NYCGuide
The Best Fondue in NYC
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
If there’s one thing that motivates us to rise from the dents in our couches between December and February, it’s a steaming pot of fondue. It warms you from the inside out, it won’t remind you of the soup you’ve eaten every day for the last several weeks, and the act of dipping food into molten cheese provides a much-needed sense of purpose. Cheesy as it sounds (sorry), fondue is the ultimate winter snacktivity.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Carina Finn
When it comes to NYC’s fondue scene, there’s The Lavaux, and then there’s everywhere else. The restaurant evokes a Swiss chalet, right down to the vintage ski gondola that houses a table for two in the front window. There are six different cheese fondue options starting at $32 per person (we like the traditional combo of gruyère and vacherin), and it comes in a copper pot with cubes of fresh bread, potatoes, and pickles. Round out your order with a charcuterie board and a salad, some excellent Swiss wine, and a pot of chocolate fondue for dessert. There’s also raclette, if that’s more your speed.
photo credit: Alex Staniloff
This candlelit corner spot in Gowanus has $35 bottles of wine and a functional fireplace every night of the week, but the fondue is only available on Tuesdays. At $22 they keep it pretty simple, with a pot of cheese and cubed bread, but you should also get the charcuterie plate with cured meats, cornichons, and grainy mustard. After an evening here, you might find yourself using Fondue Tuesday as a verb, by which you mean returning to Black Mountain for a weekly mental escape to a little lodge, far, far away. If there’s a wait, drink your first bottle of wine by the outdoor firepit.
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
You might not expect to find excellent fondue at a Mediterranean restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen, but New York City is full of surprises, and this is one of the more pleasant ones. Try to get a table in the enclosed back patio for maximum atmosphere, then settle in for the best fondue deal in town. For $99, you can get a prix-fixe fondue that includes cheese, bread, pickles, and vegetables as well as a great kale salad, a mezze platter, a bottle of wine, and a dessert. It’s listed for two, but it’s enough to feed three. You can also order fondue a la carte.
photo credit: Carina Finn
Heidelberg is a great place to go out for fondue when you're not looking for peak date vibes. This Upper East Side German restaurant has been around forever, and between the beer hall aesthetic and soft rock playlist, you won't have to worry about giving off the wrong impression if you come here for fondue with a friend. We highly recommend getting one of their giant soft pretzels to go with your melted cheese, which also comes with an assortment of bread, sausages, apples, and veggies.
photo credit: Emily Schindler
The fondue room in the back of Cafe Select is probably Soho’s worst-kept secret, but there’s something about the experience that still feels cozy and special. This place leans hard into the apres-ski aesthetic, which is arguably the best part about skiing, anyway. The cheese fondue is $34 per person and comes with bread, fruit, vegetables, pickles, and potatoes, and you can get cured meat or sausage on the side. They also serve raclette and chocolate fondue to meet all of your melted food needs.
photo credit: Kate Previte
Krupa Grocery is a popular neighborhood spot in Windsor Terrace with a very nice backyard, and the menu has everything from chicken nuggets to caviar—so if there's anywhere to stick a singular fondue option on the menu, it's here. Krupa rotates through cheeses, and we've seen everything from a smokey queso oaxaca and gouda combination to classic gruyère. It comes with enough dippables (bread, fingerlings, apples, brussels) for two to start feeling pretty full but still have room for mains.
photo credit: Carina Finn
Do you have fond memories of high school birthday dinners at a location of The Melting Pot, probably in a mall? If so, you’ll love Taureau. This cash-only (you can also pay in “major cryptocurrencies”) spot in Tribeca has “date night” written all over it—with literal hearts and cupids painted on the exterior windows. It’s the only place in the city where you can have the full three-course, cheese-meat-chocolate fondue experience, and while it’s not mind-blowingly good food, it’s a fun time.
