Free food in Bern
A few ways to get food cheaply or for free in Bern. The first six lead somewhere; the rest are things you just have to know.
Madame Frigo fridges
There is an initiative called Madame Frigo with fridges all around the city, which you can check for food.
View locations →
Food sharing Telegram group
You can join the food sharing group on Telegram and ask for food, or wait until someone posts something they are offering.
Join the group →
New in Bern? Meet one person
Other newcomers in Bern are already meeting and making new friends.
Meet someone for coffeeFood Sharing website
You pass a short test (ask them for help if you get stuck), and then you can pick up food from restaurants and other places for free nearly every evening. The point is reducing food waste rather than free food: what you collect you can pass on in the group or in the fridges.
Visit Food Sharing →
Tischlein deck dich
Food for people on a low income: you pay a symbolic CHF 1 per pickup. You need a customer card, which a social service office requests for you and which arrives by post (usually one to two weeks). The website map shows the pickup point near you, just type in "Bern".
Customer card and pickup points →
Caritas-Markt and KulturLegi
The Caritas-Markt Bern (Könizstrasse 19a, 031 302 81 80) sells food and more at lower prices for people on a low income. The KulturLegi gets you discounts, not only on food. Ask before you go who may shop there and when it is open.
View KulturLegi →
Too Good To Go
Not free, but a lot of stores offer very cheap food just before closing.
Download the app →
Supermarket discounts
At the end of the day supermarkets often have food much cheaper than normal, especially Migros and Coop.
Supermarket microwave
You can use the microwave in the supermarket while they are open. For example at Coop and Migros.
Drinking fountains
You can drink the water from the fountains you find all around town.