On the mountain

Best for a late lunch
Swing by the Olympia Stübli – the last stop on the Reid trail down to the village on Sunnegga – for a late bite on your way home. It offers a mean goulash soup for £9 and a superb penne with chicken fillets in orange prosecco sauce for £14. The apricot sorbet with apricot schnapps for £6 is to die for.
+ 41 27 967 24 07.

Best for cheap eats
A 10-minute ski down from the Blauherd station on Sunnegga, Restaurant Tufternalp is a no-frills place offering simple food in generous portions. Expect hearty soups (CHF9, about £5), homemade cheeses with rye bread (£7), and a cracking cinnamon apple cake (£6). The place is packed by 1pm, so if you want a seat on the terrace, with its stunning views of the Matterhorn, arrive early.
+41 27 967 54 95.

Best for romance
Located just off the red run from Furi on the Klein Matterhorn sector, Blatten is a charming chalet with one of the cosiest tables in Zermatt, tucked away in a tiny room up a staircase. It serves an excellent mushroom soup for £8 and one of the best truffle cheese fondues up the mountain for £27. Save room for hot berries with vanilla icecream (£7).
+41 27 967 2096.

Best for live music
Located on the Rothorn sector of Sunnegga, Fluhalp is one of the liveliest restaurants on the mountain, thanks to the Murphy Brothers, an Irish folk band that play here a couple of times a week (expect lots of dancing in ski boots). Good value dishes include the penne with aubergine, tomatoes, ham and mushrooms for £14 and rösti (fried grated potatoes) with veal or pork sausage and onion sauce for £14. A glass of champagne costs about £3.
+41 27 967 25 97.

In town

Best for meeting locals
The North Wall Bar is a legendary workers' hang-out, where skiers and climbers get together to chat over cheap beer (1.5l jugs for £9) and cheap grub. Chris Patient, a British photographer who has lived here forever, has earned himself a reputation for the best nachos in town (£6). There are also "create your own" pizzas – order a margarita for £8 and choose extra toppings for 60p each, from artichokes to pineapple and banana.
+41 27 966 34 10.

Best for cheap raclette
In Switzerland you have to have a raclette (a traditional dish involving melted cheese accompanied by potatoes, dried meats, gherkins, onions and other extras), so head to Cafe DuPont, one of Zermatt's oldest and most affordable eateries, tucked away at the south end of the main street just past the church. A raclette costs £5, a ham omelette £8, or order a huge plate of rösti, topped with ham and a fried egg, for £11.
+41 27 967 43 43.

Best for après ski
The Snowboat is a funky restaurant with a lively après scene. Japanese bento boxes cost around £20 but are big enough to share. Arrive at 9pm and be serenaded by a chap playing Spanish guitar before the DJ kicks in at about 10.
+41 27 967 43 33.

Best for a pub crawl pitstop
Near the tourist office, opposite Bayard Sport, Crêperie Stefanie is a little hole-in-the-wall creperie, perfect for a quick takeaway mid-bar crawl. Fillings range from cheese and ham to chocolate and banana, and start from around £3.50.

Best for self-caterers
The main places to buy groceries are the Coop and the Migros, both in the town centre. Bayard Willy, the butcher on Bahnhofstrasse, is also great (and often better priced than the supermarkets).