Best Burgers in Bern: Old Town and Lorraine

The best burgers in Bern are found in and around the old town, the Altstadt inside the loop of the Aare, and in three districts across the river or up the hill: Lorraine, Länggasse, home to the university, and Breitenrain. The Matte, down by the water below the old town, is worth a detour for its riverside setting.

Bern’s old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed in 1983, and its arcades, the Lauben, run for about six kilometres. You can walk between kitchens under cover in any weather, and the vaulted cellars below the arcades house shops, bars and restaurants. The surrounding canton supplies the ingredients: Emmental, the valley that gave its name to the cheese, lies just east of the city. The local feast is the Berner Platte, a platter of boiled and smoked meats and sausages with sauerkraut and beans, a reminder that this is a meat-loving region.

Burgers in Bern: key facts

• Neighbourhoods to explore: Altstadt, Matte, Lorraine, Länggasse and Breitenrain.
• Walking the old town: about six kilometres of arcades, the Lauben, make Bern easy to explore on foot.
• Regional cheese: Emmentaler AOP, from the valley east of the city.
• Local feast: the Berner Platte, a platter of meats and sausages.
• Currency: Swiss franc (CHF); service is included in restaurant prices.

Every guide we publish on Bern is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify. For other cities, explore our burger restaurant guides.