207 Best Restaurants in Switzerland

This outpost of Zürich's world-famous Confiserie Teuscher features interiors that lean towards the gaudy. They're as elaborate as the ice-cream sundaes and cakes the café is famed for, but might appear tacky: there's a wrought iron central staircase, dangling chandeliers, and bouquet after bouquet of roses. It's worth it for the fare: as well as Teuscher truffles, you can buy handmade pastries and an excellent Gugelhupf, to eat in or take out. The outdoor seating on Bellevueplatz is great for people-watching.

Modern Thai and Japanese cuisine are the two pillars of this sleek two-level restaurant in the Old Town, with shady sidewalk seating in summer; in winter, try to get a seat upstairs where it's brighter. In addition to curry, noodle, beef, and fish dishes, the menu offers innovative desserts like bananas in fried dough smothered in chocolate sauce. At lunchtime, you can get meals to go for an affordable set price.

Extraordinary art in all forms is the trademark of this highbrow location at the atmospheric Villa Castagnola, where paintings and sculptures from a variety of artists line the walls and halls and exhibitions change twice yearly. Chef Frank Oerthle has a way with seafood: specialties change seasonally but can include steamed oysters with caramelized spring onion and wasabi-infused scallops. But be sure to save room for the desserts, whose deliberated presentation bring new meaning to the term culinary art.

The menu at this casual bohemian spot on the Marzili side of the river offers seasonal dishes and organic products. Expect hearty Swiss cuisine, such as Alpine ravioli, beef shoulder, and veal filet, along with a gourmet pizza zone in summer and fondue served inside heated gondolas in winter. Indoors, colorful pillows punctuate the simple white benches and wood tables.

The ice-cream maestros at L'Arlecchino, across the street from the Jet d'Eau, crank out some 50 homemade flavors, including ginger-lime, tiramisu, pineapple mint, green tea, licorice, and several sugar-free options.

Walking into George feels like stepping into a Don Draper–hosted cocktail party—the swanky penthouse space is decorated in vivid geometric patterns and warm wood, with pops of tangerine and turquoise, and the chic crowd is buzzing. The meat-centric menu is a mix of grilled fare and comfort dishes. Bartenders shake up both classic and new, creative cocktails, and there is often live music.

With a luxurious shady terrace spilling into the Höhematte in summer and mellow piano sounds enhancing the classically elegant interior, this café-restaurant serves rich, hot Swiss meals (as well as some Chinese and Thai dishes). The recipes may date all the way back to 1818, but most of the dishes are freshly made in-house on a daily basis; leave room for the chocolate specialties and pastries, like the glossy strawberry tarts, which you'll also find in the adjoining shop.

Fondue is Harmonie's raison d'être. Whether classic (Gruyère), moitié-moitié (half Gruyère, half Vacherin), or gussied up with truffles and champagne, pots of hot cheese arrive trailing copious amounts of bread and, ideally, a carafe of Vaudois white. Käseschnitte (open-face sandwiches with melted cheese), traditional pork sausage, veal, beef, lamb, and sides of crispy brown Rösti or Spätzle (dumplings) complete the picture of a nation well fed. The family-run establishment, open since 1915, is warm and wood-paneled, with wooden furniture.

Centrally located, this is one of the top Fribourg restaurants, thanks to owner-chef Frédérik Kondratowicz's superlative take on seasonal cuisine. The ambience in this one-floor-up spot is bourgeois bistro with artsy notes, and there are some great views of Fribourg from the windows. Fresher than fresh are such delights as lamb with an herb crust, vegetable moussaka with candied orange, and asparagus-and-spinach risotto. Swiss and French wines are the focal point of the thoughtful wine list.

Choose between a marble-columned pizzeria in one wing, a Swiss-focused restaurant in another, and a terrace that stretches comfortably along the waterfront where you can enjoy food from both. The lake fish specialties are solid, but there is also a nice range of steaks, pastas, and salads, plus a children's menu.

Swiss chef Andreas Caminada has long lured Zurchers to Schloss Schauenstein in Canton Graubünden, and now they need not travel for his food thanks to a new branch of IGNIV (one of two in Switzerland) located in a cobblestoned corner of the Altstadt. A svelte dining room with velvet couches and long silver curtains hints at chef Daniel Zeindlhofer’s theatrical cuisine, which includes such dishes as oeufs à la royale with gold flake, venison with cranberries and prunes in cream, and fluffy duck mousse served with fluffier slabs of homemade brioche.

Decorated with rich brocades, glittering chandeliers, and bright frescoes, this robin's-egg-blue dining room has plenty of light streaming through a wall of windows. Diners enjoy classic dishes from northern Italy and a menu of Italian, French, and Swiss wines. If beef carpaccio and lobster risotto were served at Versailles (instead of the Four Seasons, where Il Lago is located), this is what it might be like. In season, there's a gorgeous sidewalk terrace complete with olive trees and aromatic herbs.

At this small chain founded by two brothers passionate about American cuisine, Lausannois feast on freshly grilled, juicy burgers while avoiding the town's McDonald's and Burger King. Local expats swear it’s the best—or only real American-style—burger in town. Plenty of specialty burgers await, with beef, bison, fried chicken, or vegetarian patties and toppings like aged goat cheese, jalapeños, or avocado. Each meal is served with both crispy french fries and salad, dressed with a tangy balsamic sauce that diners rave about. 

This rooftop restaurant serves up panoramic views of the city and Japanese-fusion fare. Nestled on top of the Four Seasons, the simple, modern decor lets the natural beauty of the nearby Alps take center stage while dishes like tuna tartar on crispy rice, black cod miso, and fresh sushi tempt the taste buds.

Time moves a little more slowly here amid the civilized elegance of chandeliers and china teapots, gilt ceiling details, grapevine motifs, and striped banquettes, and the day's papers hang from lampposts at discreet intervals between tables. The menu changes seasonally, but the classic French theme is constant—expect tartares and minestrone in summer, cassoulet or veal liver in winter, and Jack's giant Wiener schnitzel year-round. There's an excellent selection of Swiss wines and expensive but top-flight French reds.

Situated in the heart of the Eaux-Vives neighborhood, Khora is a lovely homage to Greece with whitewashed walls adorned with tasteful blue accents that invoke a sense of Aegean island architecture. The menu showcases an array of authentic Greek dishes like homemade tzatziki, grilled octopus, and spanakopita, and creative cocktails like the Athenian Spritz and a Greek-forward wine list continue the tribute.

Established in 1875, this old-world spot offers a well-balanced mix of tradition and modern comfort, with both a formal restaurant and the more laid-back Chässtübli. Traditional Swiss cuisine emphasizes seasonal game and vegetable dishes, as well as a lengthy menu of fondue and Rösti (hash brown) creations. The Chässtübli's sunny front porch overlooks the street and is great for people-watching. Head inside for the restaurant's dining room, opening onto the main promenade.

A cozy sense of home prevails at this unusual restaurant that bills itself as a relaxed adventure into gastronomy, which can be experienced through the menu du jour at lunchtime, or the six-course fixed menu (CHF130) in the evening. All ingredients are locally sourced and Chef Luis Zuzarte prides himself on having personal relationships with each of his suppliers. A series of small dining rooms each give off its own vibe, all centered around an open kitchen. 

While driving the Route du Vignoble, you can sample the local wine and munch a few rich malakoffs (fried cheese balls) at L'Union.

Traditional Swiss fare (local fish, cheese specialties, Rösti, ham off the bone called jambon à l'os) and some French classics are served in this inviting restaurant set in a pink-hue historic building that doubles as a hotel. The plain, spacious guest rooms have a wonderful view of the mountains and town castle, and there's an ample breakfast buffet.

At clubby, rustic-chic La Grange, you'll always find lots of grilled specialties, particularly beef and lamb, on the menu, as well as comforting choices such as foie gras with onion confit or turbot with spices and fresh herbs. Chef Thierry Corthay's cuisine is not only seasonal (read: frequent menu changes) but also of the terroir, which is to say he serves regional products with pride.

This charming brassiere adorned with stone walls, rustic wood tables, and dark green accents is an inviting and warm spot to tuck into. Traditional fare crafted from locally sourced produce includes chateaubriand, pork ribs, and risotto. The wine list features an array of Swiss, French, and Italian wines. In the warm weather, a terrace offers outdoor seating. 

Built in 1827, this sprawling lakeside chalet set amid magnificently manicured public parks comes dramatically into its own in summer. Although the wine list is good and the French-accented seasonal cuisine competent, if it's haute gastronomy you're after, don't come here; this place is about location, location, location. Pink tablecloths and hanging geraniums frame an unobstructed view of Mont Blanc, and the glassed-in Orangerie is a rainy-day alternative to the covered terrace. An excellent compromise on a nice day is to come for a coffee or a plat du jour at lunch on what they call the "brasserie terrace." The Mouettes Genevoises water taxis dock directly out front.

If it's an oven-fired pizza or plate of pasta you crave, there's no place more convivial or convenient than this trattoria on the main drag. The atmosphere is warmed by terra-cotta walls with bold blue accents and endless pitchers of wine. Fresh seafood is a specialty of the house, whether atop a piecrust or a mound of linguine. With a dozen chic guest rooms to boot, the hotel also has a satellite location serving light fare and desserts across the street on the lakefront promenade.

This elegant, intimate restaurant in a restored home in the wine village of Chardonne offers a view of the lake (from part of the dining room) that is worthy of a champagne toast. Traditional French and Swiss cuisines are combined in two fixed multicourse menus that change weekly. A well-composed wine list of Swiss and international selections offers breadth to match. Those who like a stroll before or after dinner can take the mostly flat five-minute walk to the funicular, an easy way to access these upper reaches.

If sweets are on your mind, pick up a handcrafted chocolate in the shape of Charlie Chaplin's shoes from Läderach, on a pedestrian walkway near the tourist office. The chocolate showroom features live demonstrations and course offerings for budding chocolatiers.

This is a favorite haunt of theatergoers heading for the Schauspielhaus Schiffbauhalle—it conveniently shares the same building, where a glass, steel, and concrete interior mixes well with brick elements from the original factory building. Beneath an enormous Murano-glass chandelier, elegantly dressed patrons enjoy wines from a hefty list and delicate dishes that might feature black tiger prawns, langoustines, or beef fillet, all with innovative sauces.