The German spot steps away from Cathedral Park is primarily known for its sausages, as well as other standards like schnitzel. However, the bar and restaurant also offers a tiny taste of Switzerland for those who order its soft pretzel: The dish comes with a little cup of creamy fondue, as well as apples for an alternative cheese vehicle. Another option: Order a few extra sides of the fondue alongside one of the restaurant’s house-made sausages. For more cheese action, visit Urban German on a raclette night.

Since 2004, Portland’s homegrown fondue emporium has sat in Nob Hill, dropping off pots of melty cheese and chocolate at tables of enthusiastic families and couples on dates. Outside of the obvious chain that will appear on this map, Urban Fondue serves the widest variety of molten cheese in town, made with a variety of bases: Smoked cheddar, Brie and Gorgonzola, mozzarella, Swiss and gruyere. Fondue options range from hyper-traditional to off-the-wall — take, for example, the pesto caprese, which comes with cherry tomatoes, basil pesto, and balsamic. Fondue specials rotate monthly, and for dessert, the restaurant offers a staggering array of chocolate, caramel, and butterscotch fondues.

Brix Tavern is a part of the same restaurant group as Urban Fondue, and in honor of its lineage, the Hoyt Street bar also offers a few fondue variations. The restaurant’s smoked cheddar fondue is a more typical preparation, with bread on the side to sop up the cheese. But for those feeling a little iconoclastic, Brix tops a Swiss cheese fondue with braised pork shoulder, as well as roasted tomato salsa and cilantro sour cream; in lieu of bread, Brix serves the dip with chips. Think of it as a cross between Swiss fondue and Mexican queso fundido.

Of course, this chain of fondue restaurants does, in fact, offer cheese fondue — six varieties, in fact, with options like bacon-Gorgonzola, spinach-artichoke, and Wisconsin cheddar. Each pot of fondue comes with bread and a rotating roster of fruits and vegetables, though meat eaters may prefer to add a charcuterie board, to submerge some cured meats in their pot of cheese. Like Urban Fondue, the Melting Pot also offers other varieties of the dish — visitors can cook seafood and meats tableside in pots of hot broth, and finish the meal with chocolate fondue.

Of course Portland’s primary Swiss restaurant is going to offer some version of this quintessential Alpine dish. Alberta’s Swiss Hibiscus bolsters its traditional fondue with the requisite Kirsch, a central European brandy, which gives it a lovely sweetness; it arrives at the table with cubes of French bread, though those interested can add vegetables for a touch of something fresh. Pro tip: Order a bratwurst or wienerschnitzel alongside the fondue for some exceptionally decadent dipping.

For decades, this Gresham stalwart has stood as a family favorite for friendly Americana: Meals of onion rings, Crab Louis, roast beef with mashed potatoes. In its time open, however, Heidi’s has kept a little sliver of Europe represented on its menu, thanks to founder Marie Eklund’s Swiss roots. The recipe for Heidi’s fondue is kept under lock and key, served simply in a bowl with bread for dunking.