As the temperature falls and salad days seem like a faraway prospect, it's time to turn to cheese - melted cheese specifically. There's no time of the year quite like winter for firing up a fondue and attempting not to lose your bread in the mix. From old-school Swiss institutions to modern Alpine bier halls, here's where to get a great fondue in London.
Albert's Schloss
Soho - 20-24 Shaftesbury Ave, London W1D 7EU
London’s new Alpine pleasure place Albert’s Schloss is all about group dining and here there’s no better meal to share between friends than one of their fondues. The one here is made from melted Vacherin Fribourgeois and Gruyère and it’s served with haus pickles, sourdough and new potatoes. You can also opt for extra bratwurst if you’re after a more carnivorous feast.
St Moritz
Soho - 161 Wardour St, London W1F 8WJ
Billed as London’s oldest Swiss restaurant (and also one of London’s only Swiss restaurants) St Moritz has been a Soho stalwart since it opened back in 1974. It has one of the most extensive fondue menus in the city, with seven savoury options including the classic fondue Nauchateloise with Gruyere and Emmenthal and a fondue forestiere featuring wild mushrooms. There's even a dessert option made from melted Swiss chocolate that you can dip fruit into.
Cheese Bar
Camden and Paddington
Fondue Thursdays are a big thing at The Cheese Bar’s Camden restaurant and their Cheese Barge in Paddington. You can opt for one of two traditional fondues - pick from Cornish Keen and Lincolnshire poacher or Young Buck Blue cheese - or look out for a monthly changing fondue in collaboration with a London cheese shop like Paxton & Whitfield. All come served with potatoes and Coombeshead sourdough.
La Fromagerie
Bloomsbury and Marylebone
Every Friday night in Marylebone and throughout the week at their Bloomsbury cheese shop and wine bar guests can order La Fromagerie’s special Fondue Savoyarde. That’s made with 17-month-old Comte, Emmental Francais Cru, Beaufort Ete and Le Cousin cheeses and is served with crusty bread and cornichones. There’s also the option to add charcuterie, potatoes or broccoli as extra dipping items.
Tiroler Hut
Notting Hill - 27 Westbourne Grove, London W2 4UA
The oldest restaurant on this list (it opened back in the Swinging Sixties, Tiroler Hut serves up fondue of course, but that’s entirely a sideshow to the main event. Owner Josef, now in his eighties, puts on a nightly show playing the accordion, the saxophone, the keyboard, the clarinet, and, we are not kidding you, the cowbells. Go expecting to have a great time.
Jumi Cheese
Stoke Newington - 56 Newington Grn, Newington Green, London N16 9PX
Every winter this Stoke Newington cheese shop turns its shop floor into an irregular supper club devoted to either raclette or fondue. Founders Juerg and Mike learned the craft from their grandparents back in Switzerland so they know a thing or two about throwing a proper fondue party
The Chalet
Strand - West Wing, Somerset House, London Strand, London WC2R 1LA
Skaters flushed from their activity on the rink at Somerset House can recover at the Alpine-inspired pop up by chef Jimmy Garcia The Chalet. Festooned with retro ski gear the restaurant serves up a traditional Alpine fondue made from British cheeses, served with dressed new potatoes, pickled cornichons, sourdough and a wiinter leaf salad.
See also:
The Brush in Hoxton has turned its terrace into an Alpine space serving up both a cheese or chocolate fondues on its winter menu.
Theo’s on the Terrace at Number One Park Lane is back with a menu inspired by the Dolomites in northern Italy. They're serving up a Fonduta di Formaggio cheese fondue with herbed croutons.
Boundary Shoreditch has a new winter rooftop menu featuring Boundary’s signature bubbling Cheese fondue Savoyard.
Vagabond wine bars are putting on a new cheese fondue sharer with matching wine pairings. The fondue is served with warm toasted baguette, new potatoes, cornichons and balsamic Borettane onions.
Subscribe to hear the latest from Hot Dinners
