If you are planning a visit to Zurich, this is the best foodie’s guide to the city.

Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and undoubtedly one of the most important economic centres in Europe. It is a city that combines the traditional with the modern and the cosmopolitan with the intense local colour. Zurich is a pleasant, accessible, sustainable, and lively city. These elements are also evident in its culinary scene, where traditional foods are combined with international influences.

Best Swiss dishes

Zürcher Geschnetzeltes (Zeughauskeller)

Zurich is the birthplace of the Swiss dish known as Zürcher Geschnetzeltes. It’s a meat meal with beef. The meat is sliced into strips and cooked with cream, demiglace, white wine, and frequently mushrooms. The most typical accompaniment to it is rösti, another classic Swiss dish. Rösti is made with pan-fried or sautéed potatoes. Before it gained popularity throughout Switzerland, it was a breakfast dish that farmers in the canton of Bern would frequently eat.

The best place to try this local dish is Zeughauskeller (Bahnhofstrasse 28A). Since its opening in the former arsenal storehouse in 1926, the restaurant has served as a calm and welcoming hub for the community and is the ideal destination for tourists wishing to sample real Swiss food. Zürcher Geschnetzeltes accompanied by great beer, is something you must try in order to learn and understand the local gastronomic tradition.

Fondue (Walliser Kanne)

One of the most well-known Swiss trademarks is fondue. It is a dish of melted cheese that is served in a communal pot (caquelon) over a réchaud, a portable stove that is typically warmed by a candle. Using long forks, you dip bread into the cheese and occasionally first in wine. Although it is not a traditional meal, the Swiss Cheese Union reimagined and promoted it as a national dish of Switzerland in the 1930s, and it went on to become popular throughout Europe and North America in the decades that followed. These days, additional dishes that include dipping food into a communal pot of liquid—such as meat or chocolate fondue—are also referred to as fondues.

In Zurich, you can taste authentic fondue at the traditional restaurant Walliser Kanne (Lintheschergasse 21) in the city centre. The fondue here has a rich taste and a beautiful, creamy texture, while the alcohol has been added beforehand to the mixture. By paying a standard portion per person, you have unlimited consumption of fondue, which you can accompany with other traditional dishes (such as the very good schnitzel).

Raclette (Raclette Factory)

Another Swiss dish is raclette, which has also become popular in the other Alpine countries. It is made by heating cheese and then scraping off the melted portion. It is usually eaten with bread or boiled potatoes. The Swiss canton of Valais is traditionally known for producing raclette cheese. Raclette is served as a dish in eateries and as street food in canteens. Furthermore, in Switzerland, it’s a popular delicacy at the Christmas markets.

On Rindermarkt, in the heart of Zurich’s Old Town, the name of this place says it all. Raclette Factory (Rindermarkt 1) is specialised in this traditional dish and offers several variations. The decoration is modern and chic, but it also has a strong Alpine vibe. It is certainly a place for cheese lovers.

Best Swiss street food

Wurst (Sternen Grill)

One of the most popular dishes in Switzerland is sausage (wurst in German), especially in the German-speaking East of the country. The two most popular varieties of sausages are bratwurst and cervelat. Bratwurst is German and is commonly made of pork. Conversely, cervelat is Swiss and often referred to as the national sausage. Cervelat contains a mixture of beef, bacon, and pork. The wurst street food tradition is very famous in German-speaking Zurich. Apart from being a local staple at lunch, it also attracts a lot of tourists. Wurst is usually served in Zurich with mustard and a small loaf of bread.

Since 1963, Sternen Grill (Theaterstrasse 22) has been in the same place and has grown to become an icon in the city. Residents of the city, tourists, staff members, students, celebrities, and bystanders form a line outside the eatery every day to try the delicious sausages. The most popular sausage in the restaurant is the St. Gallen Bratwurst, which is served with crunchy bread and spicy mustard. Nevertheless, something else you can try here is currywurst, which is often comprised of chopped pork and seasoned with curry ketchup.

Käsenkuchen (Coop To Go)

The exact translation of the word käsekuchen in German means cheese cake. But it is also used as a general term for various cheese-based pies. However, in the bakeries of Zurich, they make a variation of the käsekuchen,which consists of a buttery tart dough filled with a rich mixture of cheeses to which spices and mustard have been added. It has a unique taste as the cheese is ideally combined with the sub-sweet and buttery dough. You can try an excellent käsekuchen at the Coop To Go (Bahnhofstrasse 57) stand just outside the Coop City multi-level shopping centre on Bahnhofstrasse.

Brezel (Victoria Brezelbackerei)

Another Swiss favourite street food originating from Germany is brezel (pretzel in German). Brezel is a kind of bread that is typically twisted into a distinctive knot shape. The brezel dough is made from wheat flour, and yeast and before baking, it is dipped in sodium and sprinkled with coarse salt. In addition to eating it plain, the brezel can also be filled with various ingredients and eaten as a sandwich. At the stand of Victoria Brezelbäckerei (Bahnhofstrasse 57) outside Coop City on Bahnhofstrasse, you will find an excellent variety of freshly baked brezels.

Coop City on Bahnhofstrasse is generally a paradise for foodies, where you can find all the typical products of Switzerland, from cheeses and wines to chocolates.

Best Swiss desserts

Luxemburgerli (Sprüngli)

The Luxemburgerli is the most famous Zurich dessert and probably one of the city’s gastronomic symbols. Luxemburgerli are mini-macaroons filled with a light cream made of fresh, natural ingredients. The first Luxemburgerli was invented by a Sprüngli confectioner from Luxembourg and gradually became Confiserie Sprüngli‘s flagship product.

Confiserie Sprüngli’s history dates back to 1836, when David Sprüngli purchased a confectioner’s shop in Zürich. In 1859, he began making chocolates and founded a store on Papadeplatz with his son, Rudolf Sprüngli. Richard Sprüngli acquired the confiserie in 1956 and turned it into a high-end brand. The first Luxemburgerli were sold by Sprüngli a year later. There are now a number of Sprüngli stores in the city and at the airport, but none of them can recreate the enchantment of the original store on Papadeplatz (Bahnhofstrasse 21), where pastries bursting with colour fill every shop window.

Bündner Nusstorte (Raffael’s)

Another authentic Swiss dessert that you will find in Zurich is Bündner Nusstorte. The traditional shortcrust dough, which consists of flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and a small amount of salt, is used to make the basic pastry. Caramelised sugar, heavy cream, or milk, and roughly chopped almonds make up the filling. This is a high-calorie treat that was originally meant to be enjoyed on chilly winter days.

Established in 1989, Raffael’s (Torgasse 3) is a superb café and patisserie serving up delicious Bündner Nusstorte. All of the sweets at Raffael’s are of the highest calibre, and they use only natural and organic ingredients. In addition they produce excellent chocolates and ice cream.

Zopf (Wüst Backerei)

The most well-known bread from Switzerland is butterzopf, or just zopf. It is typically consumed on Sunday mornings and is being cooked into the shape of a plait. The combination of milk and butter in this Swiss-braided bread gives it a deliciously soft texture with a hint of sweetness. Usually, butter, jam, or honey are spread on it. While it’s readily available in most Zurich bakeries, Wüst Bäckerei‘s (Stampfenbachstrasse 30) version is arguably the best.

Swiss favourites

Chocolate (Läderach)

Switzerland is famous for its chocolate and is particularly renowned for its milk chocolate. Daniel Peter, a Swiss confectioner, used condensed milk—an invention of his neighbour Henri Nestle—to create the first solid milk chocolate in 1875. Many people believe that Läderach Chocolatier (Bahnhofstrasse 106) is the “best Swiss chocolate in the world”. Therefore, if you are a chocolate lover, you must visit one of their Zurich stores for the ultimate treat. These are handcrafted chocolates of unparalleled quality and diversity. The way their ingredients and flavours are combined is genuinely exceptional.

Chestnuts (Herkulesplatz)

When strolling around Zurich’s streets, there’s nothing more inviting and pleasant than a bag of warm, freshly roasted chestnuts. During the winter, roasted chestnuts are a popular snack not only in Switzerland but also throughout central Europe. While they may be purchased from a number of street vendors in Zurich, the ones at the green kiosk on Herkulesplatz are simply the greatest. They are always fresh, hot, and served with a smile.

…and something international

Even though it’s beneficial to sample the local food in any country to gain a deeper understanding of the people and their culture, you often want to try some of the most well-known dishes or cuisines from around the world.

Brunch (Milchbar)

Brunch is the new global culinary trend, and certainly Zurich is not lacking in places where you can enjoy a good one. The Milchbar (Kappelergasse 16), in a beautiful interior atrium, offers excellent sweet and savoury dishes all day. Especially at the Sunday champagne brunch, it is an unforgettable experience.

Burger (Burgermeister)

Although there are many burger places in Zurich for really good burgers with excellent variety and quality ingredients, the best place is Burger Meister. It has eight stores throughout the city, but Burgermeister Escherwyss (Hardstrasse 316) stands out.

Italian (Luigia)

Last but not least, the beloved Italian cuisine has its own special presence on the gastronomic map of the city. Luigia (Talstrasse 61) is a popular and quality Italian restaurant in Zurich. With excellent ingredients, large portions, and affordable prices, it is sure to impress you.

Use our guide to sample delicious Swiss food in some of the most genuine settings and experience the energy of the city. However, it’s important to remember that nothing can match the pleasant surprise of discovering a tasty treasure by accident (such as the Fondue-Tram we came across during our exploration). You have to try new things and experiment on every trip. A delicious culinary memory is the one thing that can truly immortalise an unforgettable trip.

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