3 Best Restaurants in Sion, Valais

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).

Benjamin Vuigner, the young chef at this Sion institution inside the 16th-century Maison Supersaxo, serves food much better than it needs to be considering the super-central historical location. The menu, which changes every two months, may include such delights as local pork with lemongrass, ginger, and honey sauce and fish sauerkraut with citrus pesto cream.

It's a tight squeeze to get into Old Town's popular caveau-oenothèque (wine bar–cum–store) Le Verre à Pied, where more than 150 regional vintages are poured seven days a week. Light snacks like local cheese and meats, tapenade, and foie-gras toasts are available.