4 Best Restaurants in Valais, Switzerland

In this restaurant within the gorgeous Le Crans hotel, chef Yannick Crepaux comes up with highly creative dishes with cutesy names (want to try “the rustling of our tumultuous kisses?”) using luxe Swiss and international ingredients, available either à la carte or in one of three tasting menus, including the Chef’s Table. Unexpected combinations may include rabbit with celeriac, fig, and black elderberry, or langoustine with rosehip, parsnip, and hay, each perfectly paired with wines from the voluminous list and poured against a backdrop of stunning mountain vistas.

Set on one of Sion's Old Town cobblestone streets, this congenial bistro is bustling around noon, when locals take their midday meal accompanied by a glass of Dôle (a Pinot Noir and Gamay blend unique to Valais) or bière valaisanne. Top billing on the menu goes to Valais beef and seafood, but traditional dishes such as civet de chevreuil (venison stew) with Spätzle may appear during hunting season; for dessert, try wonderfully aromatic Mara strawberries (in season).

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.

Just before entering the Valais, this stone relais (inn), hewn of boulders from the gorge that separates Bex and St-Maurice, is a good place for a meal or an overnight. In the multilevel dining room, contrasts between old and new, rusticity and sophistication, add interest to the dramatic open space—a fitting location for a menu of updated Swiss classics.