This pretty city is one that you don’t often hear about in debates about the best holiday spots. But it has been named one of the best places for foodies to visit in Europe. Zurich, in Switzerland, is a city known for its impeccably clean and scenic style, not to mention its beautiful lake.

According to new research by JR Pass, Zurich makes the top five best foodie destinations. The research analysed which of the world’s cities are best for food fanatics by assessing different metrics, including the number of five-star restaurants, culinary tourist attractions, and the number of Michelin Guide restaurants.

It found that Zurich takes the fourth position on the leaderboard which may come as a surprise to some.

The city is home to 57 five-star restaurants and 10 culinary tourism attractions.

It is home to six national dishes and the average price of a meal for two people comes out at £103.53.

On the final overall score, Zurich racked up a total of 81.0 out of 100 putting it among the top places for a foodie holiday.

The Old Town in Zurich has a traditional medieval charm and is home to many of the city’s cultural landmarks - it’s a great place to stop for a bite to eat too. 

If you plan to visit, you should visit a traditional Swiss restaurant for classic dishes like fondue and raclette.

Swiss national dishes like rösti (crispy fried potatoes) and Zürcher Geschnetzeltes (sliced veal in creamy sauce) are also must-tries when visiting the city.

In first place is Paris with an overall rating of 93.1, in second place is Athens with a score of 84.4 and in third place is Tokyo with a score of 81.5.

The top 10 food capitals in the world are:

• Paris

• Athens

• Tokyo

• Zurich

• Amsterdam

• Prague

• Brussels

• Dublin

• Madrid

• Ljubljana