Street food, food trucks and pop-up restaurants are having a moment in Switzerland right now. And, for those of us craving something beyond the usual Swiss restaurant fare of rösti/fondue/cordon bleu (delicious as they may be) it’s a welcome development.
Last year saw a mushrooming of foodie festivals, events and pop-ups across the country. From one-off vans selling gourmet sandwiches to food truck festivals in the bigger cities with up to 80 stalls apiece, the street food movement allows for a different, more sociable kind of eat-on-the-go feel.
There's also been long-running foodie events such as the Lausanne à Table – two months’ worth of foodie events culminating in a huge communal picnic on Switzerland’s national day – and last year's Zurich Isst: (Zurich Eats) a month-long festival featuring food-on-the go via tram or tuk-tuk, pop-up restaurants, a street food weekend and Slow Food events. In fact, Zurich is planning to launch a new, all-encompassing Street Food brand later this year, so watch this space.
Street Food Days World Food Festival
This spring the whole street food phenomenon kicks off again. So whether you’re craving a curry, enticed by empanadas or want to grab some gyoza, you’ll find it at one of these fun, open air events.
Spring food festivals to look out for include:
- Street Food Days World Food Festival – kicking off this Friday in Winterthur, with subsequent events in Wetzikon and Baden
- Food Truck Festival – the next biggie is in Bern, April 29-30
- Street Food Festival – has nine cities scheduled so far for 2016, including Luzern (Apr 15-17), Lausanne (Apr 29-May 1), Basel (May 20-22 & Aug 19-21) and St Gallen (Jun 3-5)
- Street Food Festival Zurich - stay tuned for the 5th edition of this popular fest (spring dates tbc)
- GVA Street Food Fest – this Geneva event is held over three days in May 27-29
GVA Street Food Fest