Favorite Restaurants/Hotels in Zurich
Hi Everyone,
I am looking for recommendations on hotels in Zurich. And if you happen to know, specifically, hotels that are baby-friendly and that may have a "family room" (two rooms interconnected) or a decent suite situation. We don't necessarily need a second bedroom, but a second room for the baby's crib and things. Looking for 4 or 5 star hotels. I am also looking for restaurant recommendations for authentic Swiss cuisine, German cuisine, Italian cuisine and traditional AND modern European cuisine. All price ranges, please. We will be visiting Zurich in about a month for 1 week. Thanks for any and all feedback! |
There is a very good choice of 4-5 star hotels in Zurich. In addition to the ones I have listed below, there is a Marriott, a Park Hyatt and a Sheraton. Of those three, the Park Hyatt is the newest and the nicest, I would put the Marriott second before the Sheraton. Check their website for info.
You should be able to find connecting rooms and suites, ask about room size, for if you have a large room (say 35 square meters or more, may be offered as a junior suite) you can usually put a crib or roll away in the room, not sure if this is what you want. Some hotels offer family rooms, this is generally a 2-bedroom apartment with separate living room, again, not sure if this is what you want, also these may not be offered in 4-5 star hotels but more so in 3 star hotels, at least in my experience. I think you would find all the hotels welcome children, but I would note that most of the hotels have windows in the rooms which open and/or french doors to terraces and these are not baby or toddler proof. It may be that the windows in the Park Hyatt do not open, perhpas someone who has stayed there could comment. It would be unlikely, IMO, to get the htoel to baby or toddler proof electric outlets, etc. You should be able to get a crib in most hotels, but do ask when making a reservation. 1. Baur au Lac Talstrasse 1 8001 Zurich - Switzerland Telephone: +41 1 220 50 20 Fax: +41 1 220 50 44 bauraulac.ch THE hotel in Zurich with prices to match, great views of the lake and Alps. 2. Savoy Baur en Ville Paradeplatz CH-8022 Zurich Switzerland Tel. ++41 (0)1 215 25 25 Fax ++41 (0)1 215 25 00 savoy-baurenville.ch Another luxury hotel in the heart of the city. Good location for business, shopping and restaurants. 3. Widder Hotel Rennweg 7 CH-8001 Zürich Switzerland Telephone +41 1 224 25 26 Telefax +41 1 224 24 24 http://www.hotelwidder.ch Fashion-forward hotel in a charming, mainly pedestrian area also with bars and restaurants. 4. Hotel Zum Storchen Am Weinplatz Zurich, Switzerland, 8022 Tel: 41 1 227 2727 Fax: 41 1 227 2700 http://www.summithotels.com This is probably my favourite hotel in Zurich because I love its location (right on the river in the old town, good Alp views on a clear day) and charm. This would be quiet at night due to their river location and that they are in a car-free area. They have a lovely outdoor terrace for meals, and their restaurant is one of the best in town. 5. The Hotel Kindli Pfalzgasse 1 8001 Zürich tel: +41 (0)43 888 76 76 fax: +41 (0)43 888 76 77 http://www.kindli.ch I have not seen the rooms, but it gets generally good reviews on the fodors.com site, and seems to have good prices. It is probably the most charming of the hotels mentioned here. It is in a very nice part of the old town. Their restaurant is excellent and is worth a trip even if you don’t stay there. 6. Central Plaza Central 1 8001 Zürich Phone: +41 (0)44 256 56 56 Fax: +41 (0)44 256 56 57 Room Reservations: +41 (0)44 256 56 55 www.central.ch Very nice hotel on the river in a great location for sightseeing, shopping restaurants and business in Zurich. My only comment is that it faces one of the major tram intersections in Zurich, as well as a bridge and a generally busy street. This may be a noise issue, especially in the warmer months. Of course, this is Zurich so "traffic" is a relative term. You might want to ask for a high floor, or a courtyard. If there is air conditioning then the noise would be reduced considerably. 7. Steigenberger Bellerive au Lac Utoquai 47 8008 Zürich Phone: +41 (0) 1 / 2 54 40-00 Fax: +41 (0) 1 / 2 54 40-01 www.zuerich.steigenberger.ch Nice hotel in a good location on the lake (across the street), a little bit out of the old town area, but certainly walkable from there. Some of the rooms have balconies. Rooms facing the busy main street would have very good lake views. If you choose this hotel, ask for a room on as high a floor as available, or on a side street room to avoid the busy street which fronts the hotel (of course no views from side street rooms). I will post restaurants on another thread later. |
Hello Chef:
Cicerone did not mention the grandest of all Zurich hotels, the Dolder Grand. A few minutes from the center, but worth the inconvenience. As for restaurants, be sure to try Piccolo Accademia. Good luck. Gradyghost |
Below, in no particular order, are some of my favorite restaurants in Zurich. Note that Zurich is in the process of changing its area code from “1” to “43”, 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. You may be able to find websites for some of these restaurants by googling the name.
1. 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. 2. 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. 3. 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. 4. Restaurant Bierhalle Kropf In Gassen 16 Zurich Telephone 41-1 221 1805 Swiss specialties in a nice setting in the old town. 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. 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). 7. 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. 8. 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. 9. Zum Grünen Glas Untere Zäune 15 Zürich Phone: 41-1-2516504 Very good modern French food near the University. 10. Rathaus-Café Limmatquai 61 Zürich Tel: 41-1 261 07 70 Casual bar and restaurant, nice spot on the river, esp the outdoor tables. 11. Gran Cafe Limmatquai 66 Zürich Tel: 41-1 252 31 19 Standard café food, good people watching at their outdoor tables. 12. Café Walthi Schoffegasse 3 Zurich Tel: 41-1 262-0906 Great crepes. Extremely casual, not expensive, lots of university students. 13. 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. 14. 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. 15. 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. 16 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. 17. 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. 18. 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. It is really delicious. 19. 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. 20. 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 21. 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. 22. Blu Seestrasse 457, 8038 Tel: 41-1-488 6565 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. 23. Zunfthaus zur Zimmerleuten Limmatquai 40 Phone 41-1-252-0834 This restaurant is in one of the old "guild houses" along the river in the old town and has a marvelous old Swiss style decor. The menu combines Zurich specialties with innovations by the current chef. 24. 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. 25. 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. 25. 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. 26. 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. 27. 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. 28. 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. |
Sadly, the Dolder is closed for renovations for the rest of this year. They have a old 3 star which they are still operating, but I would not stay there. It is also a bit inconvenient for seeing Zurich, as it is quite a bit out of town.
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We got the Zurich Marriott a couple of years ago on Priceline for $100--if a price close to that is still available, it's the best deal in town. The hotel is nice and a short walk north along the river from the train station.
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Thanks for all of the GREAT suggestions, especially cicerone! Much, much appreciated.
Another question-- is Zurich a late-night city in terms of dining, bars, etc.? Thanks!--travel_chef1 |
For a business trip in early September, can someone recommend a hotel close to the University Hospital, Zurich? Or should I just select a 3-4* hotel and take a cab?
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The University is spread out over the hill above the left bank of the river. The main hospital building is on Ramistrasse, but I believe some parts are further away, like the Children’s hospital. If you can give me the address of the particular part of the hospital you want, I may be able to make better suggestions.
I don’t think there are many hotels in the University area. However, the city is very small, and you could easily use public transport and could even walk from some areas (albeit uphill to get there, but downhill to get back). The main hospital building is on the #5 and I think #6 tram lines, and would not be more than 10-15 minutes by tram from most areas of the city. Let me know what hotels you are considering, or run a search for hotels here, and I could give you ideas as to which might be more convenient in terms of using the tram. Cabs are quite expensive here (even I don’t take them and I take taxis virtually everywhere else in the world). A rough cost figure would be about US$15-20 per trip, which would take 10 -15 minutes from most parts of the city. The trams are easy to figure out, relatively cheap and very efficient. The Florhof Hotel, which I have only seen from the outside but which gets good reviews here, is the closest that I can think of. Depending on which part of the hospital you are going to, you could probably walk from the hotel, it is also close to two tram lines. Take a look at http://www.florhof.ch/ They are part of the Romantik chain, and I think their hotels are generally very good and charming. Travel_chef1, Zurich is not as “all-night” as some places like London or New York, bars close generally around 2 am, some are open until 4 am. In the summer months, people are out quite late and you can usually be served dinner up until around 11 pm, many bars will serve snacks until later hours. There are lots of outdoor restaurants which are very pleasant on a summer evening, as it is light until almost 10 pm for most of May and June and even into July. |
Sorry, there are some mistakes in my post. The main hospital building is on Ramistrasse, which is on the #5 and I think #6 trams.
The University is in the right bank of the river, not the left. |
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