Calling a Swiss restaurant: what to expect
Dialect on the phone, rest days, early kitchens and why nobody expects a big tip. Notes from our home turf.
We’re based in Switzerland, so this one’s close to home. Booking a table here is usually easy, but a few things surprise visitors.
The language on the other end
Switzerland has four national languages. In Zurich, Basel or Bern you’ll mostly hear Swiss German, which sounds quite different from the German you might have learned. Most people switch to standard German or English without a fuss, but on the phone, in a busy kitchen, you may well get dialect first.
The greeting tells you where you are: Grüezi in much of German-speaking Switzerland, Bonjour in the French-speaking west, Buongiorno in Ticino.
Rest days and kitchen hours
Many restaurants close one or two days a week. The Ruhetag, or rest day, is often a Sunday or Monday, so check before you plan around it.
Kitchens in smaller places can also close earlier than you might expect, especially outside the big cities. If you want to eat late, ask when the kitchen closes, not just when the restaurant does.
In our demo
Alfred asks in standard German, and the restaurant answers in Swiss German, as plenty of real ones would:
- AlfredGuten Abend! Hätten Sie heute um acht einen Tisch für zwei, gern am Fenster?Good evening! Would you have a table for two at eight tonight, ideally by the window?
- RestaurantGrüezi! Jo, am achti am Fänschter, das gaht guet.Hello! Yes, eight o’clock by the window works.
Paying and tipping
Service is included in Swiss menu prices, so a tip is a thank-you rather than an obligation. Rounding up or leaving a few francs for good service is common. Nobody will chase you for 15 percent.