The food of Vaud and Montreux is not flashy — it is honest and deeply satisfying. Fondue and raclette are the two dishes that put Swiss food on the world map, and this is where they genuinely come from, not an imported version from somewhere else. Cheese made from cows grazing on Alpine pasture tastes entirely different from the imported kind you get at home. Come once, try the real thing.
#1 Swiss Cheese Fondue
No dish represents Swiss culture more completely than this one. In Vaud the fondue is made from Gruyère and Vacherin Fribourgeois melted together in white wine and garlic, eaten by dipping cubed baguette or pommes de terre (boiled potatoes). The Vaudois recipe adds a splash of Kirsch — cherry eau-de-vie — for fragrance and to stop the cheese from seizing. It is a dish eaten communally around the table, and the atmosphere it creates is unlike anything else.
- If your bread falls into the pot, Swiss tradition says you owe a round of Schnapps or a round of drinks for the table — pay attention.
- The crust that forms on the bottom of the pot is called «la religieuse» (the nun) and is considered the best part. Do not wash the pot before scraping it out.
- Drink white wine or hot tea alongside — cold water causes the cheese to congeal in your stomach.
#2 Raclette
Originally from the Valais valley, raclette is now eaten all over Switzerland including Vaud. A half-wheel of Raclette cheese is placed before a grill, and the melting face is scraped directly onto boiled potatoes, served with cornichons, pickled onions, and charcuterie. Raclette cheese has a more assertive smell than Gruyère — first-timers may need a moment to adjust — but the flavour is creamy, gently sweet, and very good.
- A good restaurant will use genuine Raclette du Valais AOP, not a factory-processed Raclette substitute. Ask the staff.
- A raclette meal runs long — 200 to 300 grams of cheese per person is normal. Do not over-order at the start.
- Montreux Christmas market in December has outdoor raclette stalls. The smell drifts through the whole street.
#3 Papet Vaudois
The national dish of the Canton of Vaud, served at every festival and celebration among Vaudois people for centuries. It consists of Saucisson Vaudois — a coarsely ground smoked pork sausage — braised on a bed of leeks and cabbage in stock until everything is tender and yielding. The flavour is comforting, gently salty, and smoky. The sausage has a coarse, rustic texture you feel when you chew, nothing like a factory product. Traditionally eaten in October during the Bénichon harvest festival, a custom carried on for hundreds of years.
- Ask for Saucisson Vaudois AOP to guarantee quality. Sausages carrying an organic label or AOP certification typically come directly from farms within the canton.
- Vacuum-packed Saucisson makes an excellent souvenir. Migros and Coop supermarkets sell it for far less than restaurants.
- This dish is heavy and filling — it can serve as the only meal of the day. No need to order more.
#4 Swiss Chocolate
Switzerland is the true birthplace of milk chocolate. Swiss chemist Daniel Peter invented milk chocolate in 1875 in Vevey — just 6 km from Montreux. The Cailler brand, founded in 1819, has its factory and museum in Broc, open to visitors who want to see the full production process and taste as much chocolate as they like at the end. Other notable brands in the area include Lindt and Läderach, both with shops in Montreux and Vevey.
- The Maison Cailler factory tour in Broc costs CHF 15 for adults and runs about 1.5 hours, finishing in a tasting room with unlimited sampling — good value.
- The Läderach shop in Vevey sells chocolate made fresh daily, not pre-boxed. Excellent with coffee.
- Buying chocolate at Migros or Coop is considerably cheaper than tourist shops, and the quality of the major brands is the same.
#5 Meringue with Double Cream
Swiss meringue in the Gruyères style differs from the standard version in one key way: the shells are much larger, crisp on the outside and chewy within, served alongside double cream — a Swiss fresh cream with roughly twice the fat content of ordinary whipped cream. It has been a festival and market treat for Vaudois people throughout their history. Pastry shops in Gruyères bake fresh meringues daily, and you can find them in traditional pâtisseries in Montreux as well.
- Swiss double cream runs at 48 to 50 percent fat. Do not whip it hard like regular cream — spoon it straight over the meringue. The flavour is intense.
- Traditional bakeries in Montreux usually carry meringues. Ask: «avez-vous des meringues maison?» (do you have house-made meringues?).
- Gruyères-style meringue is crispest on the day it is baked. Moisture softens the texture quickly, so do not buy ahead.
#6 Chasselas Vaudois
A white wine made from Chasselas grapes grown on the UNESCO World Heritage Lavaux terraces — the signature wine of Vaud, paired with fondue and Papet Vaudois for hundreds of years. The flavour is fresh, gently acidic, with a mineral edge from the stone soils of Lavaux. It is lighter and more delicate than most French whites, easy to drink with no prior wine knowledge required. Almost none of it is exported outside Switzerland, which means this is the only place to taste it.
- Ask for a Chasselas from the Lavaux or La Côte appellation for an authentic Vaudois character — different from Chasselas produced elsewhere.
- Many lakeside restaurants offer glass tastings for CHF 8 to 12. Try a glass before committing to a bottle.
- Take a bottle home from Cave des Viticulteurs de Lavaux in Cully, or from a Vinothèque in Montreux. Prices run CHF 15 to 25 per bottle.
Where to stay in Montreux for this trip
A well-located hotel means less commuting and more sightseeing. Here are real, top-rated stays in Montreux — compare Agoda · Booking · Trip.com in one click.
Fairmont Le Montreux Palace
Affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Details
Royal Plaza Montreux
Affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Details
Eden Palace au Lac
Affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Details
Grand Hotel Suisse Majestic
Affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Details
Tours, tickets & activities in Montreux
Day tours, attraction tickets and travel essentials for Montreux — book ahead on Klook with mobile e-tickets.
Affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Before You Pack
Food in Montreux is not cheap, but the quality of the ingredients more than compensates. The best local restaurants are often tucked into small villages on the hillsides above town. If you have the chance to drive or take the train up to eat in one of the Lavaux villages, the experience is meaningfully different from anything in the city centre.