Street Food In Switzerland: 20 Amazing Food, Festivals & Markets – You Must Visit

What could I possibly write about if not Switzerland street food after the Swiss Chocolate and the Swiss Beer? This one adds up to my Swiss Gourmet Tutorial.

Switzerland isn’t just enticing for its landscapes, festivities, beer, and chocolate, it offers a rich food culture and its street markets are the best places to eat in Switzerland. Trveling is a bonus point.

Going food hunting from street to street and store to store, you will have the immense opportunity of discovering the scenic vies of the country.

With the fascinating country that Switzerland is, there is so much more to try than just beer. It is a world-renowned gourmet hub. Be it side dishes, cuisines, or street food, Switzerland has a lot to offer for tongues looking for tastes.

This also gives you a great opportunity to experience the food culture in Switzerland at an affordable price. The Cheap street food at the street market is a way to explore the country’s rich culinary culture.

What To Keep In Mind

1. It doesn’t necessarily have to be pricey. You can get a solid taste of the country with a small budget. The street food in Switzerland offers the majority of the traditional and aged recipes of Switzerland and thus leaving no specific reason to spend lavishly on restaurants and dine outs.

• Although a majority of Swiss dishes include meat and beef, and other non-vegetarian ingredients, you can find some delicious vegetarian options as well.

• Swiss people love their cheese. As a result, almost all the dishes consist of cheese, if not entirely made out of cheese. Because of the variety of Swiss Cheese, it would be heaven for you if you are a big cheese lover

• Choose convenience stores over lofty stores. Reputed stores may look splendid but the extra cost can be a cit shirt if you opt for a local convenience store or simple hawkers. Convenience stores have a lot of food and beverages available that the locals frequently eat.

List Of Street Food Stalls In Switzerland

You will get a huge variety of street food items in Switzerland from the world’s cuisine. Names of a few food stalls and food items are given below:

Chef Falafel(Oriental & Vegetarian), Burgerland, The Hot-Dog Faktory, Flamm-Lacks, Fish & Chips, Pizza Al Taglio, Lolly Gaufre, Lobster & Co, Ginger Shot, The Hamburger Foundation, Churros, Gluten-Free And Vegan food stalls, Arepa Republic, Together With Friends, Crepes,Softice Dreams.

You will get the different foods from other countries as well in the street food market in Switzerland. Here are some list of foods and food stalls:

Indian Food Truck(Dosa, Bi riyani, Roll), Mexican Tacos, Thailand Dishes, Lebanese Street Food, Takoyaki, Oh My Greek, Baoti, Mama’s Food, Empanadas Argentinas, Bifad’Oro(Portugaise food), Mexican Street Food Truck(Tacos), BAR(Alcohol and drinks), Momos(Veg & Non-Veg).

Food Hubs Of Switzerland

1) Zurich:

Zurich is one of the best places to binge street food in Switzerland. Apart from the perfectly aesthetic scenery, Zurich offers some pretty decent spots for street food lovers.

What to eat when in Switzerland? Zurich is a popular spot for tourists and YouTubers to get a taste of swiss local food. Fondue and Swiss chocolate dominate the street food market in Zurich but you can find some of the cheesiest swiss dishes there.

2) Lucerne:

This town has some ancient roots going all the way down to Switzerland’s taste,culture and cloths. The town attracts tons of tourists from all around the world and has a lot to offer to taste seekers.

Here you can find some excellent, affordable and traditional Swiss street foods. From Rosti to Nussarte, you can get every swiss street food at this food hub.

3) Geneva:

A town in Switzerland is famous for its Geneva’s Italianate district whose every bit is packed with restaurants and street food stores lighting up the nightlife. You can roam around the busy and lively streets at night, feasting on some fine swiss dishes and street foods.

NOTE – Geneva is famous for its night street food market in Switzerland.

4) Zermatt:

Zermatt is known for not only the street food in Switzerland but also for the drinks. Cured Ham, White Wine, Pear Brandy, Meat dishes, and Cheese fondue are some of the main attractions there. Needless to say all of this comes with a reasonable price and affordability.

5) St. Moritz:

A hub for holiday resorts and widely known and loved for its mineral water, St. Moritz has so much more to offer than just that. Some of the best places to eat there are – Pizzeria Caruso, Siam Wind, and Starguest Kosher.

6) Lauterbrunnen:

It is most commonly and widely known for the Valley of 72 waterfalls. There are numerous trails and hikes that you as a tourist can enjoy.

When it comes to the local food, you know how tasty food gets at beautiful and scenic places. A cup of hot coffee along with Raclette would be great to lift your spirits.

20 Top Street Foods In Switzerland

1. Rosti –

Rosti or rööschti is a swiss dish made of potatoes sautéed or shallow-fried in a pan. This is also the national dish of Switzerland. Although it is now a common street food in Switzerland, it used to be the esteemed breakfast of hardworking farmers in the Canton of Bern.

Rosti is a Swiss food that is made with grated potatoes, butter, and cheese. The potatoes are pressed firmly into pancakes and then topped with a topping of choice. A traditional and most preferred one here would be salty bacon, fried eggs, and melted raclette cheese.

The dish is so beloved in the land of Switzerland that its people consider it the national dish of their nation. Rather than a proper timely dish, Rosti is now a popular side dish served with beer and found easily on the streets.

2. Roasted Flour Soup –

So this one’s for the soup lovers. At no cost should you leave this destination without having tasted the Roasted Flour Soup? The soup is made with butter, flour, beef stalk, and grated gruyere – which is just a type of cheese.

There is an interesting backstory for this particular dish.

In the basal region of the Alps, a chef had once forgotten about the dish after leaving it in the oven. By the time he took it out, the dish had turned brown and smelled a little burnt. The chef was however very pleased by the dish’s newly found uniqueness and thus gave birth to the flavoury soup dish, now popular as a portion of Swiss street food.

3. Polenta and Braised Beef –

The dish will be a splendid feast for your taste buds and when I say that, I have my reasons to back this statement up. This is an especially favorite dish of the local people and is highly liked street food in Switzerland.

The Polenta and Braised Beef dish starts with Polenta which is a thickly cooked porridge, boiled in a copper cauldron. As the porridge thickens over the flames, the copper does its fair share of delivering the taste and nutrition as well. Next, the dish is assembled with braised beef prepared in the wine sauce and plated.

4. Tartiflette –

This one dish is easily the food to eat in Switzerland that you mustn’t miss. Tartiflette is a typical cheesy dish from Switzerland – the land of people who are in constant love with bread, cheese, and potatoes (maybe beer too).  So, of course, this one is also a very popular swiss street food among the locals and the tourists.

The dish is prepared with potatoes (obviously), reblochon cheese, lardons, and onions. This also includes smoky bacon, sliced potatoes, onions, and nutty cream. This one-dish includes so many flavors at a time that it is pure bliss how you are able to taste several different flavors all in one go.

5. Fondue –

This is such a common food in Switzerland and the ultimate Swiss delicacy. You can literally not leave Switzerland without having a bite of Fondue.

Apart from a regular side dish accompanying many other main dishes, this also serves as a great pick-me-up street food. Talk about eating cheap in Switzerland. Fondue might be your answer.

This is just literally melted cheese. A hot pot of cheese, wine, and garlic is served on flames and people can dip their bread or choice of food into the Fondue and have it.

6. Raclette –

Cheese again! Swiss people just adore cheese. Raclette is something that you can never imagine Swiss street food without.

Raclette is made from Raclette cheese itself. It is cooked over a slow flame and served over vegetables, meat, or just potatoes. You will find onions and pickles as the most liked side dishes for this one.

7. Älplermagronen –

Alpermagronen originated from the German-speaking regions of the country. I feel like this dish is way too beautiful to eat.

Besides its taste, this dish is awfully famous for its presentation. Alpermagronen is basically a variety of macaroni cheese that’s cooked with pasta, cream, potatoes, and cheese (because the more the tastier!)

8. Vacherin Mont d’Or –

Switzerland has too much to offer for a variety of cheese, especially the seasonal variety. Just one bite of this cheesy dish and you can leave Switzerland in peace.

What makes this dish even more precious is the cheese used in the preparation of Vacherin Mont d’Or. The dish is named after the cheese itself – Vacherin Mont d’Or.

Cooked with white wine and garlic, this is served with – you guessed it – potatoes. Baked or roasted or sliced – Swiss people love their potatoes.

NOTE – This Vacherin Mont d’Or is an especially soft and pungent cheese and can be obtained in its prime time – September to April.

9. Nusstorte –

Nusstorte is a flavourful dessert. Got a craving for your sweet tooth? This one can solve all your problems.

It has its traditional significance for the Swiss people. Nusstorte is made of a classic shortcake along with flour, sugar, eggs, cream, and nuts. This creamy and nutty pastry melts instantly in your mouth, leaving behind its lingering sweetness.

10. Basler Leckerli –

Leckerli in the local language translates to delicious. Need I say more? Hazelnuts, almonds, fruit, honey, glazed ginger, and Kirsch – made from the best ingredients, this dish is most famous as a Christmas essential food.

NOTE – Needless to say, you’ll be able to spot this beauty all around the year in the Swiss food markets.

11. Zürcher Geschnetzeltes –

Made from veal, this dish might give you an opportunity to experience something really different. After all the cheese, bread, and (especially)potatoes, this one is made from the meat of a calf.

Made with onions, butter, white wine, cream, and mushrooms, this comes out as a traditional savory dish. The usual serving partner with this would be sweetbread, noodles, or rice. And the street markets are the best places to eat in Switzerland.

12. Dessert Gâteau du Vully –

The Vully cake is a speciality of Vully, Switzerland. The most famous version of this cake is the one with sugar and cream, but it can also be eaten savory with bacon and cumin.

13. Bratwurst –

Bratwurst is a type of German sausage made from beef, veal, or most commonly pork. It is made from finely ground meat along with all types of seasonings. Most common are – salt, white pepper, nutmeg, lemon peel, marjoram, caraway, and garlic and this comes out as the epitome of Switzerland food.

This is a type of sausage that is widely loved by the local Swiss people and can be eaten in many different ways. The recipe may differ from butcher to butcher and is very closely kept and concealed by them.

14. Berner Platte –

Traditional Bernese cuisine from Switzerland is made of meat and is loved by people all over.

It consists of various meat and sausage varieties such as smoked pork and beef, pork belly, sausage, bacon, and pork ears or tails cooked with juniper-flavored sauerkraut, and other foods such as potatoes and green and/or dried beans, which are served on a large plate.

15. Zibelechueche –

Zibelechueche, or rather simply an onion tart, is also another traditional food of Switzerland. You can find this popular street food in Switzerland even at the local onion market or Zibelemarit.

Now you know what Zibele must mean here.

Through this dish, you get to know something called the Hefeteig – leavened or yeast dough. This is made with a leavened shortcrust pastry, butter, oil, onions, and bacon that is delightful to consume.

16. Pizzoccheri –

A variety of pasta – Pizzoccheri is a refreshing addition to your Swiss street food bucket list.

These long noodles, made from a dough of wheat and buckwheat, are served with potatoes, butter, Caserta cheese, and stewed savoy cabbage. They make for a delicious and very hearty dish.

17. Saffron Risotto –

The Saffron Risotto (Risotto Alla Milanese) is just simply one of the best kinds of Risotto recipes out there.

The dish is made with rice (traditionally, Carnaroli rice), saffron, butter, meat, stock, dry white wine, and Parmigiano cheese. It comes out with a rich taste and a delicate aroma that proves as a feast for your senses.

18. Swiss Chocolates –

My readers probably know just how elaborately I have discussed this particular street food-Swiss Chocolate in my previous post. But for the newcomers (and my beloved prospective regulars) I would like to state the importance of Swiss chocolate for not just the locals but also the rest of the world.

Swiss chocolate is a whole business. Famous worldwide, Swiss chocolates are known for their rich and creamy texture, and the high-quality beans used. Having been in the game for the last many decades, Switzerland is a leading hub of chocolate with its unique chocolate-making skills.

Read my another article on the best chocolate in the world: Swiss or Belgian chocolate.

19. Swiss Cheese –

Swiss people love cheese and the street food in Switzerland that consists of many items made out of cheese is solid proof.

Switzerland is famous for its huge variety of Swiss cheese hailing from different parts of the country and thus having different qualities and uses. A number of dishes in the country – many of which are even traditional – include cheese as its ingredient if not being the only one on the list.

Speaking of cheese, did you read out the difference between American cheese and Swiss cheese?

20. Sprungli’s Luxemburgerli –

Luxemburgli is the Swiss version of macarons. These are the best and most beloved modern Swiss street food. While everyone knows about these little sweet bites, let me tell you how Switzerland found the recipe.

A young pastry chef who came to Switzerland from Luxembourg brought with him an amazing recipe for the cream macarons which the Swiss locals decided to call Luxemburgli.

Modern Swiss Street Food

1. Cholera:

Cholera is a savoury pastry filled with potatoes, vegetables, and cheese. It is a very common Swiss street delicacy and is enjoyed by the locals and tourists alike.

2. Croute Au Fromage:

Translating to cheese crust, this swiss delicacy can be made using either fresh or stale bread. The basic preparation consists of fresh or stale bread that is soaked in local white wine. It is then covered with cooked pressed cheese, and grated beforehand (abundance, Gruyère, sliced ​​Raclette, or even fondue mix).

Sometimes ham and/or an egg are also added. Everything is then put in the oven for baking. Pearl onions and pickled gherkins are the most common accompaniment.

3. Papet Vaudois:

Papet Vaudois is a very popular dish from the Vaud canton in Switzerland. This is another one of the super easy dishes to make and a one-pot too. The creamy leeks and potatoes are served with the Vaud smoked pork (and beef) sausage.

4. Basler Mehlsuppe:

Basel’s signature dish is a hearty, flavorful soup made with browned flour, beef stock, onions, and sometimes red wine. Basler mehlsuppe is usually seasoned with peppercorns, cloves, nutmeg or allspice, and served topped with a generous grating of Swiss cheese such as Sbrinz or Gruyère.

5. Pretzels and Hot Dogs:

Pretzel Dog is a combination of chewy pretzel dough sprinkled with coarse salt and a juicy sausage, which makes a delicious lunch or an appetizer for kids and adults alike!

6. Roasted Chestnuts and Magenbrot:

In the fall and winter, Heissi Marroni (roasted chestnuts) and Magenbrot stands are everywhere. Magenbrot is a very popular digestive. It is like a bitter gingerbread.

7. Pizza and Sausage:

Pizza and sausage is another famous street food in Switzerland. La Fonte, Slice Pizza Lausanne, La Roma are famous stalls in Switzerland. A pizza loaded with Alpine cheese is served on the dinner plate.

8. Crêpes:

A crêpe or crepe is a very thin type of pancake. Crêpes originated in Brittany, a region in western France, during the 13th century, and are now consumed around the world. Crêpes are usually one of two varieties: sweet crêpes or savoury galettes.

Street Food Festivals In Switzerland

* Street Food Days –

Bringing far-flung flavours to cities across the country, this touring food-truck festival has stop-offs in Zurich, Bülach, Schaffhausen and Winterthur this spring. There’s music, kids’ attractions and more, too.

* Street Food Festival Tour 2019 –

Already in its fifth season and with events in 15 cities planned for 2019, this monster food truck fest offers an extensive menu of dishes, all available in small tasting portions. Themed bars, a kids’ zone and street artists complete the line-up.

* Street Food Parade Zurich –

Take a gastronomic trip around the globe without leaving the train station. The Hauptbahnhof plays host to 55 food trucks and food booths serving up over 300 dishes for this brand-new fest. All aboard!

* Food Truck Festival Locarno –

Locarno’s Piazza Grande once again becomes a culinary car park for 20-odd food trucks of all shapes and sizes, cooking up street delicacies from the Ticino region and beyond.

Tips – Don’t miss the buvettes and a live street concert at the Food truck festival Locarno.

* Food-Truck Happening Schweiz –

With a diverse mix of chefs and lovingly decorated food trucks, this touring festival brings pakoras, vegan cevapcici, churros, pulled pork burgers and other drool-inducing delights to Thun and Liestal this spring.

* Burger-Festival –

Sink your teeth into over 50 different burger creations prepared to perfection by 15 food trucks and stalls at one of this itinerant fest’s five stops in April and May. Burger-flipping is great. This Swiss street food festival Switzerland is the best.

* Street Food Festival Zurich –

Roll up, roll up for the ninth Zurich Street Food Festival under the big top at the Hardturm stadium. Part of this year’s Food Zurich, this four-week event will see more than 100 food vendors park up to tickle your taste buds.

* Geneva Street Food Fest –

The Promenade de Saint-Antoine in Geneva’s Old Town once again welcomes food trucks, winemakers, brewers, live music and kids’ activities. This year the festivities kick off a day early with a special after-work opening night on Thursday featuring great local DJs. It happened for 4 days.

* Pur.streetfood –

From the door of the train station, around 30 food trucks and stands will lead up Chur’s  Bahnhofstrasse for this fourth edition of the food fest, serving up everything from local Graubünden specialities to Asian and vegan bites. With prices from CHF7-15 per dish, you’re sure to be making several stops along the way.

Common Questions

Final Words

Switzerland is a haven for not only beer and chocolates. But as it would have appeared in this article, this assumption is not true.

The street food in Switzerland Is a must-try for the tourists visiting the country. As the locals love cheese and potatoes especially, you would get to experience a lot of cheesy dishes accompanied by potatoes and a variety of other side dishes.

Happy street Food!