Riederfurka Restaurant

On the pass, next to the Villa Cassel

The Riederfurka is on the pass that separates Riederalp from the Aletsch Forest, next to the Villa Cassel, the summer house of the banker Ernest Cassel, where the Pro Natura centre now is. It is the natural stop before or after entering the forest: from the terrace you see Riederalp below and, on the other side of the pass, the paths towards the glacier begin. It is operated by Aletsch Bahnen AG, the lift company, and managed by Michael Keiser.

You can only get there on foot, by bike or on skis. From Riederalp Mitte station it is about 15 minutes' walk along the Riederfurkaweg. In summer it runs from 20 June to 17 October, every day from 9:00 to 17:00, with the kitchen from 11:30 to 14:30. Its hours depend on the gondolas: if the weather is bad, call first.

What to eat

Simple Valais cooking, with regional produce and the Swiss Fait Maison label, which certifies that dishes are made in the kitchen from raw ingredients. The menu names its suppliers: Limousin-Angus beef from the Simplon and Ried-Brig, local game, eggs from a farm in Naters, organic vegetables from Termen and cheese from the Walker dairy in Bitsch and the Binntal. The rye bread is made in-house.

The published menu is the winter 2026/2027 one, and the summer one changes a little. On it are the Walliser Plättli (cured beef, sausage, dried bacon, ham and scraped cheese with rye bread, CHF 32.50), the Walker dairy cheese fondue (CHF 29 per person, minimum two), a risotto with Binneralp cheese, pear and walnut (CHF 29.50), venison ragout with rösti (CHF 35) and Wiener schnitzel (CHF 37.50). For children there is pasta from CHF 10.50. The website also highlights the burger with home-made chips and its desserts and cakes. There are vegetarian and vegan dishes.

With children

The house presents itself as a family restaurant with no barriers. In summer, next to the terrace, there is a wooden marble run, and the path from Riederalp is short with no serious climbing.