Fondue and raclette are the two cheese dishes most visitors want to try in Switzerland. They are different dishes with different customs. Menus and prices vary by restaurant, so check before you book.
Fondue
Fondue is melted cheese, usually a blend of Swiss cheeses and white wine, served in a shared pot over a flame. You dip cubes of bread on long forks. If your bread falls into the pot, local custom has a playful forfeit. Many restaurants offer variations with different cheeses or tomato and mushroom additions.
Raclette
Raclette is a cheese that is melted and scraped over boiled potatoes, usually with pickles and small onions. It is especially associated with Valais. At restaurants it is often served in a series of portions, and at markets you can find it served directly from the melted wheel.
When and how to eat them
- Both are mostly cold-season dishes, but some restaurants serve them year round.
- Fondue is typically ordered for two or more people, so single diners should ask for a portion for one.
- Local habit favours tea, white wine or kirsch with fondue, rather than cold drinks.
Budget
These dishes can be pricey in tourist areas, so compare menus. See our travel costs guide and the Food and Drink hub.
I’m Laura, a travel writer based in Zürich, and Switzerland is the place I know better than anywhere else. I moved here 9 years ago and haven’t stopped exploring it since.
Over the past 9 years I’ve made 40+ trips across every Swiss canton — from the Italian-speaking south of Ticino to the remote valleys of Graubünden to the lake towns of Romandy. I speak German, French and English fluently, which means I can read the local newspapers, argue with train conductors, and actually understand what the mountain guide is telling you when the weather turns.
Switzerland is a deceptively complex destination: four languages, 26 cantons, wildly different regional cultures, and a transport network so intricate it takes years to properly understand. I write to demystify all of it — whether you’re planning your first visit to Zermatt, deciding between Zürich and Geneva for a city break, or figuring out how to live here as a digital nomad or remote worker.
I also cover Central Europe for travellers who want to venture beyond the obvious — particularly the Czech Republic, Austria and the Alpine arc connecting Switzerland to its neighbours.
All About Swiss is my home base, where I publish in-depth guides to Swiss travel, life and culture. If it involves Switzerland, I’ve probably written about it, or I’m about to.