Prétôt Delikatessen, Zurich

No passionate carnivore gourmet visiting Zurich should ever pass by Prétôt Delikatessen on Kuttelgasse. The name of this street (“Tripe alley”) rings the bell and fits the profile perfectly. As for the place itself, this treasure-trove of a sausage shop offers a wide range of smoked and air-dried meats from all over Switzerland, boasting the highest quality and appealing to different tastes. The large slates on display announce all the current and seasonal specialties, and lure passers-by in their numbers. Even with your eyes closed, you can't miss it, really, as the smell of something deliciously smoked greets you at the door.

Here you will find superb Bündner and Walliser beef, Saint Galler bratwurst and smoked Röteli from Lake Zug, Saint Gallen sausage for children and Olmabratwurst from several butchers available in different sizes and tastes. There is Andouiette de veau, the wonderful inner sausage with tripe; small, spicy salice from Ticino and all kinds of saucissons raw and cooked to eat, such as thick boutefas from Welschland, dried beef and lamb from Engadine and Valais. Boiled sausages from Appenzellerland, Schüblige from Zurich and the surrounding area, plus the numerous blood and liver sausages, merguez and luganighe, are also present in rich supply. The list is almost endless.

Practically every Swiss village with a good sausage butcher is featured in this sausage paradise, which stands almost exotic amid the neighboring boutiques.