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Dining in Zurich - suggestions?
The plane tickets have been purchased, the hotel reservations made, now I'm in search of restaurant recommendations of places to eat in Zurich. I plan on doing some online searching, but for those who've been to Zurich and can suggest a place, that'd be great.
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For regional cuisine (including perch from Lake Zürich) & atmosphere (authentic, not touristy), I liked the Alpenrose. Seems to be VERY trendy in Zürich. Low to medium-priced. http://www.restaurant-alpenrose.ch/
For classic dining, I recommend Kaufleuten. Beef tartare is a must. A famous nightspot belongs to the property too. http://www.kaufleuten.ch/home.php |
check this out. You can also type in "zurich restaurants" in the search field on this page to get other suggestions
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34920050 |
Ah sandi, thanks! Of course if never occured to me to input "zurich restaurants" in the search field. D'oh! And traveller1959, thanks as well!
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FYI - The thread I sent you was before our trip. Here's info on where we ate when we arrived. (You need to make reservations - whatever place you choose)
From the trip report: I had a restaurant recommendation for an authentic Swiss meal, but we talked to the receptionist about other options too. Right next door was a place we had read about. It was a Thai restaurant and was said to be the best in Zurich. There was also the receptionist’s favorite place “Le Dezaley” which draws the French speaking community in Zurich and has many French-Swiss specialties. We had the receptionist attempt reservations at the Thai place, the Swiss-French place, and the restaurant that was recommended by Fodor’s…all full. We went back up to the room for a rest, I was developing an inner ear infection (we assumed) because I was very dizzy and it felt like I was still on the train or a rocking boat. The receptionist phones to say that she finally found a great place for us and they had an opening from 6:30p-8p. Unlike Italy, the Swiss eat dinner much earlier. Just before the reservation time we headed out the door, walking along the water’s edge to Sterne-Foifi (www.sterne-foifi.ch). We were told to look for the outdoor BBQ and the restaurant is above it on a higher floor of the building. The outdoor BBQ is what stopped us in our tracks. Huge grills covered in all kinds of sausages, wrapped in bread and a small cup of spicy mustard. Oh my, that looks so good. We went ahead to the restaurant, which was quite sophisticated looking with crisp white tablecloths and very attentive waiters. Again, smokers all around. The 2 ladies that sat next to us, approximately 2 feet away or less each smoked 3 cigarettes each while we ate dinner and dessert. It seems so odd since everywhere else we’ve been to is smoke-free. The food was extremely good. I really wanted something quite Swiss so I ordered the veal bratwurst and rosti which is a potato pancake the size of a small Frisbee. You could feed small village on that alone. It was simple but very good. M had a more sophisticated meal of sliced duck breast over a bed of creamed Savoy cabbage. It melted in your mouth. It was absolutely delicious. With drinks, salad and a share dessert, the meal was 102 CHF, approximately $82.00. |
Below, in no particular order, are some of my favorite restaurants in Zurich and some in near-by suburbs. (I will say that some of my more favourite restaurants are listed first.) Note that Zurich has recently changed its are code from “1” to “43” and “44”, so you may get a recoding when dialing some of the numbers below that you need to re-dial with the new area code. (The recording may be in German only but you will get the idea). You may be able to find websites for some of these restaurants by Googling the name.
1. Le Dézaley Römergasse 7-9 01/251-61-29 Swiss-French food, from the Valais region (Lake Geneva and south), including fondue which is very good. (May not be on the menu in May, it is a winter only food.) Wood paneled restaurant, they have a little garden in back. This is near the Grossmunster church in an interesting neighborhood of antique bookshops (my old neighborhood in fact). 2. Acqua Mythenquai 61 8003 Zürich Tel: 44 201 51 61 http://www.acqua.ch On the lakefront near to Zurich's version of the Jet l'eau. Good views esp from the upstairs bar area, the outdoor restaurant area is very nice. Good food, salads, pastas, etc not expensive. This is nice if you take a long walk along the lake front, it is on the northern (Enge) side of the lake, not the Opera House side of the lake. 3. Vorderer Sternen Restaurant Sterne Foifi Theatrestrasse 22 (at Bellevue tram stop) Zurich Tel: 41-1-251-4949 Very good restaurant serving European and Swiss specialties. If you can get a window seat (upstairs or downstairs) you will get a good view of the tram station and lake. The serve pretty much all day. They also have a restaurant behind called Rosalys, which I have never eaten at. 4. Sternen Grill Bratwurst Stand Freitgasse and Theatrstrasse Next door to Vorderer Sternen Next door to Vorderer Sternen is their famous bratwurst stand. Just look for the line. The kitchen and all tables are outdoors, you can also do takeaway. A glass of beer and a bratwurst and you are a Zuricher! Great people watching as well. Not expensive, bratwurst starts at about $5. FYI, most bratwurst in Switzerland is veal, not pork. 5. Hotel zum Storchen Am Weinplatz. 2 Zürich Tel: Tel: 41 1 227 2727 Has a very good restaurant on the first floor with Swiss specialties (expensive and formal), a lobby bar serving tea and drinks with a fireplace (good for rainy afternoons), and the Barchetta bar, which serves food in the Colonnade Café which has outdoor tables (with heaters in winter) along the river. 6. Zunfthaus zur Zimmerleuten Limmatquai 40 Phone 41-1-252-0834 http://www.zimmerleuten.ch/ (mostly German) This restaurant is in one of the old "guild houses" along the river in the old town and has a marvellous old Swiss style decor. Ask to see their silver collection locked away in the wall safe, and you can also look at the banquet rooms upstairs. The menu combines Zurich specialties with innovations by the current chef. 7. Kuferstubli Limmatquai 40 (can't find number, try calling the Zunfthaus) This is the ground floor stubli (more casual) restaurant of the Zunfthaus zur Zimmerleuten, a tiny cellar-like room. Very charming, I actually think it has a bit more atmosphere than the main restaurant. Good food, a bit more value for money than the main restaurant. 8. Restaurant Ban Song Thai Kirchgasse 6, 8001 Tel: 41-44 2523 3316 Probably one of the 5 best Thai restaurants I have ever eaten in, and that includes many restaurants IN Thailand. On a lovely little street in the old town, they have a few outdoor tables 9. Cafe Wuehre Wuehre 11 Zurich tel 41-1 211 26 53 A few houses down from the Hotel zum Storchen, closer to the Fraumunster, on a narrow pedestrian-only street right along the river. A wonderful tiny cafe. Very popular, so come early or make a reservation, esp on weekends. Great location right along the Limmat river in the midst of some interesting shops (bring plenty of money). 10. Juice Market Augustinergasse Tel: 01 211 69 33 Located in one of Zurich’s most romantic little alleys. Delicious fresh pressed juices and hearty sandwiches. Very casual. 11. Sprungli 21 Banhofstrasse Famous chocolate shop with a restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and ice cream. Nice on a sunny day to sit outside, not sure it is worth it unless you can sit outside, as there are other better choices for inside dining. 12. Restaurant Bierhalle Kropf In Gassen 16 Zurich Telephone 41-1 221 1805 Swiss specialties in a nice setting in the old town. 13. Kantorei Spiegelgasse 33 Intersection with Neumarkt Zürich Tel: 41-1 252 2727 Very good Italian and fusion Italian-Asian food. Interesting part of the old town, a few blocks off the river. 14. Zum Grünen Glas Untere Zäune 15 Zürich Phone: 41-1-2516504 Very good modern French food near the University. 15. Rathaus-Café Limmatquai 61 Zürich Tel: 41-1 261 07 70 Casual bar and restaurant, nice spot on the river, esp the outdoor tables. 16. Café Walthi Schoffegasse 3 Zurich Tel: 41-1 262-0906 Great crepes. Extremely casual, not expensive, lots of university students. 17. WINGS Airline Bar Limmatquai 54 Zürich Tel: 41-43 268 40 55 Casual bar and restaurant. Very good wrap sandwiches. Run by former employees of Swiss Air. 18. Molino Limmatquai 16 Zürich Tel: 41-1 252 43 72 Good basic pizzas and Italian food. Nice location on the river looking onto the Fraumunster. 19. Brasserie Restaurant Lipp Uraniastrasse 9 Zürich Tel: 41-1-211 1155 Popular local restaurant with Swiss and European dishes. No outside seating. Casual bistro--type atmosphere. 20. Adler’s Swiss Chuchi Adler's Hotel Hirschenplatz Tel: 41-1 266 9696 Known for their fondue. They also have rachlette and Fondue Chinoise, which is pieces of beef and vegetables which you cook in stock. In the Neiderdorf area, charming cobblestone streets and car–free. A bit touristy, but they have menus in English and the food is good. 21. Gran Cafe Limmatquai 66 Zürich Tel: 41-1 252 31 19 Standard café food, good people watching at their outdoor tables. 22. Café Terrasse Limmatquai 3 Zurich Tel: 41-1 251 1074 A bit more upscale with an interesting menu, a funky bar. Very nice outdoor terrace in spring and summer. The ambience may be slightly better than the food. 23. Odéon Limmatquai 2 Zürich Tel: 41-1 251 16 50 A Zurich institution, Lenin and James Joyce used to eat here. Pub food, including great soups. Clientele is heavily gay men, but you will not feel unwelcome or uncomfortable. 24. Tibits Seefeldstrasse 2 Zürich ZH Tel: 41-1 260 32 22 Casual, good food. Picnic tables outside. This is just past the Opera House on the right. Can eat in or take away. 25. Petermann's Kunststube Seestrasse 160 Kusnacht tel 41-1 910-0715 This is a Michelin 1-star. Very expensive but excellent. It is in Patricia Schultz's book 1,000 Places to see before you die. Location may be a drawback for you, you would need to take a train to Kuschnact (about 15 minutes) and then a cab (or a fair walk), so with only one night it may not be feasible, but I put it first because it is one of the best restaurants in Switzerland. You could take a ferry down, but they may not be running at the end of the evening, so you would have to train or cab back. Cabfare from Zurich would be about $60 one way. Train schedules can be found at rail.ch. See more on Kuschnact below. 26. Blaue Ente Seefeldstrasse 223 Tiefenbrunnen Tel: 41-1-388-6840 Set in an old mill on the shore of Lake Zurich. The house specialty is duck, the menu is European and Swiss specialties. A favorites among locals. 27. Blu Seestrasse 457, 8038 Tel: 41-1-488 6565 http://www.blu-restaurant.ch Mediterranean cuisine, good wine list, nice spot along the lake. This is one of my favorite restaurants, on a nice evening ask for an outdoor table. Slight drawback for you is location, it is a bit out of downtown. You could take a tram or train to the Wolisfhofen train station, then about a 10 minute walk. You could also take a bus from Burkliplatz in Zurich (by the lake), would be the 3rd or 4th stop, ask your hotel. A cab from the old town areas of Zurich would cost about $30 one way. You could also theoretically walk here from downtown Zurich, probably about 40 minutes along the lake. 27. Caduff's Wine Loft Kanzleistrasse. 126, 8004 Tel: 41-1- 240 2255 An excellent restaurant with a huge wine list and cellar. In a residential and industrial neighborhood, could be a bit hard to locate, but worth it. You can have a different wine with each course. 28. Rive Gauche Hotel Baur au Lac Talstr. 1, 8001 Tel: 41-1-220 50 60 Lovely restaurant in a very upscale hotel. On a very clear day, you should be able to see the Alps from the windows. 29. Kronehall Rämistrasse 4, 8001 Tel: 41-1-251 6669 This is probably Zurich's most famous restaurant, also one if its oldest. A favorite with locals, their bar is worth a look and a drink. Classic Swiss-German food. Quite expensive. Unless you speak German, you tend to be overlooked, so IMO this place is not always worth the money. Ask to be seated upstairs. 30. Cantinetta Antinori Augustinergasse 25, 8001 Tel: 41-1- 211 7210 Excellent Italian food in a great location on the left bank of the old town not far from the Banhofstrasse. A bit less expensive and casual than the other places above. This is run by the Antinori winery in Tuscany, so they have an excellent wine list. They have some outdoor tables which are nice on a warm evening. 31. Seerose Seestrasse. 493, 8038 Tel: 41-1- 481 6383 Has a huge deck on the lake, this would be the most casual and least expensive of all the restaurants. As with Café Terrasse, IMO, the location and views outperform the food. Location may be a drawback for you, it is not far from the Blu Restaurant. You could take a tram or train to Wolishofen, then walk. You could also theoretically walk here from downtown Zurich, probably about 30 minutes along the lake. 32. Hiltl Sihlstrasste 28 8001 Zurich tel: 41-1-227-7000 Vegetarian. They have a huge buffet at lunch, including curry vegetarian. Great food and value for money. A Zurich institution. 33. Twelve Apolstles Seefeldstrasse 5, 8008 Zürich Tel: +41 44 252 52 12 Website: www.12apostel.ch Swiss and European dishes, good wine list. Fun bar. Some outdoor tables. 34. Tiffins Seefeldstrasse 61, 8008 Zürich Tel: +41 44 382 18 88, Good place for Asian food that is not outragous expensive. Can eat-in or take away. 35. RESTAURANT BAUSCHAENZLI Stadthausquai 2 8001 Zürich 44-212-4919 http://www.bauschaenzli.ch/de/index.html Lively outdoor beer garden on the Limmat, open only in summer. Great lake, city, river and Alp views. Good food and fun atmosphere, they have a covered portion. Really good on a nice day. Serve 11 to 11. They have live German music most afternoons and evenings and a Sunday jazz brunch (same menu basically but they have jazz music). The website in German, but click on "Sommergarten" then "Speikskate" and the menu comes up and it is in English and German with prices. In the fall they have an Oktoberfest party every night and the circus is there at Christmas (both in a tent with heaters). This is located on the river but quite near the lake, at Burkliplatz, on the left bank of the river. About 100 yards or so along the river from the Fraumunster church (on the same side of the river) towards the lake. 36. La Salle Restaurant & Bar. Schiffbaustrasse 4 8005 Zurich tel: 01-258-7071 website: lasalle-restaurant.ch (German only, has sample menus under "Essen") e-mail: [email protected] In a warehouse district northeast of the main train station. Trendy shabby chic. Exposed pipes, wood floors. Nice bar and cigar bar area. Great continental menu with mixture of some Asian and updated versions of some Swiss standard specialities. Good wine list. Entrée's average abut $25, appetizers about $15, so figure a good 3-course meal with no wine at about $60 and up. No views. A bit hard to find, the best (but most expensive way) would be to take a taxi and show the driver the address. It is near the Ibis Zurich Technopark Hotel. You could take the #4 Tram from the Hautbanhof (direction toward Werdholzi) and get off at Escher-Wyss Platz. Could also take the #13 Tram and get off at its terminus at Escher-Wyss Platz. Would not be a long walk to the restaurant, under 10 minutes, but at night could be a little disorientating as there are highway overpasses and several main roads here. 37. Chasstude Rehalp Forchstrasse 359 8008 Zurich tel: 01-381-0180 This is more of a local place, I don't believe thay have menus in English, but you can probably get along OK. Excellent fondue, my Swiss friends consider this the best place for fondue in Zurich. More expensive than Adler's. This is not in the main tourist/old town area, but is further up the hill. You would need to take a tram or a taxi. The area is not as charming as the old town area around Le Dezaley or Adler's. Your htoel could help with the tram, I know it is the #11, but don't recall the stop. 38. Santa Lucia Marktgasse 21 (old town, right bank) Tel: 41 (44) 262 3626 This gets mentioned on this board a lot. Good piazza and other Italian, not expensive, they have a garden out back which is very pleasant. They have other outlets around town. 39. Restaurants outside Zurich There are some towns along the lake which would be fun to visit by ferry and have lunch or dinner in. If you are really adventurous, you could get one of the free bikes on offer in the summer and bike and pedal down to one of these towns, and there is also some very good walking in the Kuschnact area (see below). However, the ferry would be my choice, as on a nice day there is almost nothing better IMO than sitting outside on the back of a ferry and watching the little towns go by and seeing the Alps in the distance. The ferry pier is near Burkliplatz, from the main train station take any tram heading down the Bahnhofstrasse and get off at the lake. You can do a circle tour, or just go down to one of the towns along the lake, get off, walk around a bit and then wait for the next ferry. There is also the very charming medieval village of Regensberg which you can get to by train in under 30 minutes. Some towns you might want to stop in for lunch or dinner would be as follows: Kusnacht – this is about 1/2 down the lake on the south side, the famed "Gold Coast" that gets the most sun and has vineyards all along the hillsides. Petermann's Kunststube is located here (see #25 above). If you don’t want to commit to the quite the time or money for this restaurant, there is a lovely hotel, the Seehotel Sone right at the pier with a great restaurant for lunch or dinner, and also a much more casual bratwurst type place, which would be fine for lunch. There is not a lot to the town of Kusnacht, although what there is is right along the road in back of the hotel and the piers so you can stroll along here and see the few shops. Tina Turner has a home somewhere along the water here, if you see her find out where she lives.....if you wanted to make this a shorter trip, you could take a train back from here rather than the ferry, the train would only take about 8 minutes. The train station is about a 5 minute walk from the hotel and ferry pier. Thre is also some very good walking in the area, there is a great walk in the rolling green hills above Kuschnact. You could take a train up from Zurich to Forch and then walk downhill towards Kuschnacht and take the train or ferry back (and have lunch at the Sonne Hotel). If you get a nice day this is really lovely through fields and often people out horseback riding and with glimpses of the lake and the Alps. Restaurant Sonne Seehotel Sonne Seestr. 120, Kusnacht 01/ 914 1818 Website: http://www.sonne.ch/restaurant.htm The restaurant is really excellent, and the hotel has a lovely aspect on the lake. Thalwil - this is about 1/3 of the way down on the north shore of the lake and so is not too long a ride, it would be about a 40 minute ride. The main town is up quite a steep hill, so I don't know that I would recco going up there (although they do have a pretty old town), but there are two nice restaurants on the water where you could take break for lunch before the return ferry. There are two good restaurants right on the water, one more casual Italian to the right of the piers about 100 meters down the main road along the lake at 25 Seestrasse (Restaurant Seetracht, go to http://www.seerestaurant-tracht.ch), one more expensive but very good European restaurant in the Alexander Zum See hotel about 200 meters down the road at 182 Seestrasse, to the left of the piers (go to http://www.alexander-am-see.ch/). Both have outdoor terraces with terrific views. Ile de Provence/Maritime Hotel Alexander am See Seestrasse 182 8800 Thalwil Tel: 43 388 38 38 http://www.alexander-am-see.ch/ Lovely restaurant serving continental cuisine, more formal than the others below but not dressy. The Maritime is their outdoor terrace, surrounded by lavender. (This is a lovely hotel as well.) Thalwil is a suburb about 8 miles from Zurich. Free parking. Fairly expensive. Restaurant Seetract Seestrasse 25 8803 Rüschlikon Tel: 44 724 05 15 http://www.seerestaurant-tracht.ch Casual pasta and salad on the lake, very nice spot with alp views on a clear day. Best on a nice day when you can sit outdoors. Not expensive (by Swiss standards). Horgen - a town a bit further down the lake from Thalwil, it has a very tiny old town, but does have a pretty spot on the lake. A restaurant to try there is: L'o Bahnhofstrasse 29, 8810 Horgen Tel: 01 725 25 25 Website: www.lo-horgen.ch Very good restaurant with a lovely outdoor terrace. Esp good for lunch I think. Regensberg - a tiny medieval village quite near the airport that takes about 10 minutes to see, has a little castle-like fort, one or two minor restaurants which would be fine for a casual lunch, and on a clear day a really beautiful view of the Alps in the far distance and the broad flat valley leading up to them. You first take a train to Regensdorf (about 15 minutes from Zurich), you then have to take a bus to get up to the town, or you can walk (virtually straight uphill, but you did say you wanted some exercise). I believe you can also walk back to Zurich from Regensberg, your hotel may be able to give you details. The walk would be mostly flat. There is one hotel there, I have not stayed, it looks charming from the outside and Karen Brown raves about it and it is supposed to have a good restaurant: Rote Rose Oberburg 17 Regensberg CH-8158 Switzerland Tel: 41 (0) 1-853-1013 Fax: 41 (0) 1-853-1559 http://www.rote-rose.com/ or try http://www.karenbrown.com/property.a...0-8abe2a75e61e |
That's a nice long list, Cicerone. I've been to a few of them.
I'm wondering what you think of Veltliner Keller in old town? Which raclette house would you recommend if we're looking for the oven melted raclette plate where the potatoes & onions are already buried underneath the cheese (Raclette-platte). We don't like raclette that we have to melt the cheese ourselves. |
Cicerone...that is what the link contains that I put on my comment
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Cicerone, I salute you! Thanks for the great long list. :)
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I second the Adler Swiss Chuchi--very good fondue and raclette.
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JN: Do you remember whether the Raclette in Adler is served already melted on a oven hot plate? I used to love eating Raclette in Zurich but I didn't pay much attention which restaurants we were going to as I was a young teenager at the time. I remember Raclette is served two ways.
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DAX,
Boy, It was in 2001, but as I recall, they had this little heater that melted the cheese at the table. But, I don't remember enough to swear by it. Perhaps Cicerone can confirm. |
JN: That's the kind I like to avoid, I prefer to just keep ordering the oven hot plates of melted raclette and wash it down with wine. There used to be a few restaurants that serve both ways. I think the one I like is more of an appetizer.
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DAX, what you are talking about is I think how raclette is meant to be served, but is no longer served in restaurants that way. I have had it that way in people's homes when they grill a big wheel of cheese in an oven in the kitchen, and keep scraping off the top as it melts, and bring that to the table with the potatoes, pickles, etc. I have not seen it in a restaurant, everyone seems to use those machines at each table. My guess is that the machine is easier for the restaurant than constantly schlepping plates of cheese out to the tables, I don't know. The very best thing about grilling the big wheel is the crust you get at the end. You can do this at home, try it....
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We actually do it that way at home, but it's not the same when we're doing it at home as we've been smelling it the whole way, the element of novelty/surprise is diminished. I hate it when the restaurant make us do the work when we're paying them to do it for us, plus the cheese is all cut up instead of giving us the large wheel heater. Have you ever tried usig the french raclette cheese instead of the swiss one? It has become our preference ever since the supermarket ran out of the swiss raclette one time.
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