You’ll smell it before you even sit down. Walk into this nearly 40-year-old San Francisco restaurant and you’ll get blasted by a strong waft of cheese.
Swiss fondue restaurant The Matterhorn has been around since 1987, sporting charmingly cozy wooden alcoves, red fondue pots bubbling with fragrant cheeses, windows that open to painted scenes of the snowy Alps, and even a life-sized cow sculpture of mascot Moochelle.
While the restaurant has changed hands multiple times over the decades, it continues to be a space dedicated to celebrating Swiss culture and all things cheese. Its newest owners, married couple Jonathan and Jose Ojinaga, are adding some global flavors while bringing back pieces of The Matterhorn’s early history.
“The restaurant itself is completely unique,” Jose Ojinaga said. “You’re not going to walk into any place anywhere else that’s like The Matterhorn.”
The Matterhorn’s distinctive wooden building was constructed in Switzerland by founders Gus and Betty Erpen (whose names are inscribed into the ceiling), before being put in a shipping container and placed on Van Ness Avenue, according to Jose Ojinaga. After about a year or two, the founders sold it to Bridgette and Andrew Thorpe, who ran it for about two decades before they moved to Florida, Ojinaga said. The restaurant was briefly closed before Natalie and Jason Horwath purchased, revamped and reopened The Matterhorn shortly before the pandemic. In 2023, the Horwaths decided to move back to Switzerland and were looking for a buyer.
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That’s where Jonathan and Jose Ojinaga came in. Jonathan is the owner of Azucar Lounge, a Mexican street food and cocktail spot since 2011, and Jose was doing social media and accounting for the restaurant. While the couple hadn’t had prior experience with Swiss food, they were excited to take on the challenge.
“There’s a lot of tradition here, and I wanted to maintain what they had going on,” Jose Ojinaga said. “We want to try to maintain the legacy that’s been here.”
One way Jose Ojinaga is maintaining the legacy is by bringing back a fondue from 20 years ago. He recently came across an old menu from decades back that had a fondue called the Oooh Lah Lah, made with French raclette and camembert. While he couldn’t find the original recipe, he experimented in the kitchen and developed his own version, now on the menu as Ulala (in reference to the video game character from “Space Channel 5”).
Other new fondues include the Mexican-inspired “I Left My Heart in Oaxaca,” made with Oaxacan quesillo, queso Menonita, poblano chili, jalapeno essence and beer; as well as the Japanese-inspired “Vampire Hunter” (named after the Japanese novel series “Vampire Hunter D”), made with Gourmino gruyere, fontina Val d’Aosta, sesame garlic oil and sake (both $45 per portion).
For those looking for more conventional fondues, longtime favorites such as the rich and hazelnutty Moitie-Moitie, sharp and tangy Emmental, and creamy and sharp Neuchatel are also available ($50 per portion).
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Jose Ojinaga noted that tariffs have driven up the cost of imported Swiss goods significantly. Previously, The Matterhorn imported about six or seven Swiss cheeses, but now the restaurant only offers three.
The process of making the fondue is a simple but lengthy one, explained Jose Ojinaga. It starts with fresh cheese that’s hand grated, then emulsified with beer or wine. Because The Matterhorn doesn’t use any chemical emulsifiers, Jose Ojinga recommends dipping your fondue fork right to the bottom of the pot and giving it a really strong swirl; otherwise, the oils will separate.
All fondues are served with unlimited baskets of bread cubes, boiled potatoes and pickled vegetables. Once you get to the bottom of the fondue pot, you’ll be left with crispy caramelized cheese that your server will scrape onto your plate.
But The Matterhorn offers a lot more than just fondue. Appetizers include cheese and charcuterie boards, smoked salmon bites, onion soup and raclette ($13.50-$34). For entrees, expect Zurich-style veal with spatzle, Berner Rosti (a grated potato dish served in a cast-iron skillet) and pork schnitzel with homemade applesauce ($28-$34). The dessert menu features rueblitorte (carrot cake made from ground almonds), engadiner nusstorte (walnut caramel honey torte) and even s’mores chocolate fondue, served with fruit, angel food cake, speculoos, crispy rice treats and toasted marshmallows ($12-$28).
For drinks, find an extensive beer and wine list, with many options coming from Switzerland, as well as low-ABV and zero-proof cocktails. The Matterhorn is working on obtaining a full liquor license, which Jose Ojinaga hopes will be approved by the end of the year.
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Another new addition coming to The Matterhorn will be the Gondola Experience, a pre-fixe menu for two that includes appetizers, fondues and desserts, and seats you in the red gondola located at the front of the restaurant. While the pre-fixe menu hasn’t debuted just yet, tables of two can still request to dine in the gondola when making a reservation on OpenTable or calling the restaurant.
The Ojinagas hope to continue carrying on The Matterhorn’s legacy with tasty fondue, Swiss-inspired ambiance and friendly service.
“We want to make sure people are happy, and I want people to come dine with us,” Jose Ojinaga said. “It’s a wonderful space, and we want people to experience it. It was a labor of love, and I’m really happy that I’m able to continue it for people.”
The Matterhorn, 2323 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco; 415-829-7540, Instagram: @matterhornsf. Open Wednesday to Sunday from 5-9 p.m.
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