*Updated October 2026*
Where is the most delicious cheese fondue in Basel, Switzerland? Baracca Zermatt Basel. Absolutely outstanding.
Fondue at Baracca Zermatt in Basel, Switzerland.
In December 2025, I took a day trip from Strasbourg, France, to Basel, Switzerland, to visit Basel’s three small Christmas markets. When in Switzerland, and because Basel’s markets are on the smaller side, I decided that I simply had to have a cheese fondue meal on the day trip. I made a lunch reservation at Baracca Zermatt, and it was absolutely delicious.
Baracca Zermatt Basel. Really does feel like a ski resort in the center of Basel.
Baracca Zermatt Basel
The restaurant describes itself as a “piece of Zermatt at the bend of the Rhine in Basel.” Baracca Zermatt Basel is the second location of the restaurant, with the first, and original, being in Kloten, Switzerland. The Basel location opens as a pop-up restaurant from October 24, 2026 to the end of March 2027. The concept is an old Zermatt postal hut with interiors by Zermatt artist Heinz Julen. It serves traditional Alpine dishes in a pop-up building that really makes you feel like you are in the Alps, including an antique ski gondola. The Basel location sits close to the Basel Zoo, beside Osteria Acqua.
The interior of Baracca Zermatt Basel. It looks very Swiss mountain chic.
Another view of the pop-up restaurant.
Reservations at Baracca Zermatt Basel
I reserved a table in advance via the restaurant’s website, in German. However, we visited for lunch midweek in December, and we almost certainly did not need a reservation at that time. Better safe than sorry!
If you are planning to visit for lunch, lunch is only served November through January, Monday to Thursday, 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. As a result, a Friday or weekend market day trip cannot do lunch here.
Despite being a pop-up, it felt upscale.
Drinks at Baracca Zermatt Basel
Baracca Zermatt Basel has a full bar, as well as all the standard soft drinks. As we were in Switzerland for the first time in a few years, we split a bottle of Swiss Cabernet Franc. While we probably did not need this entire bottle of wine at noon on a Tuesday, it was quite good and paired well with our fondue.
The Food at Baracca Zermatt Basel
Baracca Zermatt Basel offers a limited menu, specializing in Cheese Fondue, Cheese Raclette, and Fondue Chinoise (meat fondue). There are a couple of other dishes on the menu, but its specialties are the traditional fondue and raclette. Perfect for a Swiss lunch. And, fun fact, the fondue is lactose-free.
The lunch menu in 2025. As of October 2026, the prices remain the same.
For our lunch, we selected the truffle cheese fondue for two people. I also ordered the “Lamb’s Lettuce Salad with Bacon”. I was feeling like something somewhat healthy. Shortly after we ordered, our salad arrived. It was a salad large enough to split between two (or even three) and dressed with a light house-made dressing, freshly made bread croutons, hard-boiled egg, and the tastiest bacon. Truly, this salad was RIDICULOUS. It was one of the best things I ate on this entire trip. I still talk about it. The only salad that came close all trip was the Caesar at Les Cocottes in Paris. I checked the menu in October 2026, and it remains at the top! The salad cost 16 CHF in 2026.
My stunning Lamb’s Lettuce Salad at Baracca Zermatt Basel.
Our truffle fondue arrived next. It was served in a large fondue pot set over a small flame with crusty bread, pickles, and potatoes. It was hard to snap an excellent picture of the fondue, but trust me when I say, it was fantastic. We could not finish it all, but the staff kindly offered to bring us extra bread if we wanted. The Truffle Fondue cost 40 CHF per person in 2026 (30 CHF for the regular cheese, plus 10 CHF for the truffle), for a total of 80 CHF for two people.
Aside from truffle, traditional, tomato, herb, chili, and porcini fondues are available.
Truffle Cheese Fondue at Baracca Zermatt Basel.
The bread for the fondue.
We skipped dessert in favor of finding a treat at the Christmas markets. All in, this was an unexpectedly outstanding meal in Basel, Switzerland. Highly recommend if you are in town during the pop-up season.
Further, if you are looking for something really exciting and special, Baracca Zermatt Basel offers the “Liebesgondeli”, or dinner inside a gondola for 2 to 4 people. You have to call the restaurant and book this by phone. We did not do this, but it seems very fun. Similar to an experience offered at the Lavaux Wine Bar in New York!
How cute is this little ski gondola outside the restaurant?
STEAL OUR TRIP
Baracca Zermatt Basel: Binningerstrasse 14, 4051 Basel (next to Osteria Acqua). Reservations via restaurant website. Open for dinner Monday to Saturday from 6:30 p.m. Open for lunch November through January, Monday to Thursday, 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. Closed Sundays except for a few November and Advent Sundays, and Mondays are also closed from February. Also closed December 24 – 26.
Related reading: our 6-day European Christmas market itinerary (Strasbourg, Colmar, Basel and Paris), our Colmar Christmas market day trip from Strasbourg, and the time we found cheese fondue in the Maldives.
