Lucerne is a good place to eat if you know what to look for. The food of central Switzerland is hearty, dairy-rich and shaped by the mountains, and the lake adds fish to the menu. You will find traditional dishes in the Old Town inns, modern cooking in the hotel restaurants and quick, good snacks near the station and the piers. This guide covers what to order, how to eat well on a budget and how to fit meals around the sights.
Local dishes to look for
The signature dish of the city is the Luzerner Chügelipastete, a puff-pastry case filled with veal and mushrooms in a creamy sauce, served at traditional restaurants and a classic choice for a first dinner. Älplermagronen, or Alpine macaroni, is the mountain comfort dish of central Switzerland: macaroni, potato, cheese and cream, usually served with apple sauce and crisp onions. Rösti, the fried potato cake, appears everywhere, often topped with cheese, bacon or an egg. Look also for sausages with rösti, mountain cheeses and dried meats, and sweet specialities such as the local gingerbread and the thin Willisau rings, a biscuit from the surrounding canton.
Fondue and raclette
Cheese is the centre of the Swiss table, and fondue is the great sharing dish: a pot of melted cheese kept warm over a flame, eaten with cubes of bread on long forks. It is a cold-weather meal for most locals, so you will find it on every menu from autumn to spring and on fewer in high summer. Raclette, scraped melted cheese over potatoes and pickles, is the other classic. Both are best shared by two or more people, and both are filling, so plan a light lunch and a long evening. If you are visiting the mountains, some summit restaurants serve fondue with a view, and a fondue evening in the Old Town makes a good end to a day on the Rigi.
Lake fish
Fish from the lake and nearby waters turns up on menus, with perch fillets, often called egli, among the most popular, usually pan-fried in butter and served with potatoes or salad. Ask what is local and what is in season, because the menu may mix local catches with imported fish. On the water itself, a lake cruise with a light lunch or a coffee is an easy way to combine the view with a meal, and the larger boats have a restaurant or a snack counter.
Coffee, cakes and chocolate
Swiss cafés are a pleasure, and Lucerne has plenty around the Old Town squares and along the river. A coffee and a slice of cake or a pastry is a fine afternoon pause after the Chapel Bridge or the Glacier Garden. Chocolate is a national passion, and the shops in the Old Town sell good bars, pralines and gifts to take home. If you like to see how it is made, a chocolate-themed activity is available at the Swiss Museum of Transport, and guided tastings are offered around the city.
Eating on a budget
Lucerne can be expensive, but there are ways to keep costs down. Lunch is usually cheaper than dinner, and many restaurants offer a fixed-price daily menu at midday. Bakeries and supermarkets near the station sell good sandwiches and picnic food, which is ideal for mountain days, and tap water is safe and free to drink. Fill a bottle before you set out. A picnic on the lake promenade or on a summit bench is one of the cheapest and best meals in Switzerland.
Drinks
Switzerland produces good wine, mostly white, and much of it is drunk at home, so a glass of local wine with a meal is a pleasure that is easy to miss. Swiss beers are widely available, and fruit brandies, often made from cherries or pears, are a traditional way to finish a heavy meal. Non-alcoholic choices include apple juice, mineral water and the hot chocolate that cafés serve on cold afternoons. Ask for the local option when you order, and do not be shy about asking the waiter for a recommendation.
Planning meals around the sights
Match your meal to your day. On a city day, linger over a long lunch in the Old Town and save a lighter evening for a stroll across the lit bridge. On a mountain day, eat a proper breakfast, carry snacks and plan an early lunch at the summit or on the way down. If you are staying at a hotel with its own restaurant, such as the lakefront Palace or the Old Town Wilden Mann with its Burgerstube and Sauvage restaurant, dinner there can be the highlight of a special night. Book ahead for weekends and for concert nights at the KKL, when restaurants fill quickly, and check opening days, because some smaller places close on Sundays or Mondays.
