The Swiss cheese specialities fondue and raclette are loved by locals, especially during the cold time of the year. If you’re a visitor, it’s definitely something you should try, even if melted cheese sounds strange to you at first. Originally these specialities come from the French-speaking areas of Switzerland. Fondue is basically a mix of melted cheese and white wine bubbling over a small burner which you dip bread cubes into, while raclette is pure melted cheese which is poured over boiled potatoes. Locals mainly eat these dishes in winter, but we definitely recommend trying them whatever the season. We’ve listed the best specialists we’ve found in Zurich for you. Say cheese!
Le Dézaley
Here they prepare the fondue according to an old family recipe originating from the Swiss canton Vaus – it’s definitely very tasty and also comes in a version with morels (mushrooms). We can recommend their fondue deals including a starter (like air-dried meat) and a dessert. The restaurant has two parts,we found the old part more charming, so try to get a seat there. Click here for more (address, etc.).
Chäsalp
This is a former farm on top of Zürichberg, where fondue and raclette are now served in the ancient stable. This gives you a kind of alpine-hut experience, which makes the extra bit of travel up the hill well worth it. And yes, they have 17 different kinds of fondue on offer, we recommend sticking to the house blend or the classic moitié-moité (we very much liked both). Click here for more (address, etc.).
Fribourger Fonduebstübli
Here you can taste between two different Fribourger cheese blends. The moitié-moitié is a half-half blend of gruyère and vacherin fribourgeois, two excellent cheeses which both come from Fribourg. Have a glass of white wine with your meal – real Swiss chase it with a glass of kirsch at the end to ease digestion. Click here for more (address, etc.).
Swiss Chuchi
At the Adler the fondue is all served in a rustic chalet-style atmosphere with the walls panelled with bright wood and complete with a full-size cow to greet you from the balcony. The Adler’s special blend made of four aged cheeses is very aromatic and genuine. Click here for more (address, etc.).
Walliser Keller
The Hotel Zürcherhof’s restaurant brings the specialities from the mountainous southern canton of Wallis to town. There are raclette and eight different kinds of fondues on the menu – with extras ranging from pepper and garlic to mushrooms. Click here for more (address, etc.).
