4 Best Restaurants in Zermatt and the Matterhorn, Valais

Ideal for long lunches between sessions on the slopes or a panoramic break on an all-day hike, this place perched in tiny Findeln, between the Sunnegga and Blauherd ski areas, has astonishing Matterhorn views to accompany decidedly fresh and creative food. Franz and Heidi Schwery tend their own Alpine garden to provide lettuce for their salads and berries for vinaigrettes and hot desserts. The fluffy Matterkuchen, a bacon-and-leek quiche, fortifies you for the 30- to 40-minute walk down to the village.

The moment you step across the threshold into this low-slung, two-story restaurant decked with mountaineering memorabilia, the tantalizing aroma of melting cheese should sharpen your appetite. Downstairs, watch meat roasting on the wood-fired grill while enjoying the chalet-style decor. Upstairs a mélange of Mediterranean tiles and traditional Valaisan exposed dark-wood beams creates a romantic atmosphere. This is a great place for regional dishes and meat specialties like juicy Chateaubriand grilled to perfection and dripping with a creamy béarnaise sauce, served by lively staff.

At this little restaurant in the Hotel Monte Rosa, plates of melted raclette and bubbling pots of fondue are delivered to tightly packed tables by an agile waitstaff. Be sure to try the unusual variations on cheese dishes like the fresh mushroom or pear-laced fondue. The restaurant is named for Edward Whymper, the first man to reach the Matterhorn summit—imagine the climbers' stories that must have echoed within these walls. In the winter season the place stays open until 1 am.

In the hamlet (little more than a cluster of mazots) of the same name, this restaurant turns out inventive meals that merit acclaim. A half-hour's walk from Zermatt, it overflows until late afternoon with diners sunning on the terrace or packed into the 400-year-old log house. (The quickest way to get here is to walk or ski down from Furi.) Hosts Max and Greti Mennig masterfully prepare such seasonal specials as venison salad with wild mushrooms and handmade tortelloni with spinach-ricotta filling. The selection of wines and brandies sets skiers aglow.