Liechtenstein Cuisine

Liechtenstein cuisine is hearty Alpine comfort food, closely tied to the cooking of its Swiss and Austrian neighbours and well suited to the mountain climate, built on cheese, dumplings, meat, potatoes and maize. The unofficial national dish is Käsknöpfle, small soft egg-dumplings, similar to spätzle, tossed with melted mountain cheese and topped with crispy fried onions and often served with apple sauce, a rich and satisfying speciality. Another traditional dish is Ribel, a toasted maize-and-semolina porridge eaten sweet or savoury. Hearty meat dishes, dumplings, mountain cheeses and, to finish, sweet treats round out a warming, homely cuisine.

What to look for

• Käsknöpfle - the cheesy egg-dumplings with fried onions.
• Ribel - the toasted maize-and-semolina porridge.
• The mountain cheeses - the local Alpine cheeses.
• The hearty meats and dumplings - the warming main dishes.

When to go

Year-round; traditional restaurants in Vaduz and the villages serve the hearty local specialities, and a cosy mountain hut at Malbun is a fine place to enjoy Käsknöpfle after skiing or hiking, especially welcome in the cold months. The food pairs beautifully with the country's own surprising wines.

Good to know

Liechtenstein food closely resembles Swiss and Austrian Alpine cooking and is hearty, cheesy and meat- and dumpling-heavy rather than varied or refined, so its appeal is warming, filling comfort food suited to the mountains rather than culinary novelty; the tiny country also offers plenty of international dining. Enjoyed in a traditional restaurant or mountain hut, though, with a glass of local wine, dishes like Käsknöpfle are genuinely satisfying and a cosy taste of the Alps.

Nearby

Vaduz's restaurants and the Malbun mountain huts are the places to eat.