The best concentration of places to eat and drink is in and around Landsgemeindeplatz – on sunny days, cafés and restaurants lay tables out on the waterfront square, but there’s also plenty of choice in the alleys all around. The lakefront road Vorstadt is shoulder to shoulder with restaurants, most offering fish of one kind or another. Best low-budget dining is in the Coop restaurant in the mall on Bundesplatz.

Balou, Kirchenstrasse 7. Hip little local bar away from the lake, open daily until late.

Chaotikum, Chamerstrasse 41. A shack beside the main road 1km west of town painted “CHAOS” where you can enjoy a good, solid meal for less than Fr.15, if you don’t mind the rough-edged crowd, wafting cannabis smoke and loud jangly music. Cheap beer too. Closed Mon.

Fischmärt, Fischmarkt 15. Comfy Old Town bar with booths and a range of malt whiskies. Closed Sun.

Hecht, Fischmarkt 2 (041/729 81 30, www.hecht.ch). The place for fish – an elegant, historic lakefront building featuring refined lake-fresh cuisine at Fr.60 and up. Closed Wed & Thurs.

Rathauskeller, Oberaltstadt 1 (041/711 00 58). Top restaurant in the canton, housed in the historic Rathaus. Upstairs is the highest of haute cuisine, with a six-course evening menu currently Fr.146, but the ground-floor bistro serves simpler, more affordable dishes from the same kitchen. Closed Sun & Mon.

Schiffbar, Graben 2. Two different bars with the same name: much preferable is the upstairs one (self-dubbed the Panorama), with an elevated terrace aiding peaceful contemplation of the lake below.

Speck, Alpenstrasse, corner Gotthardstrasse. Simple menus in the pasta-and-salad vein are around Fr.13, plus good Kirschtorte. Closed Sun.

Syrtaki, Vorstadt 26 (041/711 40 41). Lakefront Greek restaurant with moussaka (Fr.22) and good fish options (Fr.30).

Widder, Landsgemeindeplatz 12 (041/711 03 16). Excellent Old Town choice, with hot meals all day and terrace seating in summer. Relaxed South African ownership not only means the staff speak English, but also adds ostrich and springbok steaks to the already full menu of Swiss specialities, quality pizzas and super-fresh lake fish.

Zug Cherry pie
Zug is famous around Switzerland for its cherries, which give rise both to many varieties of local Kirsch (cherry brandy) and to Zuger Kirschtorte, a delectably buttery almond tart saturated with Kirsch that breathes cherry fumes but, oddly, has not a single fruit adorning it. Kirschtorte is on offer all over town – the best is made fresh daily at Konditorei Meier, Alpenstrasse 16. Aside from coffee and a slice, they can box up a whole Torte for you to take away in any of six sizes (Fr.19–47).