Today you're going to discover 15 foods to try near Interlaken and
we've got all the major food groups covered: meat, cheese, coffee, beer,
cake, and a few sweet treats just to make sure you're satisfied.
But we're not just telling you what to eat. We're actually
going to show you the exact spots to try everything. If we haven't met,
we’re Jana and Brett and we’ve spent the last 2 summers living here in Interlaken,
which is how we discovered these 15 local food experiences you won't want to miss.
In fact, if you follow along using our custom map,
you can save these spots on your own Google map so you can follow this
tour on your next trip to Switzerland. So here are 15 foods to try near Interlaken.
Our first recommendation is from Steininger,
the very first bakery we ever visited in this area, and we keep coming back again and again.
It's located in Matten, which is just a short walk or bus ride away
from Interlaken. While there are lots of tasty things to try here,
we cannot stay away from the quiche. There are a few different ones, including cheese quiche,
and spinach quiche. But we love this one with cheese and onions and speck, which is like bacon.
It's so cheesy. Cheesier than a bad dad joke.
Seriously though, I can't figure out which cheeses are included in here,
but it's almost like a creamy version mixed with something else that has a hint of sharpness.
I've never had a quiche quite like this.
Dorf Strasse in Grindelwald might be one of the most touristy streets in all of the Swiss Alps,
but sneak away from it all by going just up the
hill and indulge yourself with a piece of cake at Café 3692.
All of the artisan cakes are made with love by a local baker, and they are seriously some of the
best cakes we have ever tried. And every time we come there's a different selection. But so far,
Brett’s favorite is the Irish cream cake and my favorite is the berry lime cake.
While your belly enjoys a sweet treat, let your eyes feast on the ridiculous
views from the terrace, including the Wetterhorn and the Eiger North Face,
which is where the cafe gets its name from because the Eiger is 3692 meters.
Scratch that. I was wrong. It's actually named after the Wetterhorn, which is 3692 meters.
Having spent a lot of time in Italy, my level of coffee snobbery has gone through the roof, meaning
it hasn't been easy to find good coffee here in Switzerland. So if your expectations for coffee
are higher than your heart rate after a Starbucks venti mocha latte, then you'll love the coffee.
Here at Velo Cafe in Interlaken, the coffee is Italian style. Unlike many cafes around here that
use a glorified Nespresso machine and charge 6 francs for it. And the owner, Rob, is an energetic
and friendly guy who works continuously to provide a great customer experience,
including amazing coffee, vegan and vegetarian food, and even an American style breakfast. So
stop by Velo cafe, say hi to Rob, and maybe even invite him to run a race up a mountain with you.
Growing up in the U.S., I rarely thought about where my food came from. But when
you're walking around here, well, it's always in front of you. Sorry, Mini Moo!
There's nothing quite like the taste of local and fresh. So stop by a farm fridge to try some
local sausage. We love this one here on the edge of Wilderswil because it has so much variety.
There's usually a paprika sausage, a garlic one, and then this other one,
which we're not really sure what it's called, but it's really delicious. Oh,
and there's also an entire freezer full of beef if you're interested.
When you visit a farm fridge, be sure to bring your cash and coins because you pick out the
items you want, add up the total, and then leave your money in the box or basket.
This one has a big basket of extra change, but they don't always have that. Local sausage is
always a good addition to our charcuterie board or even a picnic with a view.
From the tiny village of Gimmelwald comes a world famous beer, Schwarz Mönch,
which you'll find at Pension Gimmelwald. It reigned as the king of dark lagers for a few years,
ranking number one in the world on a beer rating app called Untapped.
One of my favorite ways to spend a day in the Swiss Alps includes a long hike that
ends in Gimmelwald and then relaxing with a glass of Schwarz Mönch on the panoramic
terrace. It's hard to imagine a more beautiful spot or a more refreshing beer.
Be sure to check out this video later if you want to see our favorite one
day itinerary that includes a long hike and a glass of Schwarz Mönch.
For most people, Eigergletscher is just a necessary stop along the way
to visit Jungfraujoch. But if you're simply passing through,
you're missing some dramatic views and a local pastry.
Head through the Eigergletscher restaurant to the back deck. Because honestly,
if there's a restaurant that gets you closer to these mountains, I'm not sure what it would be.
You're literally perched at the base of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau,
with snow fields and waterfalls all around you. Once you find a table with a view,
order a rahmschnitte. This cream cake is so light and flaky, it's impossible to resist.
There's also a really famous version of this and Lake Bled in Slovenia,
but this one has an alcoholic twist because there's rum in the icing. So
whether you're visiting here on your way to the Jungfraujoch or just here for a hike,
stopping at Eigergletscher restaurant for a piece of cream cake is definitely worth your time.
Number seven is the alpler cappuccino at Cafe 3692. I know we already mentioned the cakes here,
but the coffee is so good it's worth a mention too. And this drink in particular is special.
It's a giant cappuccino served in a bowl. Yes, a bowl. An alpler is a herdsman or an
alpine farmer, and a person who does tough work like that deserves a drink like this.
I know you're not exactly a herdsman, but you'll be working hard hiking in these
mountains too. So channel your inner alpler and enjoy an alpler cappuccino at Cafe 3692.
We don't eat out in restaurants very often in Switzerland because they can be a real
budget buster. But there's one particular place in Mürren that we have been to at least five times.
Stägerstübli has a lamb filet that definitely deserves a spot on this list.
The melt-in-your-mouth lamb and the flavorful spices,
and then this side of garlic mayo. I mean, come on!
Most of our recommendations revolve around cafes and bakeries. But if you're
looking to enjoy a nice dinner and a beautiful Swiss village,
then head straight to Mürren and order to lamb filet at Stägerstübli.
When we included Rugenbräu in our Swiss Food Tour last year,
Jana made fun of me for sounding like Rick Steves.
“Our next stop is Rugenbräu.” But Rick's awesome,
so I'll take that as a compliment while telling you that our next stop is once again Rugenbräu.
They're a brewery and distillery. They produce about a dozen different beers,
half a dozen whiskeys, a couple of gins and some beer schnapps. My
favorite beer is the Dunkel, and my favorite whiskey is the Rock Label.
And though they're sold out of it this year, they even produce an Ice Label whiskey that's aged for
7 years in the ice way up at Jungfraujoch. Prost to that! When you visit, you could do a tasting
of beer or whiskey, or you could just order something and sit at the bar like we are today.
While we're in Matten, we have to take you back
to Steininger one more time for the haslikuche, or the hazelnut cake.
Now, Brett has way more of a sweet tooth than me, but this cake has achieved the perfect balance
of sweetness without giving me a sugar crash. And we've tried lots of hazelnut cakes and just
hazelnut pastries all over this area, but none of them are as good as this one here from Steininger.
When we told you about—wow, it's cold.
When we told you about buying sausage from a farm fridge earlier, you didn't think we'd
leave it at that, did you? No charcuterie board is complete without cheese. So number 11 on our
list is alpkäse or alp cheese from a farm fridge. During the summer, cows are taken into the Alps
to graze at higher elevations, while the fields below are left to grow extra hay for the winter.
The cheese produced here is called alp cheese and has a different taste from cheese produced at
lower elevations due to the grass or wildflowers and everything else the cows eat in the Alps. In
fact, the cheese even tastes different depending on where the cows graze. So we think it's a
super fun experience to stop by multiple farm fridges and buy cheese from different Alps.
Come a little bit closer in. Let me tell you a little secret. The absolute best
cinnamon rolls that we have ever had in our life are from right here near
Interlaken. But here's the thing. It's kind of like this local secret spot,
and if we tell you all about it here on the video, well, the locals will probably yell at us.
So in order to maintain good relationships,
we're not going to tell you the name here in the video. However,
I have a feeling if you go download our custom map that the name and location are probably pinned on there.
Seriously, look at this. Gooey goodness is perfectly baked with like a crunchy
outside and a soft inside. It's like sugary sweet but savory cinnamon.
I guarantee you if you find this local place, you will not be able to buy just
one. Or you'll go back the next day to buy another because they are just that good.
In Unterseen just across the river from Interlaken,
you'll find another bakery known for locals lined up
in the morning. It's called Mohler. And our favorite thing to buy here is Zopf.
It's Swiss braided bread and it's amazing with butter and jam, which can be purchased
at the grocery store or a local farm fridge, or even all by itself. And while you're here,
pick up a bag of Kirsch Stingley. They're chocolate balls filled with
Kirsch, which is a local liqueur, and they're one of Mohler’s specialties.
For our next stop, we're taking you to Lauterbrunnen, but you could probably
find this in any village in Switzerland. We're talking about milk from a farm
vending machine. The first time we had this, it was as if we had never tasted milk before.
“Oh, my gosh." "It's so good." It was so rich and creamy, and I felt like I can
taste all of the grass and the wildflowers and everything that the cows grazed on. "No joke.
This is the creamiest tastiest milk I've ever had. "But it's like the best flavors of cheese.
But in milk.” But you should know that this milk is unpasteurized. So if you do decide to try it,
stick with just a small amount. After my taste, I had a little bit of tummy
trouble. Though Brett was totally fine and honestly, it was absolutely worth it.
“I'm spoiled. I can never have milk from the grocery store again.” And number 15 is the
high point of this list. Literally, it's the James Bond Brunch way up at the Schilthorn.
And there's so much of this experience that we made an entire video about it. In this video,
we take you along for our James Bond Brunch in a revolving restaurant and show you everything
else you can do on your visit to the Schilthorn, including how much it costs and how to get there.
Watch that next. And we'll see you in Switzerland.