Get fed in Switzerland

Eating in Switzerland

When you first come to Switzerland and see the prices in restaurants or fastfood stalls, you might get a shock, because yes: it is expensive. But it is often worth it, and there are cheaper possibillities, as the restaurant you see first. Such as university restaurants, self service places and the good old supermarkets.

All the prices I am giving are experienced in the regions of Zurich and Lucerne. The might also already have changed again. State: October 2007.

Restaurants

There are, naturally, different levels of restauration. From old smoky pubs to fancy restaurants in city centers to gourmet places. In general places on the countryside and suburbia are slightly cheaper fort he same service as the city centers. Also the Regions of Zurich, Basel, Lausanne and Geneva tend to be more expensive. The price range for good, affordable food is CHF 15.- to 35.- for a main course. In cities there are a few vegetarian restaurants, but the vast majority of restaurants serve at least one vegetarian menue.

Restaurants in special tourist places, such as ski piste or mountain top restaurants are usually more expensive.

Price Range

• Main Course: CHF 15.- to 35.-
• Salads: CHF 5.- to 15.-
• Desserts: CHF 5.- to 15.-
• Soft Drinks 0.5l: from 3.-
• Beer 0.5l: around 5.- to 6.- special beers may be up to 10.-
• Wine 0.1l: from 4.50
• Coffee, tea, hot/cold chocolate, Ovomaltine: always around 3.60
• Hot chocolate in special cafés: from 4.-

Dishes are always included, bread most of the time. Taxes and Service are included in the prices on the menu. To give tipps is not common. They are a special revard for a good service. It is common to round up to the next full CHF, when you have been eating or drinking several beers.

University and company's restaurants

If you know where, these self service restaurants are a much cheaper joyce. If you have an international student card, you even get the meals for the students price.

• Meal for Students: around 7.-
• for foreigners: around 10.-
• in company's restaurants around 10.-

It always depends on what you eat... In the busy times of the university restaurants, you might even be lucky not having to show your (not existing) student card. To eat in company's restaurants, you just have to be smart enaugh to go there. The worst they can do is throwing you out again.

Fast food

Like in nearly every country there are McDo and Burgerking. But the Kebab stalls are far more spread over Switzerland. Nearly no village where you can not eat a full Turkish fast food meal. ;-) There are also a lot of Saussage Grills, where you get the typical Swiss sausages (Bratwurst, Cervelat) with a bun and mustard. Chinese take aways are not this common on the countryside, but you will find one in nearly every city’s train station.

Price Range

• McDo, Burgerking: Menus around 10.-
• Kebab, Fallaffel: CHF 7.- to 9.-
• Saussage: 5.- to 9.-
• Chinese: from 5.- fried rice, to 20.- full meal
• Pizza Take away: from 6.- per slice in Trainstations
• Pizza service is not an unknown thing to Switzerland. The Pizzas normally start at CHF 10.- most of the services also offer different kind of food, soft drinks, beer and wine. The delivery is normally for free within a defined range, cities are normally inside that range, but if you want a pizza delivered over 20km it might cost you something. If the delivering is not for free, it’s mentioned on their leaflet.

Supermarkets

In western world, such as Switzerland, we get our food from the supermarket. Local markets are very rare and maybe twice as expensive as in the supermarket. So forget about that, or only go to local markets for "watching".

There are three big supermarket chains in Switzerland. Migros, Coop and Denner. Actually only 2 because Migros recently bought Denner. But anyway... At some places you might also find Aldi, Pam, and others. On the countryside Volg is the most spread. For late night shopping, there are a few 24h Gas station shops, but mostly they close at midnight. See more info under Opening hours.

The cheapest and the biggest of the chains is Migros, followed by Coop. Denner and Aldi might be sometimes even be cheaper as Migros, but the choice is rather poor. Volg is usually much more expensive as they usually work as local corner/village shops.

The size of the Migros and Coop shops don’t matter, the goods have always the same price. With one exception on both sides: the Avec shops run by Migros, and the Coop Pronto shops sell party and convenience food more expensive than the normal shops. If you are in a Migros, and are desperately looking for beer, forget it, Migros does not sell any alcohol! Normally, the products with the chains name on it, are cheaper than the international brands. Migros and Coop also have their own Budget line:

• M-Budget, you recognice them by their green and white striped wrappings
• Coop prix garantie, they have a pink label, saying prix garantie

Most time, the products are the same, in an other wrapping. Its perfectly fine to buy these, and they all have experienced kind of a boom lately. The quality is outstanding for all products, you dont need to check a hundred times, you will not be sold any shit. And even the low-price products have gotten many good reviews in the consumer testings, sometimes they are even quality/healthier better than many other international brands.

Opening hours

• Normal Shops: 8:00 to 18:30 or 20:00
• Avec and Coop Pronto: 6:00 to 21:00 or 23:00
• Gas Stations: 6:00 to 24:00 or 24/7
• Smaller shops in villages might have very special opening hours.

Price Range

In general the prices rise in this sequence: Aldi, then Migros, then Coop and Carrefour/Jumbo and then the small neigbourhood shops like Volg. I know, price range for supermarkets, sound a bit silly, but I'll give you some examples of the prices. The prices on the goods are always for one piece, as for one kg or l some special goods, like fresh mushrooms are labelled in /100g

• Bread 500g normal: CHF 1.30
• Cheese (cheap): 11.- to 15.- per kg
• Cheese (expensive): up to 35.- per kg
• Sliced ham: 22.- per kg there is more expensive, up to 40.- per kg
• Joghurt: from 0.60 per piece
• Ice Tea: 0.80 per liter (lemon) 1.10 per liter (peach)
• Orange Juice: 1.30 per liter
• Mineral Water: from 0.35 (M-Budget, prix garantie) to 0.95 (supermarket brands) to 3.- (some very special waters)
• Beer: 0.5 liter: from 0.55 (Coop Lager) to 1.50 (import beer) in gas stations and railway station shops up to 2.50 (special beers are sometimes more expensive)
• Wine: drinkable wine starts around 5.- per bottle 75cl

Vegetarian, vegan and allergics

Vegetarianism in general

Vegetarianism is quite common in Switzerland and you will find loads of vegetarian (e.g. full of milk and cheese) plates. Most restaurants have vegetarian dishes and its no big deal for you. Also acceptance is very high amongst the people and since meat is crazy ecpensive in Switzerland you will feel that your budget is not being overused...

Milkfree and vegan

Milk free it a tricky thing, but its possible. Most stuff will be available at Supermarkets. Lots of veggies and fruit available, of course prices are...... uuuuu! But its cheaper than buying everything at the health shop. Also chickpeas and lentills and stuff are easy to get. As well soy products and rice milk are available in most big supermarkets (even at mainstation migros in Zurich) I found the products at Migros were more often without milk, for example some ready made products, margarine..., chips, etc. and they had a wide variety of soy products (Soya Line, which contains of Soy Yoghurts, Tofu and more, the variety is getting wider and wider). Also be aware thet most breads are made with milk or more commonly butter. Read through the ingredient list first, then you can make out which ones are ok to take. Most dark breads are vegan.

Health shops

Ok the health shop is essential, you might need some milk-free treat, chocolate, crackers, muesli and wheat free pasta. Its called health shop or Reformhaus or Bioladen. They are very very expensive, but you will probably need some of the items there and staff is usually very helpful and knowledgable.

Locations: Usually there are many such places in the citues, in the countrysite you will probably also find some products at the pharmacy. (true!) Zurich: at the mainstation, downstairs, green and white label, sort of in the middle, near the escalators. Oerlikon: at the big market square, theres a small shop.

The only way to dine out and be sure to get a milk free/vegan meal is to go to an asian restaurant. All the traditional restaurants will gladly listen to your needs, but not understand what you mean by milk free. (What you mean by milk-free? You're in Fucking Switzerland, everybody drinks tons of milk!!!!!) Even a plain veggie platter will be full of butter, and butter on the pasta and everywhere... Also, be careful with Salads. Theres cream or milk in the normal dressing. Order italian dessing or plain oil and vinegar (balsamico) and you will be on the safe side. Also Mueslis often contain milk solids (Magermilchpulver).. Read through the ingredient list, or get every product separately and mix it. Summer will be more easy than winter. Winter will be plain crazyness. Cheese Fondue/Raclette everywhere! (always my worst time in Switzerland) Little fruit diversity available at shops. Come in summer, it will be easier.

Words ion German for disguingishing (everybod who does not speak this language) cheese - Kaese cream - Rahm milk - Milch butter - Butter please add more

Take this advie: always carry some food in your bag so you don't starve when you are invited or somewhere on the road and cant join eating out.

Drinking in Switzerland

Water In Switzerland, you can drink water from the tap, exept for taps labelled with "kein Trinkwasser" or "eau non potable" The tap water often has even better quality thant the bottled mineral water. There are taps everywhere and fountains everywhere around the cityes. Yes, you can drink from them as long as it doesen't say that its not for drinking. (even then you will probably not die if you take an emergecy sip... depending on your travel experiences of course)

In the countrysite tap water tends to be full of calcium which is not that bad at all, i usually drink it but you might want to opt for bottled water or - if you are really far in the countrysite, the local fountain in the middle of the village or river... Yes, welcome to Switzerland! Enjoy it.

Traditional drinks Rivella is an entirely swiss thing, containing milk serum. Everyone knows what it is and you can get it in most places. There are different types now... buy just try the traditional original one first. In supermarkets you can get it at Coop and most other ones (In Migros its called Mivella)

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