Named “the Foodie’s Ski Resort” by Forbes, Zermatt’s unique restaurant experiences and traditional local food make this resort one of a kind. Want to know what to eat in Zermatt? We compiled a list of all the local specialities that you must not miss when visiting Zermatt.
Embark on a taste-bud tingling adventure to Zermatt, where the local cuisine takes you higher than the surrounding Alpine peaks. Sink your teeth into age-old delicacies like driven meat, that has you questioning if you've been eating meat wrong all your life, and Raclette du Valais cheese that'll have you ‘grate’-ful for this Swiss wonder. Test your fondue dipping skills (lose your bread in the pot and you owe your neighbor a kiss) while sipping on the zingy Valais wines that go down faster than a skier on a black run!
Traditional Zermatt mountain cuisine has developed over the centuries and has been passed down from generation to generation. The need from earlier times to preserve food through the harsh winters has created the basis for many of today’s dishes. Zermatt’s restaurateurs are proud of the local, traditional food with homemade specialities and delight tourists from all over the world with their menu. Apart from Swiss cuisine, you will find international cuisine from Italian to Indian as well as vegetarian restaurants.
Driven meat is produced according to old tradition and with great care by a few farmers from the region. It is an integral part of Alpine cuisine and is one of the Swiss specialities in the region.
In the summer months the cows graze on the pastures. They eat many fresh mountain herbs and breathe in the clear mountain air. They spend the winter in the stables and are fed with hay from the regional pastures.
In early autumn, a small number of cows are slaughtered and the meat is dried in the attic or storage room during the winter months. This type of preservation has been practised by farming families for generations and gives the meat its outstanding flavour. The dried meat also bears the coveted designation of origin IGP (abbreviation for: protected geographical indication), which is used to designate traditional and typical specialities of a region.
The regional lamb meat is also of excellent quality. The black-nosed sheep graze on the alpine meadows and eat tasty wild herbs that give the meat its unique flavour. Due to its rarity, it is highly sought after and only available in the best restaurants in Zermatt. A real delicacy!
According to the vernacular, cow herders, who drove their cows to the summer pastures, took cheese as food, which they melted over the campfire in the evening. The result was raclette – a melted cheese that is now eaten with various side dishes.
Raclette du Valais AOP (French Appellation d’Origine Protegée) is a special cheese produced and processed on a single mountain pasture in Valais. Its unique creamy texture and incomparable taste are due to the cows, which give particularly aromatic milk and the maturation process of three to six months.
The semi-hard cheese can be heated either in the traditional way over an open fire or on a table grill. There are also small pans (French Coupelles) in which the cheese is put to heat and, as soon as it has melted, scraped out with a wooden spatula. Raclette is served with Valais dried meat, Valais raw ham, pickles, silver onions and “Gschwellti” (boiled peeled potatoes).
The raclette tastes best when you enjoy it with friends and local wines. It is one of many Swiss specialities that you simply have to try!
Fondue Valais
Fondue has always been an important part of Swiss cuisine and was even chosen as a national dish by the Swiss Cheese Union in the 1930s. Although fondue is also melted cheese, it differs in taste and texture from raclette. For a fondue, the cheese, such as Gruyère or Emmentaler, is grated and cooked with other ingredients such as garlic cloves, wine or cherry brandy and spices directly in the caquelon (fondue pot). To keep the cheese liquid and hot, the caquelon is placed on a Réchaud (cooker) equipped with a candle or a spirit burner. With the fondue forks, which are longer and thinner than conventional eating forks, fresh bread cut into bite-sized pieces is dipped into the fondue. As with raclette, eating fondue in a sociable round is the most fun. But be careful: those who lose the bread in the fondue must give their table neighbors a kiss. Therefore, we advise against eating fondue with the ex-partner.
Wine tasting, Foto by Pascal Gertschen
This is a guide on what to eat in Zermatt but among the culinary delights we must not disregard the valais wines! The Valais is the largest wine-growing region in Switzerland and is known for its particularly aromatic wines. The vineyards, which nestle against the slopes of the Rhône, thrive with plenty of sunshine and little rain. Historical irrigation channels, also known as Bisses, bring the clear water from mountain streams into the valleys and vineyards. The grapes can ripen under perfect conditions and develop their incomparable note. So it’s no wonder that the Valais prefer to drink their own wine.
The most popular white wine is the Fendant, which means “split”. It owes its name to the property that the ripe berry bursts when you put a little pressure on it without the juice leaking. The wine is slightly foaming and goes well with a fondue.
If you want to enjoy a red wine for dinner, you can orient yourself to the favourites of the Valais: Pinot Noir, Syrah and Humagne Rouge. They go well with meat, cheese or can be enjoyed just like that.
When deciding what to eat in Zermatt there is also the question of where to eat it. In Zermatt you are not only very close to the stars when you venture to one of the many high peaks on a mountain expedition. Less adventurous guests can also enjoy two Michelin-starred restaurants in the village. At the elegant restaurants After Seven (1*) and Alpine Gourmet Prato Borni (1*), the menus on the menus are a perfect mix of exclusivity and homeland love. The creative dishes are a trendy pleasure experience, taking the dining to a new level. The restaurants are a must for those who want to end their stay with an unforgettable experience.
Read also our article about the best restaurants in Zermatt.
If you want to taste regional specialities in a special ambience, the mountain restaurants Findlerhof and Chez Vrony (awarded with 14 Gault Millau points) are just the right place. Here you get a delicious insight into the traditional cuisine and can taste varied and freshly prepared dishes in a family atmosphere. There is also an unobstructed view of the mountains and, if you are lucky, a sunset that you will never forget. For those who want alpine enjoyment with an unobstructed view of the “most beautiful mountain in Switzerland”, just the right thing
Eating in a former hydroelectric power station - the Turbina finds the perfect middle ground between old and new. (© Zermatt Holidays)
The Turbina Zermatt is equipped for all events and guests can celebrate weddings, parties, seminars, product presentations or birthdays in a unique atmosphere – including excellent Valais cuisine. In summer outdoors on the terrace with a view of the Matterhorn, in winter in the atmospheric interiors between the remnants of another era. The Turbina is the only restaurant that is predestined for events and occasions that will be remembered by everyone.
Whether you will try the local fondue or go to one of the Michelin restaurants, one thing's for sure: in Zermatt, the food scene is as thrilling as the slopes themselves! We hope you found our guide on what to eat in Zermatt helpful and wish you a great time enjoying all the food during your stay!
If you want to know what the best restaurants to eat at are, check out our ultimate Zermatt restaurant guide. Check out our complete Zermatt Guide for all the information during your stay!
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If you have any questions regarding this article or our holiday rentals please contact us via +41 27 968 11 30 or email us info@zermattholidays.com
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