182 Best Restaurants in Switzerland

Everything’s organic at this petite Swiss delicatessen featuring regional specialties, and it's not far from the Hauptbahnhof. Try a local cheese or meat plate with a glass of Swiss wine, one of their substantial salads or sandwiches, or a fondue or Rösti if you have a bigger appetite.

This classic, comfortable gathering place serves typical Swiss food, including Wiener schnitzel and Rösti, with seasonal side dishes, as well as a smattering of international and vegetarian options; in summer, enjoy grilled Schweinswürstl (pork sausages) in the lovely outdoor courtyard. With stained-glass lamps, ceramic stoves, and attractive woodwork, it's a nice mix of bistro and beer hall. 

This fine dining institution in the Kultur- und Kongresszentrum (KKL) Luzern has some of the best views in town; its open kitchen overlooks a minimalist space spliced with zesty color and perched above twinkling Lake Lucerne. Chef Michèle Meier has been awarded 16 Gault-Millau points for modern, seasonal dishes such as ravioli with celery cream or cod with tomato chutney and bulgur wheat.

If you're weary of regional cuisine, freshly made spring rolls, satays, and spicy dishes from this storefront eatery on the edge of Clarens will lighten up the program. This longtime resident of the neighborhood draws locals to its Asian-accented dining room, but at the first hint of warmth they scurry to tables on the terrace built directly on the water. It's not an inexpensive meal, but it is one that will leave you feeling a continental shift.

In this quiet little bistro right in the middle of the shopping mayhem of Gerbergasse, the friendly staff will bring you tasty inventions with an Italian slant, including what some claim is Basel's best fresh pasta. The daily menus always include a vegetarian, fish, and meat option, and à la carte menu items are clearly labeled as vegetarian or vegan (though there are plenty of delectable nonvegetarian options, too). The small but bright and uncluttered dining room upstairs is an appealing, though simple, place to dine, and in warm weather, outdoor seating at small tables in the cobblestone alley completes the medieval feel.

Known by locals as "Natio," this thriving bar's extended service hours and proximity to the cinema attract late diners of all ages. The trendy vibe overflows onto the patio, with seating under twinkling lights—a respite from the serious smoking crowd. A frequently changing menu combines fresh ingredients with a twist on the classics.

This hip and friendly world-food eatery tucked into the traditional Bellevue Palace gives off an urban vibe, with a DJ spinning tunes during dinner and eclectic dishes designed for sharing. Plates inspired by global food markets run the gamut from Thai papaya salad to Cajun fish tacos to grilled dumplings, which you’d be remiss not to pair with one of the interesting cocktails whipped up by the talented mixologists.

Set in a rustic A-frame cabin on the main drag, this tiny pizza parlor is as cozy as they come. Rough-hewn floors accommodate ski boots, and a smattering of wooden tables share space with a huge iron cookstove where the owner produces fresh pizzas in three sizes (the smallest of which is more than enough for most people). In warmer weather you can sit in an attractive garden with mountain views. Its popularity outstrips its size, so enjoy the delicious smells while you wait.

With its floor-to-ceiling windows, vaulted ceilings, and wide-open spaces, this eclectic eatery on the edge of the Old Town offers a cosmopolitan atmosphere where you can find cuisine from around the world. The market-fresh lunch menu changes daily and the dinner menu rotates monthly, but the Thai curries are always a good bet, and the salade de chevre chaud croustillant (warm and crispy goat cheese salad) with truffle oil and honey is a tasty classic with a twist. There's also an impressive cocktail bar and music until the wee hours of the morning. The sidewalk terrace is a perfect spot to lunch and people-watch in warm weather.

This humble izakaya, owned and run by the Japanese-Swiss Oki family, is one of many excellent new Japanese restaurants in town. They serve Japanese soul food like curries, donburi bowls, agedaishi dofu, and crispy kaarage that complement the nice selection of Japanese beer, sake, and cocktails like pink sake spritzes. In 2021, they opened a second location in a modernist glass pavilion in Letzigrund, which also became the location for their Summer Garden Pavilion Party with Japanese knife sharpening and origami courses, and kiosks selling kakigōri (Japanese shaved ice), homemade miso and soy, and other Japanese crafts and goods.

The tables of this bustling restaurant spread onto the piazza overlooking the lake, while inside rough wooden ceilings, marble-top tables, chandeliers, and a hodgepodge of photos and posters add to its charm. Look for the spaghetti with porcini, bacon, and cream, along with daily and seasonal specials. If you haven't met your weekly pizza quota, try the simple Margherita—a crispy classic that never goes out of style. The wine list, with more than 100 Italian and Swiss vintages, deserves consideration.

From the heights of the ancient Castello di Sasso Corbaro, this atmospheric restaurant serves meals inside a beautifully restored hall, and in the summer you can dine alfresco at sturdy granite tables in the shady, walled-in courtyard. The cooking, Mediterranean with French touches, includes fresh seafood, good local wines round out the experience, and the 45-minute walk up from the rail station is a virtuous prelude to indulging in desserts like creamy panna cotta and homemade tiramisu.

One of the architectural focal points of the Old Town waterfront, this floridly decorated guild house provides an authentic medieval setting in which to sample reasonably priced local fare (the guild's origins can be traced to 1341). Lake fish or pastetli (meat pies with puff pastry) are worthy local options. The interior is woody and publike; in summer the small first-floor balcony or the airy cobblestone riverside arcade provides one of the best seats in town.

See all the famed Berner Oberland peaks as you dine on a 007 burger or James Bond spaghetti at this revolving restaurant atop the Schilthorn, which makes a full rotation in 45 minutes. The food is better than it has to be, and most opt for the substantial James Bond brunch buffet, with a large selection of everything from pancakes to soups, served daily till 2 pm; otherwise, choose from a salad or soup buffet, cheese or meat platters, and eclectic dishes ranging from Swiss Rösti and pork schnitzel to hearty pastas.

Formerly a 16th-century tavern, this lively brasserie is a favorite meeting place for Luzern's art and media crowd, humming with locals lunching by the bar, while the more formal old-style restaurant glows with wood and brass under a low-beamed parquetry ceiling. Fresh market ingredients are combined to create modern, international fare, including chicken simmered in white wine, rabbit stew, and classic garlic snails. There is ample outside seating when it's warm, including a small garden.

In a downtown theater complex behind Bahnhofstrasse, this old military riding stable now does its duty as a noisy and popular restaurant where its past is plain to see, with candles perched on the mangers and beams. Young locals share long tables to sample international specialties—from curry to ostrich tenderloin—many of them vegetarian, as well as an excellent list of open wines from all over the world listed on the blackboard. In summer the courtyard is lined with communal tables.

Young and old meet in this friendly, trendy place with a great big mural featuring the restaurant's specialty: chicken. The special dishes change daily, and the popular lunchtime menu and Sunday brunch are reasonably priced. Besides the tasty half or whole chicken dishes (available only at dinner), diners will find a wide selection of meat selections; vegetarians are also well catered to. The large, shaded outdoor terrace with a bar playing hit music is a great place to cool off in the summer.

The Teufelhof hotel's less expensive dining option, the artsy Atelier serves modern cuisine made with regional ingredients. Daily specials are written on chalkboards, and the unfussy à la carte menu always features lighter fare like soups and salads along with seasonal pasta, vegetarian, and meat plates. The house specialty is a classic, though now hard to find, Basel dish: veal cutlets from a local butcher served with fried potatoes and wild pepper jus. Wine is also more than an afterthought here, with more than 400 bottles on its appealing Swiss- and Euro-centric list. Best of all, unlike many Basel restaurants, Atelier is open on Sunday and Monday.

With the splashing of the paper mill's waterwheel in the background, this is a restful spot for lunch, afternoon coffee, or Sunday brunch (it's open only until 6 pm), whether in the medieval house or the streamside courtyard. The hand-scrawled chalkboard lists daily specials—generally salads, quiches, soups, and pasta dishes, plus one daily vegetarian option—or try one of the delicious homemade cakes. After 3 pm hot food is no longer served, but sandwiches and other snacks are available. The Sunday brunch is one of Basel's best—try the Birchermüsli, the original, creamy, fruity version of muesli.

Locals come to this upscale spot for oven-fired pizzas—without a doubt the best in town. The elegant dining room is a year-round hit with locals; in summer there is nothing more delightful than sitting under the garden's sprawling trees and umbrellas. Inventive Italian dishes using local ingredients are robust and flavorful. Entrances connect to the opera house, making it a natural for pre- and postperformance dining.

The restaurant part of the Fischerstube, a famous local brewery, has a simple look, with whitewashed walls and sanded wooden tables, and offers a range of tasty snacks like oven-fresh pretzels to heartier meat-heavy dishes of sausages, schnitzel, and burgers. The brewery produces its own lagers and ales in the copper tanks you see at the back of the room; if you're serious about sampling the local color, stop in here for a cold one. If you like the Ueli Bier, named for a Fasnacht jester, you can buy a keg to take home—or ask for one at your table. In summer, the small rooftop beer garden is very popular.

A homey, rustic eatery slightly outside Klosters offers up an eclectic menu of traditional Swiss dishes, international plates, and—a rarity in this region—Asian recipes, all family-friendly and without fuss or fanfare. Stone-clad floors and wall-to-ceiling Arvenholz (the traditional pinewood interior of the region) ensconce you in the warmth and comfort of a true mountain abode. Diners can enjoy a range of Thai and Indian curries as well as sushi and sashimi, along with sausages and fondue, followed by homemade cakes—it's all somehow reminiscent of a family gathering at the kitchen hearth. In the summer months, you can choose to dine in the relaxing outdoor garden.

A robust Swiss menu has made this Vieille Ville institution a magnet for local street sweepers, foreign heads of state, and everyone in between. Before tucking into a fondue or raclette (melted cheese served with small potatoes in their skins, pickled pearl onions, and gherkins), order a starter of air-dried meat cut paper thin—a specialty of the canton of Grisons. Other choices include Schübling (sausage) or veal strips in cream sauce: both come with sinfully delicious Rösti, a buttery cake of grated potatoes. The kitchen serves until 11:30 pm (11 on Sunday), and in season you can sit outdoors and soak up the Old Town's historic vibe.

Dating from 1801, and once the haunt of Zürich's beloved writer Gottfried Keller, this lively restaurant serves traditional meat dishes—Geschnetzeltes Kalbfleisch—lightened up with fresh seasonal vegetables and a champagne sauce. One section is a dark and heavily graffitied wine bar, with sagging timbers and slanting floors; there are also two welcoming little dining rooms with coffered ceilings and plenty of carved oak and damask—choose the cozy, charming Gaststube (not the more staid Stübli). It's always packed, and service can be slow, so stake out a table and plan to spend the evening. Guests who succeed in swinging around the room's famous wooden rafters three times win free wine for their table. You'd be amazed at the number of diners who make the attempt.

This restaurant serves light snacks and sandwiches as well as hearty Mediterranean dishes and Swiss classics like fondue against a backdrop of panoramic Altstadt views.

During the winter high season you'll have to be quick in order to snag a table on the sun-filled deck of this traditional restaurant on the main drag. A great location on the way back from the lifts, it's perfect for a cold after-ski brewski or tummy-warming Williamine pear schnapps. Inexpensive yet well-prepared Walliser favorites and tasty snacks hold you for another drink and a few more rays, or stay a bit longer for the fondue Chinoise, boiling beef slices in broth with homemade fries.