussels with truffle fries. You can’t go wrong with the veal steak or Bohemia burger, almost too large to wrap your mouth around. The three-course seasonal menu is a great way to get a taste of Basel with local options, including homemade pastries and ice cream.

Tracing back to the 14th century, the brasserie started as a castle, then a brewery, and now a restaurant considered one of the city's best. Specializing in “Cuisine du Marché,” the menu focuses on French classics like baked goat cheese, beef tartare, steak frites, breaded veal, and mussels with fries. Vegetarians will be pleasantly surprised with plant-based burgers and pasta with truffles. White linens, hand-blown pendant lamps, and bistro chairs (recreated to model the originals) give the place an upscale look without feeling overly pretentious. At coat check there are original photos of the restaurant in the 1920s, a testament to the designer’s commitment to reflect the past.

A touch of Paris in the heart of Luzern—advertising posters from the 1920s and 1930s, simple wooden tables, and a green-and-yellow-checkered floor—is the setting for sumptuous dishes based on fresh market ingredients. The menu changes regularly, but typical offerings might include rack of lamb or Swiss shrimp—yes, Switzerland has its own sustainable shrimp farm. The darker, barlike entrance leads to the bright main room with a terrace overlooking the river.

The "Années Folles" decor—green-and-white tiles, mustard-yellow ceilings, warm wood—and busy waiters in ankle-length aprons channel Paris. Local diners of all stripes come to tuck into hearty portions tartares of beef or fish, filet de boeuf (steak), and heaping platters of seafood. The dining room expands onto a delightful summer terrace at the foot of the Vieille Ville.

This restaurant offers fresh, top-quality, unpretentious food including authentic Sardinian specialties (owner and chef Antonello Mancosu is Sardinian). Try the ravioli alla Sanlurese, filled with fresh ricotta, basil, and Parmesan, or inquire about the catch of the day. End the evening with a typical Sardinian seadas dessert (a honey and cheese puff pastry) and a glass of Mirto.

This café offers fantastic views down the Roseg Valley, as well as a menu that satisfies all kinds of cravings—from freshly baked bread and bowls of breakfast muesli to a nice selection of hearty comfort food: think soups and salads, curries, and burgers. A range of sandwiches, pastries, and cakes are on display at the counter, and there’s a little play corner for the kids.

This cozy basement lounge and pub features minimalist decor—small, wooded high-top tables, bar seating, and a large couch—that lets the burgers shine. Diners get a choice of a single or double burger, made with local meat and toppings—bacon, cheese, lettuce, and tomato—and the whole thing is served on a freshly baked bun from local patisserie Taillens; falafel, chicken, and salmon burgers, a small selection of salads, and fries round out the menu.

This historic café–restaurant was a popular haunt of 20th-century politicians, writers, artists, and musicians with names such as James Joyce, Einstein, and Lenin. These days, Odéon retains its Viennese coffee house style, making for a grand setting in which to nurse a coffee (served with a pastry), or choose from a menu of burgers, sandwiches, and pasta. The truffle aioli side is excellent. In the evening the place becomes a champagne bar that is great for people-watching. 

A mix of traditional French café furniture and contemporary design, this upscale spot is popular, particularly during the summer months when the terrace allows diners to enjoy the highly picturesque streets of Carouge. The menu is either à la carte or prix fixe. Wine is taken seriously here, and there is a handsome cellar where the waitstaff is more than happy to help you make your selection—groups of up to 10 can even arrange ahead to eat at the cellar's refectory table.

All the customers seem to know each other at this traditional dining institution, where shared wooden tables and clattering china create the perfect ambience for fondue, mussels, sausage, or choucroûte (sauerkraut). Prominent members of Lausanne's arts community swarm here after rehearsals and concerts, as service continues until 11 pm—late by Swiss standards.

This city center restaurant, steps from Bahnhofstrasse, has a ritzy bar vibe, with padded leather banquettes, warm-hued wood floors, gray-painted pillars, and glossy red accents, all bathed in gentle lighting. The menu ranges from rustic-leaning schnitzel with potatoes to healthier sea bass with edamame and citrus fruits, and creative avocado jelly and marinated cauliflower. The space heaves with a business crowd during the week. For warmer weather, there’s an outdoor lounge with fresh flowers and plenty of shade.

The politics lean left at this town classic, where the sprawling terrace spills out onto the square, and the crowds come more for the ambience than the food. Among the Italian favorites, the amazingly delicate piccata alla Milanese (veal cutlets pounded thin, coated in egg, and sautéed) is a standout. Also popular are the penne all'arrabbiata (pasta with a spicy tomato sauce) or any of the 20 varieties of pizza. Red-checkered tablecloths and occasional appearances by local politicos round it all out.

Crimson velvet wall hangings, a baronial fireplace, and 19th-century brocade banquettes add up to one of Zürich's most sumptuous interiors. Happily, the food is even more impressive, and the quality of what may be Zürich's best homemade pasta keeps regulars coming back. This family-run establishment, in business for over a century, offers excellent traditional Italian dishes such as ricotta pancakes and veal fillet in lemon sauce. For dessert, the chocolate mousse is deliciously creamy. The lunch crowd is mostly financial bigwigs, while evenings attract local families.

In a 17th-century rustic-luxe Bauernhof (farmhouse) whose raw beams, aged wood, and native carvings have been self-consciously restored, the Chesa Veglia (run by Badrutt's Palace hotel, which is just up the street) is divided into four restaurants: an upscale grill (Grill Chafaö), which uses an original stone oven; a cozy tavern for traditional Swiss dishes (Patrizier Stuben); a pizzeria (Pizzeria Heuboden); and an intimate venue to enjoy traditional fondue (Carigiet Fondue Stübli). Menus include a good range of Continental and local cuisine—with sky-high St. Moritz prices, except for the more casual, family-friendly pizzeria (which, true to St. Moritz style, still uses premium ingredients like truffles and Grison air-dried meat in addition to the classics); the grill, open only in winter, features live piano music in the evenings, and you can people-watch over a drink at the Polo Bar before or after your meal. When Elizabeth Taylor and other legendary VIPs headed to St. Moritz, this was their favored watering hole, and it still attracts a smart and stylish crowd in season.

This much-loved establishment has been serving up a selection of the finest Piedmont cuisine for more than 70 years and is well-known for its antipasti and wonderfully decadent desserts. Don't come here for modern Italian food—the menu is quite traditional, with a fine selection of classic pasta, fish, and meat dishes. The elegant atmosphere is quite traditional, too, though gently refreshed by the new owners in 2020. Dine while enjoying the view of the Rhine from your white-draped table. Riverside terrace seating is available.

The menu at this charming patisserie includes more than 30 hot chocolates, including a vegan option, homemade pastries, pralines, and, of course, chocolate.

Locals have been squeezing into this cozy, eccentric café for more than a decade. More than a dozen coffee drinks are served alongside buttery pastries and heartier breakfast options. This little "ladybug" is cute as can be: the decor is decidedly funky, with gravity-defying stacks of books glued to its colorful walls and oversize Warhol-esque portraits in the restrooms. An outdoor seating area on a main pedestrian street means it is prime people-watching territory.

For seasonal Engadine specialties served in a charming setting, try lunch or dinner at the Colani Stübli, inside the Hotel Steinbock. The restaurant serves regional dishes such as barley soup, Rösti, and Capuns (meat-filled dumplings wrapped in Swiss chard), but really shines in the autumn, when the kitchen prepares exceptional game and chestnut dishes. One item not to miss year-round: the polenta "Engadiner Art," a filling cornmeal dish with bacon and local cheese. Though the menu is heavy on meat, there are a number of vegetarian items, too. The Stübli has been modernized in keeping with Engadine style—think lots of wood and warm colors—and the service is fast and friendly.

This confectionary institution, now family-run in the fourth generation, pops with Barbie-pink, but look beyond that to the pastries. The bakery churns out more than 500 products every day, with specialties including Luzerner Chatzestreckerli (florentines named after Luzerne pilgrims) and Birnenweggen (dried pear pastries). There are 16 Bachmann branches in the city, but the main shop on Schwanenplatz is the place to stop: the centerpiece is a chocolate wall, featuring 750 kilograms (1,653 lbs) of liquid chocolate—just don't try to eat any as it's purely decorative. Instead, satisfy that craving with a famous Bachmann hot chocolate in the bakery's cafe—La Vie en Rose—on Pilatusstrasse.

The specialty at Confiserie Beeler is the Caramelina, where truffle meets caramel in seven flavors, including mocha-cardamom and cassis. There's also plenty of seating for those who like to linger over tea, cake, and pastries.

Zürich's iconic confectionery, this landmark chocolatier and café for wealthy Bahnhofstrasse habitués concocts excellent seasonal truffles and pastries, though it's most famed for its Luxemburgerli, small cream-filled macaroon-style cookies. Good, plain hot lunches, sandwiches, and salads are also served, as are hot chocolates and coffees. There are also branches at the Hauptbahnhof, on Löwenplatz, and at Zürich airport.

Beloved by Swiss politicians, this institution is affectionately nicknamed "Delli" and has been operating since 1892, nearly as long as the Federal Parliament Building down the street. It specializes in traditional dishes like Bernerplatte, luscious veal liver with Rösti, and hearty oxtail stew with fried macaroni. The simple restaurant on the ground floor and the somewhat more formal, wood-paneled restaurant upstairs share the same big, generous kitchen. It's a good bet if you're hungry, because your second portion awaits on a warming table nearby.

Sure, it’s touristy, but why pass up a chance to visit what’s purported to be the highest revolving restaurant in the world, at 3,500 meters (11,482 feet) above sea level, which revolves 360 degrees on its axis once every hour, affording amazing views of mountain peaks in the Valais and beyond? Though the menu is short and everything’s served counter-style, the food is fresh and made-to-order and tends toward the hearty, perfect to combat the crisp air outside the picture-perfect windows.

Tucked away on an unassuming side street between the train station and the lake, this brightly colored restaurant dishes up authentic Mexican street food and smoky mezcal cocktails. Classic tacos—don't miss the pastor—tortas and tostados are served on homemade corn tortillas. The extensive spirits list includes special, hard-to-find tequila and mezcal. And the service is as warm and cheerful as the decor. 

This tiny log cabin of a ski haunt, directly across from the church in Zermatt, draws an international crowd as soon as it opens its doors at 4 pm. They come for the extensive list of aged scotches, mixed cocktails, and local wines, as well as light meals that include oysters, escargots, and their famous lobster spaghetti, along with inventive four-course menus served only on Monday and Tuesday nights.

This hip café, bar, and restaurant is beloved by students, business executives, and artists for its eclectic appetizers and main courses—their humble prices make this popular eatery a rare bargain. The simple decor features vintage advertisements and polished-wood seating, and several tables are available outside during the summer months. Brunch is served on Sunday, and the bar has seven beers on tap, a dizzying number by Swiss standards.