"Interlaken's Belle Époque grand café and chocolatier since 1818, facing the Jungfrau — take the terrace for a first date."
About Café Schuh
Schuh has sold chocolate and coffee on the Höheweg since 1818, which makes it older than most of the tourism now built around it. The Grand Café Restaurant and Confiserie sits across from the Höhematte, the open meadow that frames the Jungfrau, and its terrace is one of the most-photographed café seats in the Bernese Oberland. Six generations on, it still runs as a patisserie, a chocolate shop and a sit-down restaurant under one Belle Époque roof.
It is a daytime institution that also serves dinner, and the terrace is the reason to plan around it. For the rest of the town's tables, see our Interlaken dining guide.
The Kitchen
Head chef Franz Amacher runs a kitchen that moves between three registers — regional Swiss, modern fusion and a few Far-Eastern plates — using seasonal local produce where he can. The Swiss benchmark to order is Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, sliced veal in a mushroom-cream sauce with rösti, with cheese fondue the cold-weather alternative. Mains sit in the CHF 20 to 30 range, which is fair for a landmark address.
The confiserie is the other half of the house, and arguably the more famous one. The pastry counter turns out fresh pralines, chocolates and patisserie made on site, and a slice of house torte with a coffee on the terrace is the classic Schuh order. The address is Höheweg 56, facing the Höhematte. For more grand European rooms, see our best fine-dining restaurants worldwide guide.
The Room
The draw is the terrace and the view across the Höhematte to the mountains; inside, the Grand Café keeps its high-ceilinged, old-world feel with a pastry counter as the centrepiece. Sound is relaxed and daytime-easy, the light is bright, and the spacing is generous on the terrace. Dress is casual — this is a café for walkers and day-trippers as much as a dinner table. Take a terrace two-top in fair weather; the indoor café is the fallback when the Oberland weather turns.
Best for First Date
Café Schuh is an easy first-date table, because a coffee and a slice of house torte on a terrace facing the Jungfrau keeps the stakes low and the setting high — you can stay ten minutes or two hours. It turns into a gentle anniversary stop for the same view and the same chocolate. It sits in our Interlaken dining guide among the town's most scenic seats.
Not for
Not for a modern fine-dining tasting menu — Schuh is a traditional grand café and confiserie, strongest on pastries, fondue and the mountain view rather than ambitious, cutting-edge cooking.
Frequently Asked
Is Café Schuh worth it?
Yes, for the setting and the chocolate rather than ambitious cooking. Schuh has stood on the Höheweg since 1818, and its terrace facing the Höhematte and the Jungfrau is one of Interlaken's best café seats. The confiserie's fresh pralines and patisserie are the highlight; the restaurant serves solid Swiss mains in the CHF 20–30 range. Come for a coffee and cake with a view, and stay for dinner if the weather holds.
Do I need to book Café Schuh?
No for the café and pastry counter, which are walk-in, but yes for a terrace table in high season. The terrace seats facing the mountains are the ones worth planning around, and they fill on fine-weather days. Indoors is easier to walk into. The café and restaurant run daily from 9:00 to 23:00, so it works for breakfast, an afternoon stop or dinner.
What should I order at Café Schuh?
Order a slice of house torte or a box of fresh pralines from the confiserie with a coffee on the terrace — the classic Schuh order. For a meal, the Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, sliced veal with rösti, is the Swiss benchmark, with cheese fondue the cold-weather choice. The chocolate counter is made on site and is the main reason many visitors stop in at all.
Is Café Schuh good for a first date?
Yes, it is an easy, low-pressure first-date stop. A coffee and a shared slice of cake on a terrace facing the Jungfrau lets you stay ten minutes or two hours without committing to a full dinner, and the view carries any lull in conversation. It is casual rather than romantic-formal, so choose it for a relaxed daytime meeting over a high-stakes evening.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Café Schuh
Walk-in for the café and pastry counter; book a terrace table ahead in high season and good weather. Open daily 9:00–23:00.
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Practical Information
AddressHöheweg 56, 3800 Interlaken, Switzerland
NeighbourhoodHöheweg
CuisineSwiss café & confiserie
PriceMains CHF 20–30; confiserie & patisserie counter
Dress CodeCasual
SeatingGrand café and terrace facing the Höhematte
ReservationWalk-in; book the terrace ahead in season
