Traditional Cheese Fondue in an Alpine Restaurant

Fondue is a Swiss invention that has been misappropriated by the world and improved by nobody. The genuine article — moitie-moitie in the Fribourg tradition (half Gruyere, half Vacherin Fribourgeois, melted with Fendant white wine and a splash of kirsch) — is a communal ritual: a copper pot over a flame, cubed bread for dipping, and the social contract that whoever loses their bread in the pot must pay a penalty. The flavour of correctly made fondue — the nutty, slightly sharp, wine-acidic depth of aged mountain cheese — is one of the defining food experiences of central Europe.

Zurich has excellent fondue restaurants despite (or because of) its position as Switzerland's most cosmopolitan city. The Restaurant Adler at Hirschenplatz in the old town, the Zunfthaus zur Zimmerleuten (a 15th-century guild house on the Limmat), and Le Dezaley (serving Vaudois fondue since 1963) are the reference points. The season runs October through April — fondue is a cold-weather food in Switzerland, and eating it in summer is, if not illegal, considered mildly eccentric.

For the full alpine fondue experience, take the S-Bahn from Zurich to Uetliberg (25 minutes), the hill above the city with panoramic views of the lake and the Alps. The restaurant there serves fondue year-round. Alternatively, the Zugerberg above Lake Zug, or the restaurants of the Appenzell region to the east (where the local cheese, Appenzeller, is rubbed with herbal brine in a recipe kept secret since the 13th century) offer the ideal combination of mountain air and molten cheese.