102 Best Restaurants in Switzerland

This is a very special restaurant, so if you're traveling by car and can book well ahead, definitely stop by to see why it gets such high praise from top critics. The atmosphere is laid-back, staff are on the ball and friendly, and views of the lake and mountains from the terrace are divine. The à la carte fare at the ground-floor bistro looks simple at first—tuna tartare, bouillabaisse, even Wiener schnitzel—but in the hands of owner-chef Werner Rätz the results amaze. For the full experience, opt for the bistro's five-course prix-fixe Menu du Marché, which has whatever is fresh and available, for SF130, or the Menu Gastronomique upstairs, with seven courses for SF160 (different from the bistro). The Auberge is in Lugnorre, 5 km (3 miles) northwest of Murten.

This is a mountain restaurant where you come for the views and stay for the Rösti, Appenzell cheese dishes, and cervelat (Swiss sausage). Since it's accessible only by cable car plus a 20-minute hike, you'll have earned your meal at this cliff-side café, which sits at the top of the Appenzeller Alps. Here, you'll be treated not only to sweeping views of the cool green valley below, but to meringue-topped vanilla ice cream. Credit cards only accepted for bills over SF50.

A cozy bistro and the region's top place for fondue, this "café des artistes" dates back to the late 1880s, when it served as the town firehouse. After an art deco overhaul, it became a long-standing haunt for those seeking out snails, regional mushrooms, and age-old recipes for cheese and meat fondues. A convivial atmosphere with plenty of regional wines makes for a relaxed dinner. There is also a children's menu. 

Ideal for long lunches between sessions on the slopes or a panoramic break on an all-day hike, this place perched in tiny Findeln, between the Sunnegga and Blauherd ski areas, has astonishing Matterhorn views to accompany decidedly fresh and creative food. Franz and Heidi Schwery tend their own Alpine garden to provide lettuce for their salads and berries for vinaigrettes and hot desserts. The fluffy Matterkuchen, a bacon-and-leek quiche, fortifies you for the 30- to 40-minute walk down to the village.

This fun, alfresco beiz (canteen) located in an upmarket lakefront campground is a sweet summer alternative to the city’s sunset terraces, which can be crowded and overpriced. Throw a sweater around your shoulders, grab a glass of rosé, and park yourself at a picnic table for vegetable crudité, bowls of truffled pommes frites, and crunchy fried fish like pike, char, perch, and trout, all line-caught in Swiss lakes.

This friendly, touristy restaurant up the hill from Klosters stands proud in its majestic setting, with a large, open terrace offering incredible valley and mountain views. As for the food, there is a wide selection of dishes to choose from—most using regional and sustainable ingredients—but be sure to try their seasonal game specialties. Inside, decor runs to mounted animal trophies and old-world exposed beams; outside is the breathtaking mountainscape.

This absolutely authentic, no-frills place pulls in a local crowd for a good bottle of Ticinese wine and a satisfying, contemporary spin on old favorites like homemade pasta, roasted meat, and fresh fish. The dedicated owners pride themselves on high-quality ingredients with absolutely no additives. In summer, patrons can dine on the terrace under the shade of centuries-old sycamore trees.

Despite its proximity to the lake, there's neither a terrace nor a view at Le Bocca, and charming owner-chef Claude Frôté wants it that way: customers should come to this spot for his innovative food. Just north of Neuchâtel, the restaurant has an array of menus in its brasserie and main dining room. If you're a fan of organ meats such as tripe—long popular in Neuchâtel—you can eat for a lot less: Le Bocca's contemporary takes on these traditional dishes run you only SF32 to SF47. Hand in hand with the fine food (past delights have included foie gras with passion fruit, and beef fillet with olives and pistachios) is a great wine list with 25,000 bottles in stock.

Sunlight streaming through large windows, impeccable service, and seasonal Italian fare make this corner bistro a bright addition to the Genevois dining scene. Diners of all stripes choose between dark maroon banquettes and cherry-color chairs for plates of homemade pastas and hearty Italian classics. The Italian-heavy cellar includes nearly 30 wines by the glass every season. There's a wraparound sidewalk terrace surrounded by large shrubs for added privacy on the busy street.

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.

Across from the waterfront east of the town center, this unashamedly nouvelle restaurant serves innovative Franco-Italian cuisine that's absolutely top quality. You can have an aperitif on the lakefront terrace before sitting down to a meal in a chic environment with warm terra-cotta tiles and dark-wood furniture. There are meal plans to suit every wallet, from the moderately priced business lunch to the lavish five-course menu de dégustation (sampling menu). 

In the late 1600s, postal workers traveling the Oberland needed a place to eat and swap horses, and they found what they needed in this lumbering wood chalet, one of the oldest buildings in the area. Today the Amacher family taps into its 10 generations of experience running the place to serve outstanding Swiss specialties: Don't miss what could arguably be the country's best Suure Mocke, a tangy braised-meat dish that's marinated in wine and vinegar for two weeks, or opt for one of their traditional fondues, Röstis, or Swiss meat dishes. More than half the guests are locals who gather among the thick, lumpy walls of plastered river rock to sample about 30 wines, many of which are Swiss. Yummy desserts like apple pies and meringues are hard to pass up.

Tidy, bright, and modern, this second-floor restaurant may lack the historic feel of some of its neighbors, but it features remarkable cooking from a well-regarded chef. Look for locally sourced dishes such as white fish and root vegetables marinated in honey, or lamb shanks with chanterelle mushrooms, seasonal vegetables, and bread dumplings. The café draws local families at lunch; business executives choose the slightly more formal dining room.

The menu, inspired by Italy's Emilia-Romagna region, sees cold-weather ingredients like truffles, cream, and polenta transition to tomatoes, basil, and fennel as the weather warms up. Meat lovers should consider the classic "Bollito misto" dish served with a green sauce. The wine cellar, visible through glass doors off the dining room, ranges all over Italy. Meanwhile, the stunning stone-walled basement regularly hosts events like family-style dinners and wine tastings.

Zum Goldenen Fass (the Golden Barrel) bills itself as "radically seasonal and totally regional," with the emphasis on the unique rather than the traditional. Come not for tablecloths or thick menus—you won’t find them—but instead for the focus on local ingredients, a regularly changing menu, and an excellent wine list.

The 450-year-old cellar underneath the Adler Hotel on the edge of Appenzell town is the place for fondue in the winter. Carved-wood-paneled walls, a dark medieval room, and ancient glassed-over cobblestones are a bit chilly and museumlike, but the friendly service and excellent local wine list will warm you right back up. Credit cards only accepted for bills over SF40.

This carved-wood-and-shingle 17th-century landmark attracts both locals and travelers with its two restaurants: The Bistro serves old-style Swiss cuisine—try the Felchen (a kind of whitefish) from nearby Lake Brienz or the Wiener schnitzel—while the Gourmetstübli, a showcase for chef Richard Stöckli's renowned international fare, features four- to seven-course menus that may include fish and mussels in a saffron-pepper sauce or an Alp cheese ravioli with brown butter foam. The established wine cellar offers Swiss and international wines; should you have a few too many glasses, there is always the option of staying over, as the Alpenblick is also a hotel, with rooms spread over two chalets. The place is in Wilderswil, 2 km (1 mile) south of Interlaken.

It doesn't get more Swiss than this: the ingredients, the recipes, the wines, and the decor are all Helvetian (and though traditional, there's a youthful vibe). Enjoy seasonal dishes such as Engadiner pizokel (flour dumplings) with ham, or duck breast with dried-plum sauce and mashed potatoes; the owners' devotion to local ingredients means the menu often changes. The interior is elegantly casual, with wainscoting and etched-glass windows, linen tablecloths, a mounted chamois head, and paintings of the Matterhorn and other well-known landmarks. 

A beer hall at heart, this restaurant brews lager, amber, and wheat varieties in copper vats behind the bar. Filling dishes like flammkuchen, cordon bleu, Weisswurst, and warm pretzels filled with ham pair perfectly with the house brews. There are also a few vegetarian dishes. Don't miss the outdoor beer garden overlooking the Altstadt. The kitchen stays open from 11 am to at least 11 pm every day of the year.

A bit of Siem Reap in the middle of Zürich West: the lavish interior is full of stone carvings and wood latticework that seem right out of Ta Prohm, minus the jungle. The menu is huge and includes generous amounts of green curry, oyster sauce, and ginger, covering India, Thailand, Vietnam, and Japan. The lunch specials are a good deal for those on a budget, and multicourse meals satisfy bigger appetites. Tables double in number in summer with outside seating on the square.

Shaded by a grove of plane trees, this eatery's superb terrace is one of the most romantic in town, and chef Domenico Rezza pursues nuova cucina (contemporary Italian cuisine) with ambition and flair, proving he has real culinary dazzle. Casual yet sophisticated cuisine reigns, with regional Italian dishes as well as local favorites like freshly caught lake fish all subtly featuring unusual flavor combinations.

Low ceilings, whitewashed beams, and a worn zinc bar give context to simple regional dishes like cassoulet, émincé de veau (veal strips in a cream sauce), filets de perches, and the namesake pigs' feet (served grilled or stuffed)—the selection varies. The crowd can be noisy, and table service can occasionally be a tad gruff, but locals and tourists keep streaming in, not least because it's one of the few places in town that serves meals straight through from noon to 10 pm. The terrace is great for people-watching.

Set amid Gruyères's most historic buildings, the exterior of this medieval structure welcomes guests with cheerful flower boxes and green-and-white-stripe awnings. Inside, a warm woody interior with raftered ceiling and smooth stone floors offers an appealing setting in which to enjoy traditional dishes such as a moitié-moitié (half Gruyère, half Vacherin Fribourgeois) fondue. The definitely worth-trying signature dish is called Soupe du Chalet, and is a meal unto itself. Sit in the section called "the veranda" to enjoy great views with your meal.

This Italian eatery, just steps from Nyon's château, serves straightforward fare, well-priced plats du jour, and specialty items like shrimp and vegetables on a pillow of saffron cream. An expansive terrace lets diners study the château; in winter, broad windows reveal the comings and goings on the municipal plaza. In fall, the menu expands to include an assortment of game and locally picked mushrooms.

This sleek restaurant brings a taste of Ticino to Luzern's New Town with hearty and reasonably priced Swiss-Italian dishes like spinach gnocchi, sausage with polenta, and all sorts of pizzas. In addition to beautiful mosaic tiles and a crackling fireplace, the dining room features the work of young local artists, and the lounge hosts live piano music some evenings. From April to October, the restaurant sets up camp in a leafy park across the street.