Berne is a city that offers its citizens and tourists a wide variety of restaurants and cafés offering typical specialities from all over the world, in addition to strictly traditional dishes. During your visit to the city, therefore, you are due a taste of typical Swiss cuisine, a mix of traditions from the three main cantons, which is therefore influenced by French, German, Austrian and to some extent Italian. Are you planning to spend a few days in Bern? Here's a little guide listing the 10 things you absolutely must eat in the Swiss capital.
1 - Berner Platte
Photo by Sandstein. As the name suggests, this speciality is typical of the city of Bern. It is a single dish consisting of ham, bacon, spare ribs, marrowbone with sauerkraut, beans and potatoes. The birth of the dish can be traced back to a precise date, as it was created to celebrate the victory of the Bernese against the French on 5 March 1798.
Recommended: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €20.00
Main ingredients: ham, bacon, ribs, pork rinds, marrow, sauerkraut, beans and potatoes
2 - Cheese Fondue
The fondue certainly needs no introduction, but in Switzerland, it takes on an even more special declination thanks to theabundance of typical cheeses the country can count on. Swiss fondue is generally made using soft cheeses such as fontina, comté, gruyère and emmental to which white wine is added. It is essential for the success of the recipe to have the appropriate pot with a stove.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €25.00
Main ingredients: soft cheese, dry white wine, garlic, nutmeg
3 - Raclette
This name indicates both the typical Swiss preparation and the cheese used. More than a recipe, it is a real ritual, performed for example in the heat of the fireplace, towards which the chosen half-cheese wheel is held at an angle. When the exposed surface begins to melt, it is scraped off with a knife and served with boiled or baked potatoes.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €18.00
Main ingredients: Raclette cheese, potatoes
4 - Älplermagronen
"/> Photo by Adrian Michael. This is a dish consisting of pasta, potatoes, cream, cheese and onions. Its name can be translated as 'Alpine pastry' and it is a classic of Swiss cuisine. It is not, however, a very old dish, as pasta arrived in the central Alps only in the 19th century, brought by Italian workers following the construction of the Gotthard tunnel.
Recommended: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €15.00
Main ingredients: pasta (usually macaroni), potatoes, cream, cheese, onions
5 - Rösti
For its preparation, potatoes are grated raw and sautéed in a pan, some recipes include the addition of chopped onions and tasty speck strips. It can be eaten as a side dish or as a main course.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner, snack
Average cost: €10.00
Main ingredients: potatoes, onions, bacon
6 - Birchermüesli
The dish is named after its creator, Swiss nutritionist Max Bircher who, 120 years ago, stopped at an alpine pasture during a hike in the Alps. A farmer offered the man the same thing she and her children were eating - a bowl of milk with chopped cereal, berries and ground nuts. The doctor was won over by the simplicity of the dish but also by its high nutritional value, so much so that he took it as his inspiration for Birchermüesli. To this day, there is no family in Switzerland that does not consume it, perhaps replacing milk with yoghurt, adding chocolate or nuts.
Recommended for: breakfast, snack
Average cost: €7.00
Main ingredients: cereals, dried fruit, berries, milk or yoghurt
7 - Spätzle
Although a typical southern German preparation, these dumplings are also popular in Switzerland. They are made of wheat flour, eggs and water, a very simple preparation but with a very tasty result.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €10.00
Main ingredients: wheat flour, eggs, water, topping of your choice
8 - Swiss chocolate
It has always been one of the symbols of Switzerland, despite the fact that the country itself does not have a climate suitable for growing the cocoa plant. Swiss chocolate, known the world over, owes its success to the innovative ideas of Swiss chocolate makers in the 19th century. Today, Switzerland is one of the nations with the highest chocolate production in the world and the one with the highest chocolate consumption per capita.
Recommended for: always
Average cost: about €12.00 per kilo
Main ingredients: cocoa
9 - Schweineschnitzel
A speciality from Viennese cuisine, this is nothing more than a slice of veal breaded and then fried in lard. It can be served with various side dishes and is very similar to our schnitzel.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €14.00
Main ingredients: veal
10 - Leberspiessli
These are veal (or pork) liver skewers wrapped in bacon and cooked on the grill or in a pan.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €10.00
Main ingredients: veal (or pork) liver, bacon
Le Mazot, Baerenplatz 5, Get directions
Where to eat in Bern: best restaurants, cafés and street food
Being the capital of Switzerland, you can find plenty of places and restaurants in Bern that offer both international dishes and traditional Swiss recipes, which are influenced by French, German and Italian cuisine, making Swiss cuisine unique.
As for places to eat, it is not always easy to find cheap or affordable restaurants. Switzerland is already an expensive destination and this is also reflected in this aspect. A tip for saving money: absolutely avoid places that are too touristy! The best thing is to look for the most characteristic places frequented mainly by locals. At lunchtime, you can then stop at the various markets that fill the streets of the city and taste typical dishes at a good price.
1 - Beaulieu
Description: located in the university district, off the beaten track, this is the right place to taste and discover true Bernese tradition; it has several menus, depending on the season, as well as one for lunch and one for dinner
Speciality: Market Menu Beaulieu
Average price: from €20.00 per person
Address: Erlachstrasse 3 - Get directions - Facebook page
2 - Kornhauscafé
Description: a veritable institution in Bern, built between 1771 and 1778 initially as a granary, then transformed over time into a restaurant; offers typical dishes and excellent wines, also open in the morning for a good breakfast
Speciality: 'Kornhaus' tartare
Average price: from €25.00 per person
Address: Kornhausplatz 18 - Get directions - Facebook page
3 - Restaurant Rosengarten
Description: located in the Rosengarten, one of the most beautiful and best-loved parks in Bern; open from morning until late evening; has outdoor tables and an indoor dining room, both with a beautiful view of the city
Speciality: dish of the day
Average price: from €20.00 per person
Address: Alter Aargauerstalden 31B - Get directions - Facebook page
4 - Schöngrün
Description: near the Paul Klee Museum, a little away from the old town; modern design restaurant in a historic building; offers dishes that combine local tradition with international influences
Speciality: soup of the day
Average price: from €30.00 per person
Address: Monument im Fruchtland 1 - Get directions - Facebook page
5 - Mille Sens
Description: in the heart of Berne, it has a typical French bistro look with a fusion cuisine orientation; there are several menus, one for lunch, one for dinner and one for special occasions and business meetings, all of which offer fresh and special dishes
Speciality: mille sens table
Average price: from €100.00 per person
Address: Schweizerhof-Passage, Spitalgasse 38 - Get directions - Facebook page
