17 Best Restaurants in Switzerland

Choose a few jewel-like pastries and order leaf-brewed tea in the carved-wood dining room up the stairs from the tempting displays of chocolates at Confiserie Schiesser, steeping since 1870 in its prime location opposite the Town Hall. Light lunches include a selection of salads, quiches, and crepes. 

Just below Einstein’s House, you’ll find this cozy bi-level spot perfect for breakfast, a light lunch, coffee or tea with cake, or an evening tipple. The small lunch menu includes crowd-pleasers like Caesar salad and croque monsieur, or you can snack on an antipasti plate or Mediterranean-style dips for an afternoon pick-me-up.

Just past Spreuerbrücke, with views of the river and the glitzy Chateau Gütsch, this brasserie-style café-bar-restaurant arranges seasonal ingredients into dishes such as pulled beef with rucola and burrata or pumpkin spaghetti with chestnuts and pesto. The menu changes regularly, but it’s always one of the best places in town for homemade cake.

This friendly, glassed-in coffee bar serves fresh croissants from 7 am (9 am on Sunday), sandwiches throughout the day, and wine or beer to a sidewalk crowd come nightfall.

Locals have been squeezing into this cozy, eccentric café for more than a decade. More than a dozen coffee drinks are served alongside buttery pastries and heartier breakfast options. This little "ladybug" is cute as can be: the decor is decidedly funky, with gravity-defying stacks of books glued to its colorful walls and oversize Warhol-esque portraits in the restrooms. An outdoor seating area on a main pedestrian street means it is prime people-watching territory.

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.

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.

This French-inspired deli-café-bar on the quayside under the Kultur- und Kongresszentrum’s striking canopy roof has all bases covered. At breakfast and brunch, the menu features dishes such as shakshuka with hummus and a poached egg while later, for dinner, there are small plates designed for sharing. It also serves lovely reviving brews like fresh ginger, honey, and lemon that can be sipped while you watch paddle steamers set sail. Inside, the mood is artsy, with cool seating such as hammock chairs. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

At this carved-wood chalet dating from 1787, you can sit out on the flower-lined terrace and choose from many interpretations of Lake Brienz whitefish and perch. The menu also has a range of veal classics. If you want to linger, there are nine modern guest rooms, all with a bright and cheery feel.

This charming retro-style eatery, part of the bed-and-breakfast of the same name, serves up eggs, smoothie bowls, and sandwiches for breakfast and lunch at a lovely location along the Aare River. You can also swing by for cake and coffee, or order wine or local craft beer with snacks throughout the day.

Following the success of its train station branch, Tibits opened this larger and more glamorous version nearby. The food is 100% vegetarian and sold by weight from a buffet of hot, cold, and sweet selections with an international flair. Sandwiches and soups such as pumpkin, lentil, or pea fill in the gaps. To drink: fresh fruit and vegetable juices, organic wine, flavored coffee, herbal tea, and cocktails such as rooibos-tea-infused vodka. Everything on the menu can be ordered to go, making the train station Tibits an especially practical option for travelers. Both branches offer outdoor seating in warm weather. When loading your plate, keep in mind that those samosas are heavy!

Decked out in chalkboards, pendulum lamps, and toolbox cutlery holders, this workshop-inspired eatery in Luzern’s modish Neustadt quarter serves global cuisine with a creative twist (think: coconut-crusted salmon drizzled in peanut sauce or salad in a pumpkin-mustard dressing). It also offers various cookery and cocktail workshops.