THE BEST IN THE WORLD
Zermatt is unquestionably the mountain restaurant capital of the Alps, with over 40 high quality establishments to choose from. However at peak periods advance booking of lunch tables is absolutely essential and sometimes this needs to be done at least a day in advance.
On the Sunnegga side the Austrian-run Fluhalp has a very lively sun terrace (often with live music), great views, fast service, an imaginative menu and very keen prices. It may very well be the best mountain restaurant in the world, but its rivals in Zermatt give it stiff competition. The Pot au Feu here is especially recommended, as are the dessert pancakes. (Note that a massive new snow-making system from Rothorn to Gant has now made this restaurant much more easily accessible.) At the Blauherd lift station, the departure point for the cable car up to Rothorn, the outdoor Sunshine Bar has been redeveloped yet again and is still an ideal place for a pre-lunch aperitif and meeting point.
The best of the five charming chalet-style restaurants in the sunny hamlet of Findeln are Findlerhof , run by mountain guide Franz Schwery and his wife Heidi, serving first-rate lamb fillet among other specialities; and Chez Vrony , run by the eponymous Vrony Julen, specialising in fresh mountain trout. (If you find all the above are booked out, then Enzian with its newly expanded sun-terrace, is a good back-up option.) Or, if you fancy a chicken spit-roasted outdoors on the mountainside, head for Adler. The obligatory last stop of the day on the way down from Sunnegga is the Olympia Stubli , where there is always a great party atmosphere in the late afternoon, sometimes accompanied by live music.
On the Gornergrat sector the best lunch spot is the new Al Bosco, just in front of the Riffelalp hotel. This substantial and beautiful building opened in 2008 and has an alluring sun terrace. The pizzas in the shape of the Matterhorn are especially good, but no reservations are taken. It is best to arrive early or late. (This is a particularly good place to meet non-skiers who can take the Gornergrat railway up to Riffelalp.) As well as igloos in which you spend the night, the Iglu Bar also features an igloo bar offering 'hot beverages beside cold walls', but needless to say freezing cold vodka shots are also available.
On the Klein Matterhorn side, StaffelALP is a charmingly situated little place, with unusual views of the Matterhorn, and is now run by a young, enthusiastic team - live music is promised in the Spring. Simi's at Furi is a long-standing resort institution that does excellent grilled veal sausages and various rostis. Les Marmottes , just above Furri is a special new building with an enterprising and very varied menu. Below Furri at Zum See , Max Mennig is the most talented chef in the mountains above Zermatt. Recommended dishes include his home-made pasta and his pastry desserts. (People really do ring up in advance on their mobiles to reserve slices of his apfel strudel.) The cosy Blatten is a charming two-storey hut that rivals Zum See for quality of food and is a good last stop of the day. Leander and Simone Tagwaulder are great hosts and serve great cakes. Just below here is the Henustall - literally "chicken hut" - where there is a good late afternoon party atmosphere at the outside bar (which does get very cold) and indoors
As if all these were not sufficient temptation, Zermatt-based skiers can also lunch on the slopes of Cervinia. (For more information click here.) However it is important to leave plenty of time for your return journey, since the Italian lift operators can be capricious and getting stuck in Cervinia means a very long and expensive taxi ride back to Zermatt or, alternatively, an expensive hotel room — assuming you can find an empty one, that is
