One great thing about hiking in Switzerland is that you don’t have to carry all your food because there are often mountain restaurants and alpine huts along the trail. Not only does this make our lives easier when hiking with kids, but it’s a fun way to experience the local food traditions. I invited Fran from Little Zurich Kitchen, who writes all about Swiss food culture, to tell us all about what food to expect when dining out in the Swiss alps. Then check our list of Swiss Mountain Restaurants with a View.
In the first part of the Swiss hiking food guide, you learned what the Swiss eat on hikes when self-catering. Now we’ll tell you about what’s on offer in the Swiss mountain restaurants and alpine huts.
Switzerland is a small country and there is almost always a restaurant nearby. If you’re hiking in the mountains, you can choose between restaurants and alpine huts, where you can enjoy drinks, snacks, and meals all day long.
Morning snack
Before heading on the trail, some Swiss will first stop for a morning snack or Znüni (literally translates “at nine o’clock”) in a café or restaurant on or near the mountain. This would most probably involve a Schale (milky coffee), cappuccino, hot chocolate or hot Ovomaltine. A croissant goes well with any of these drinks and the Swiss love dunking the croissant into the hot drink. Most restaurants also have sweet pastries on offer, such as Nussgipfel (croissant filled with a sweet hazelnut paste), Mandelgipfel (almond croissant), or cake.
Typical lunch at a mountain restaurant
You can find restaurants at many cable car summit stations or along popular hiking trails. These restaurants are either self-service cafeteria-style (cheaper) or with table service (more expensive).
Typical lunches in Swiss mountain restaurants are: Bündner Gerstensuppe which is a rich, delicious barley soup, Älplermagronen (alpine farmer’s maccaroni) which is a bit like mac and cheese but with less cheese, more cream and added potatoes and browned onions, Schnipo which means Schnitzel-Pomfrit, which is a breaded pork or veal escalope with french fries, or Bratwurst (a fine, fried pork sausage) with fries and brown onion sauce, spaghetti bolognese.
If you’re a lover of desserts, there is the good news that apple strudel with vanilla sauce officially counts as lunch in the mountains. Sweetened coffees with schnapps liquor and whipped cream, called Schümli Pflümli or Kafi Lutz are popular after-lunch drinks.
See our list of Swiss Mountain Restaurants with a View
What food to expect at alpine huts
If your hike leads you a bit further up the mountain, you might be lucky to find an alpine hut for your lunch. Many farmers from alpine villages let their cows spend the summer months on a high mountain pasture so they can turn the grass down in the village into hay to feed the cows in winter. Many of these alps offer meals to visitors in order to earn some additional money.
Life up there is simple and so are the meals. On the menu are soups, sweet and savory Swiss tarts (recipe here) or Plättli, platters consisting of mountain cheeses, dried cured meats and bread. Some larger, less remote huts also offer pasta or potato dishes. Most of these huts are far away from any means of transport and in beautiful locations, so I’d highly recommend visiting one for a lunch someday – it’s an incredibly peaceful experience.
Afternoon snack
The Swiss love to iichehre (literally means “to turn in”), meaning to stop at a restaurant for a drink, after a successful day of hiking. They will most probably order a cold beer or a soft drink such as Rivella or Elmer Citro (check out my guide to Swiss soft drinks).
They will also eat their Zvieri (afternoon snack) at the restaurant, which will most probably consist of a sweet pastry or, the Swiss afternoon classic, a Coupe. A Coupe is a ice cream sundae consisting of a variety of ice creams, sauces and fruit. The most famous ones are Coupe Dänemark (vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and whipped cream), Banana Split (vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, banana, whipped cream) or Pêche Melba (vanilla ice cream, almonds, raspberries). They’re usually huge, so either bring a large appetite or share it with a friend. And while eating your well-deserved treat, pat yourself on your shoulders for a great day hiking!
Text by Fran at Little Zurich Kitchen. Photos by Fran and Tanya
Thanks Fran for your Swiss insight into eating on the mountains. See also her first post: A Swiss Guide to Hiking Food. If you fancy making any of this food yourself or learning more about Swiss food culture, check out Fran’s blog at Little Zurich Kitchen.
