Classic Swiss dishes you have to try

While not as well known as the fares of France and Italy, Swiss food is a perfect combination of hearty and tasty. To prepare your palette for life in the alpine nation, here are some traditional dishes from Switzerland to wow your guests with at your next dinner party.

What is Swiss food like?

Thanks to the country’s history and position in the heart of Europe, food in Switzerland is a blend of traditional local dishes and continental classics with an alpine twist. Each Swiss canton has its own traditional recipes, from French-inspired dishes in the west to German classics in the north and east and Italian delicacies in Ticino.

Swiss food can be described as hearty, warming and tasty - perfect for a winter night on top of a mountain or a Saturday when the weather offers nothing but rain. Want to plan a Switzerland-themed dinner party? Check out our guide to some of the best Swiss dishes:

Traditional Swiss starters

All great meals must have a beginning, and luckily Swiss cuisine has got starters well covered. Here are some highlights:

Minestrone Ticinese

At the start of your meal, why not warm your guests up with an Italian classic with a Swiss twist? Cuisine in the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland is intrinsically linked to our southern neighbours, and Minestrone Ticinese is no exception.

The dish is a vegetable soup medley mixed with potatoes, rice and bacon (or you can go bacon-free for a delicious vegan dish). A soup that is equal parts rich and revivifying!

Baseler Mehlsuppe

Another great way to kick off the evening is with a traditional delicacy from Basel, roasted flour soup (Baseler Mehlsuppe). The dish itself is entwined to Basel Fasnacht, with revellers tucking into the soup well into the early hours of the morning.

The soup combines onions with flour, butter, meat stock, cheese and pepper. Simple yet delicious!

Wurst-Käse-Salat

One for the picky eaters and carnivores: stretching the meaning of “salad” to the very limit is the traditional Swiss Sausage-Cheese Salad (Wurst-Käse-Salat). The combination of cervelat sausage and gruyère in a white wine vinegar dressing has been delighting children and the children at heart for generations. 

How can it be called a salad? Well, it does have some pickles in it…

Schaffhausen Bölletünne 

Finally, we turn to Switzerland’s northernmost canton for a delicious pastry delight to begin the evening: the Schaffhausen Onion Tart (Schaffhausen Bölletünne). The cake’s combination of subtly aromatic dough, bacon and egg makes for a rich start to what is hopefully a rich evening.

Great Swiss main course dishes

Is the conversation coming to a natural and possibly awkward pause? Then it’s time for the main course! Here are some Swiss classics to delight your taste buds:

Fondue

Of course, what would a list of top Swiss food be without Cheese Fondue? The iconic dish involves heating cheese, garlic (and sometimes schnapps or white wine) over a flame, then dunking bread, potatoes or other items into the melted mix. 

Today, each region of Switzerland has their own spin on Fondue, from the all-rounder half and half - Moitié-moitié, a mix of Vacherin Fribourgeois and Gruyère - and Appenzeller cheese fondue, to chilli fondue and more. Another great alternative is Raclette, which at its most basic is slices of raclette cheese melted and poured over potatoes - yum!

For all you need to know about these cheesy Swiss classics, check out our guide to fondue in Switzerland.

Rösti

Another contender for Switzerland’s national dish has to be Rösti, which is shavings of potatoes cooked until they are golden brown - think giant hash browns. With each bite providing a delicious salty flavour and a satisfying crunch, there are certainly worse main courses out there.

Originally invented in Canton Bern, Rösti is both a good side dish and main course. Why not try upgrading your Rösti with bacon (Berner Rösti), cheese or with a fried egg on top?

Züri Geschnetzeltes

The cantonal dish of Zurich, Zürcher or Züri Geschnetzeltes is a dish perfect for any party’s main course. Consisting of either pork or veal in a mushroom and white wine sauce, served alongside ever-reliable Rösti, the dish’s warming rich flavour is perfect for any winter’s night.

While dishes like it have been cooked across Switzerland for centuries, Geschnetzeltes became synonymous with Zurich thanks to a cookbook that was published in the 1940s. 

A note: some restaurants serve Züri Geschnetzeltes in two parts, where they bring out a second helping of veal and Rösti, so be prepared!

Ghackets mit Hörnli und Apfelmus

Another staple of Swiss ski resorts and schools is Ghackets with Hörnli, a mixture of macaroni with minced beef and onions. The Swiss version of spaghetti bolognese, the dish is the ultimate comfort food.

Go full old school with a dose of apple sauce on the side and you have the food that fuels a nation!

Älplermagronen

Along a similar line, it’s hard to know what a trip to the Swiss Alps would be like without Älplermagronen. Imagine the taste of carbonara and add gruyere cheese, bacon and potatoes to the mix. De-licious!

Papet Vaudois

Another regional food that is well worth a try is Papet Vaudois from Canton Vaud. Consisting of a base of leeks and potatoes topped with traditional local sausage and white wine, its simplicity masks just how delicious and tender it is.

Typically, the sausage used in the dish is either pork (Saucisson Vaudois) or pork mixed with cabbage (Saucisse aux Choux Vaudois). The latter is said to have originated in 879 when Holy Roman Emperor Charles the Fat visited the Vaudois town of Orbe. Legend has it that he and his entourage ate so much that the townspeople secretly started stuffing the sausages with cabbage to keep supplies plentiful.

These sausages were then cooked above leeks to infuse the vegetables with meat flavour, and a legendary dish was born!

Polenta Ticinese

Want your dinner to have a Mediterranean twist? From Italian Switzerland comes the iconic Polenta Ticinese. Polenta is a dish of boiled and mixed cornmeal that resembles a savoury porridge and is usually accompanied by a strong sauce. 

What makes Polenta Ticinese unique? The dish is served alongside traditional mountain Swiss cheeses or with hearty stews. Some communities, such as in the Ticino capital of Bellinzona, lace their polenta with just a hint of saffron.

Wildsaison in Switzerland

While it is not a strict dish, we would be remiss if we did not mention Switzerland's “wild season” (Wildsaison) which occurs every autumn. Some of the most popular Swiss dishes during the period include rey and deer fillets grilled alongside red cabbage, honeyed chestnuts and spaetzle - a type of egg noodle originally from Hungary. Pumpkin cream soup is also a firm favourite among the Swiss.

Guide to the best Swiss desserts

Still have room for a delicious Swiss dessert? Here’s our guide to Switzerland’s sweetest dishes:

Bircher-Muesli

Working equally as well as both breakfast and dessert is Bircher-Muesli, a mixture containing oats, grains, nuts, seeds and fresh or dried fruit with yoghurt. Muesli is named after the Swiss-German word mus, meaning "mush."

The original recipe was developed by a Swiss doctor, Maximilian Bircher-Benner, which is where we get the name “Bircher-Muesli.” The dish was designed to be a starter or dessert for patients in hospital, as it is rich in nutrients and grains. Bircher-Benner admitted that the dish was first served to him on a hike with his wife in the Swiss Alps. Bircher-Benner is now a national Swiss figure, with several streets named after him.

Zuger Kirschtorte

Though not to everyone’s taste, arguably the most famous cake from Switzerland is the Zuger Kirschtorte. Though literally translating to cherry cake, the dish itself is actually based around the cherry schnapps or Kirsch that is traditionally made in Zug - so much so that the region is called the cherry canton.

The cake itself is a sponge cake dusted with powdered or icing sugar and almonds, and laced with copious amounts of cherry schnapps. This leads to a strong and thoroughly bone-warming treat!

Bündner Nusstorte

Another staple of the Swiss mountains has to be the nut cake made in Canton Graubünden, the Bündner Nusstorte. A recipe brought to the canton from neighbouring Italy, the dish is a shortbread-esque cake with a caramel walnut filling.

Along with being great with ice cream and cream, be sure to try it with a slice of Swiss cheese for the perfect combination of sweet and savoury.

Bricelets

Another traditional Swiss recipe, from the bilingual canton of Fribourg, is Bricelets, a sweet biscuit laced with white wine and cherry schnapps. Though the traditional method requires the treat to be rolled into hollow straws, they are just as delicious when baked like cookies.

Bricelets are a light but delicious way to end the evening, and are great when dunked in hot drinks.

Cremeschnitte

Beloved of people across Swiss cantons is the mille-feuille or Cremeschnitte, a layered cake of pastry, cream, and pastry topped with iced sugar. Whether it be a coffee with friends or a banquet, a cream slice is always appreciated.

Upgrade your dinner parties with classic Swiss food!

We hope that this list of iconic Swiss recipes inspires you to get creative when you host your next great dinner party! Of course, we’ve only scratched the surface here, so if you have a favourite dish from Switzerland, mention it in the comments below!