The best restaurants in Switzerland

The newest restaurant from the luxury Four Seasons Hotel is this Japanese-fusion affair from the Nobu stable, and it’s a welcome addition to a country that isn’t exactly awash with quality Japanese food. 

Right in the middle of the Old Town, this café-restaurant has a rather mythical status in Geneva thanks to its long history (it opened in 1808) and its status as the café of choice for Swiss politicians throughout the ages. But this isn’t a fusty, old-fashioned kind of place.

There’s so much to love about Carouge, and this bistro, established by Swiss celebrity chef Philippe Chevrier, fits right in. Occupying a beautiful old building on the corner of one the area’s Italianate streets, its classy interior and canopied, foliage-hemmed terrace provide a relaxed yet upmarket environment in which to dine. 

Located on the banks of the Rhone, the Mandarin Oriental is a large, luxurious 5-star hotel in Geneva. The hotel has two gourmet restaurants including the Michelin starred Rasoi by Vineet, which serves contemporary Indian cuuisine.

This tall, narrow building sitting rather incongruously on the end of one of Lausanne’s scruffiest streets claims to be the oldest pub in Lausanne, and was set up by a wine merchant in 1780. The inside is beautifully preserved, with a small wooden bar, stained glass windows and beamed ceiling.

There’s quite some pedigree behind the cheffing duo whose restaurant this is. Between them, Michael Rochat and Théotime Bioret have worked at the Lausanne Palace and Spa, the Trois Couronnes in Vevey and the l’Hôtel de Ville in Crissier, some of the area’s – if not the country’s – best restaurants.

Sitting on a street corner in a quiet neighbourhood behind the main train station, this is one of Lausanne’s most popular cafés, so much so that you’d be hard pressed to get a table for lunch or dinner without booking ahead. Stop by in the afternoon and it’s a much more relaxed vibe. 

France’s first female chef to be awarded three Michelin stars, Anne-Sophie Pic grew up in the family restaurant Maison Pic in the south of France before taking the helm herself after the death of her father. After regaining the restaurant’s three stars and becoming France’s most famous female French chef, in 2009 Pic decided to step her culinary toe out of French waters by establishing a second restaurant in Lausanne’s Beau Rivage Palace.  

Tucked away in Lausanne’s medieval Cité – which you might think would be overrun with restaurants, but strangely isn’t – is this lovely little bistrot serving the food of chef Anthony Macé. 

Volkshaus Basel is a brasserie, beer garden and bar with a handy location in Kleinbasel between the Basel Messe and the river. While the name might lead you to expect a traditional beer hall, the venue is a design attraction in its own right and far from folksy.

Anchored on the edge of the River Rhine, Schiff is a cultural centre with a restaurant and bar that extends over three decks. Menus read like modern upmarket gastro-pub fare, and are carefully prepared and presented. 

Housed in a former power station, Dampfzentrale is a cultural centre that comes as close as Switzerland gets to an edgy, urban venue. The restaurant is a destination in itself, particularly for its riverside terrace, and serves everything from light bites to upmarket cuisine depending on the time of day.

The Kornhauskeller in Bern is highly recommended for a special occasion, thanks to the beautiful dining room situated in a former granary. The kitchen serves up unpretentious reinterpretations of Italian cuisine accompanied by hearty Swiss classics and Bernese specialties. 

Ranked the best restaurant in the world by French publication La Liste, this three Michelin star eatery serves world class food at world class prices. Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville has a long reputation for superb dining after holding on to three Michelin stars since 1998. 

The Hostellerie du Pas de l'Ours is set in a beautiful location high up in the Alps in Switzerland's Valais region. There's two main eateries - the high-end Restaurant Gastronomique and the more traditional Bistrot des Ours, both of which draw on the hotel's impressive cellar of Grand Crus, local and international vintages. Our top tip? Ask for a table on the terrace so you won't miss a moment of those views.

Whether you arrive by foot, skis or cable car, make sure you find your way to Bergrestaurant Spielboden. As far from self-service ski dining as you can get, the skilled restaurant team serves up Swiss specialities and is owned by the Michelen-starred Waldhotel Fletschhorn down in the valley. 

The Carlton Hotel stands out among its St.Moritz neighboursch suite has its own private butler service, some suite. The restaurant Romanoff serves up fine Swiss dining whilst three-star Michelin chefs Enrico and Roberto Cerea at the restaurant Da Vittorio keep the menu focused on authentic Italian food.