Basel

Located in the northwest corner of Switzerland and near its borders with France and Germany, Basel has many strong food traditions. Just like many years ago, chefs try to use exclusively locally sourced products to cook the majority of dishes. Local restaurants specializing in the national cuisine also offer numerous meat dishes. In addition, meat is used to make hundreds of sausage types and smoked delicacies that travelers commonly find on restaurant menus throughout the city. Fish is also a popular and widely used ingredient.

Travelers will find some original dishes of Swiss cuisine only in Basel. The traditional flour soup is one of them. The recipe of this thick and nutritious soup appeared more than a century ago. At that time, it was a casual meal of poor people. Nowadays, the original soup, just like the traditional onion pie, is available in many restaurants specializing in the national cuisine. The menu of virtually any restaurant has a cheese plate. Travelers can also try and buy various types of local cheese in grocery shops and markets.

Must Savor Specialties: Basler flour soup, made with cheese and onion tart; Sweet Basler Leckeri, small, relatively hard gingerbread biscuits with a delicious sugar icing; Basler Mehlsuppe, a signature dish of hearty flavorful soup made with browned flour, beef stock, onions and sometimes red wine; and Lummelbraten is a traditional Swiss dish that originated from Basel, the dish is made with a combination of beef, butter or cream, garlic, onions, carrots, celery, white wine, mustard, and red wine. Delicious Swiss wine also deserves a separate mention. Local wine is widely present in the menus of local restaurants that offer this popular drink from different regions of the country.

Bern

The capital of Switzerland, Bern is a small city, covered in cobblestone streets with medieval buildings, set along a beautiful river and close to the mountains. The city offers delicious eateries with a wide variety of choices of culinary trends and categories.

For years, Bern has been widely famous for its high-quality sausages. There are several historic farms not far away from the city. Only the finest organic meat is used to make local sausages. Travelers are welcome to try various meat delicacies in numerous restaurants and bars of the city. Various meat snacks are extremely popular with beer, and sausages can be served roasted or unprocessed. However, travelers wishing to sample various local sausages are still better to visit one of the local food markets. This is where they will be able to try many rare types of meat delicacies that are not available even in restaurants.

Must Savor Specialties: Berner Platte, a popular local dish available in many local restaurants, it is a big plate with several types of meat and sausages. Berner Platte is usually served with a garnish – fermented cabbage or potatoes. The dish contains various meat delicacies, such as Rippli smoked pork, Gnagi pork leg, various types of sausages and ham. "Tartine au Cenovis" is very local and quite peculiar in taste, and is often compared to the British Marmite. On the sweeter side, Bern offers many dishes to choose from. Try the traditional Zwiebelkuchen onion pie. Berner Lebkuchen cakes with honey are one of the main traditional desserts of the region. Many tourists prefer to buy them as a souvenir.

Geneva

The beautiful city of Geneva is filled with incredible history, a cosmopolitan atmosphere, and brimming with delicious restaurants devoted to national cuisine. The residents here are famous for their passion for cheese. This is the city where travelers can try the authentic cheese fondue that is cooked together with white wine and certain spices. Fans of meat dishes will never feel bored as the choice of meat delicacies are astounding. Fish dishes are also very popular in national restaurants of Geneva. Local chefs are particularly skilled in cooking perch and zander. When it comes to desserts, many would first recall the magnificent Swedish chocolate. Geneva features hundreds of cafes and specialty shops that offer candies and other chocolates. However, Geneva is also famous for its amazing pies. Pear pie is one of the most popular in the region.

Must Savor Specialties: Longeole is a sausage originating from Geneva. It contains ground pork, ground pork rinds, and fennel seeds. Café de Paris Sauce, originated from Geneva at a restaurant called Café de Paris in Geneva. It is a sauce consisting of a large number of ingredients and traditionally served with sliced beef steaks. The most popular regional dishes include Fondue, Raclette (cheese dish) and Rosti (side dish), crusted potato pancake with an appetizing golden color.

Lucerne

Lucerne is not only a beautiful city, but it offers some fabulous food too! The traditional cuisine of Lucerne is very satisfying and warming. Rich soups, hearty dishes of potatoes and pasta, as well as sweet and unsweetened pastries, are widespread here. A very interesting dish that can be tasted in any local restaurant is Alpen Macaroni. It is prepared from the simplest products, so the traditional dish of locals can be easily cooked at home.

Must Savor Specialties: Älplermagronen (macaroni, potatoes, cheese, cream and roasted onions) hail from Central Switzerland as do a whole variety of cheese dishes. Also famous are Luzerner Chügelipastete (a vol-au-vent filled with sausage meat balls in a white sauce), stews such as Hafenchabis (lamb or pork stew with cabbage) and Stunggis (pork and vegetable stew).

Zurich

Zürich is the ideal place to try well-known Swiss food, with dishes from all over the country readily available, including raclette and birchermüesli. But there are also lesser-known local options, such as zuger kirschtorte (a super-sweet cake) and a veggie tartare.

In 2016, the city welcomed the Food Zurich gastronomic festival for the first time. Nowadays, it is a popular annual event. The festival lasts ten days and is dedicated to different trends of the culinary world. During the event, it is possible to try unique high cuisine dishes, popular street food, and even the most unusual molecular cuisine dishes. Food Zurich usually takes place in the city in September, attracting chefs from all over the world as well as the most famous local restaurants.

Zurich restaurants are often referred to as some of the most expensive in the world, so even quite simple food is not cheap there. Budget travelers usually pay attention to small street vendors that offer refined and delicious local fast food. These food carts sell mouthwatering locally made sausages with vegetable garnishes, fresh pastries, and popular desserts.

Must Savor Specialties: Zürcher geschnetzeltes is one of the quintessential dishes found in Zurich; it translates as “meat cut Zürich-style” and consists of veal cooked with mushroom, cream, onions and wine. Muesli is a well-loved breakfast meal of Zurich, which was the birthplace of this cereal and fruit bowl. Zürcher eintopf (Zurich stew) is a hearty mix of pork, onions, cabbage, potatoes and carrots cooked in white wine, perfect for a cold winter’s day. And for those with a sweet tooth, zuger kirschtorte is a cake layered with nut-infused meringue, sponge and buttercream. Adding to the sweetness is cherry brandy. Be sure to look out for this one on the dessert menus.

Montreux

The stunning lakeside resort of Montreux boasts magnificent views of snow capped mountain peaks, fabulous lakes, and endless vineyards. It also provides the perfect place for enjoying traditional Swiss cuisine. Montreux has a wide variety of great restaurants to experience Swiss cuisine and local foods where you'll find amazing seafood dishes and delicious local wines. A staple on every menu here is fondue, along with the rest of the country, and offers a variety of types. It is traditionally cooked only with special cheeses, and in Montreux, it is usually served with fresh bread, potatoes, or plums. Cheese in Montreux is an integral part of the culture with several historic farms where special cheeses and other dairy products are produced.

Must Savor Specialties: Pastries, you'll find many pastry shops around town offering chocolate bonbons and bars, and a terrific assortment of confections and jams; Locally produced wines; and the contemporary cuisine. The innovative cuisine in Montreux makes for a great destination for foodies and chocolate and wine lovers in particular.