One day in Zurich
Aug 23rd, 2006, 12:06 PM
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One day in Zurich
Hi All...have just been notified by AA that our flight back to the US will be deverted through Zurich where we will have to spend the night. Wished we had more time..have made reservations in the Hotel Arlette Beim Hauptbahnhof..would appreciate any recommendations concerning restaurants in the area and if there is something we should try and see given the little time we have...thanks so much, Bob
Aug 23rd, 2006, 07:39 PM
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Well, it is a shame you only have one day and in September when the days are long and the weather is typically still very good. However, here are some suggestions on how to spend your limited time.
1. A walking tour of the old town is of course one of the first things you should do. There is a tourist office in the main train station (Hautbahnhof) which is close to your hotel, so head there and get a good map of the city. You could also get the map as soon as you arrive into the train station from the airport (see bottom of this message). There are walking tours of the old town in English every day at 3 pm and on Saturdays at 11 am & 3 pm. They cost about US$15 and last about 2 hours. They are supposed to be quite good. You don’t need a reservation, just show up at the tourist service office in the main train station a few minutes before the tour. For information, go to http://www.zuerich.com/sightseeing, in particular see http://www.zuerich.com/sightseeing/c...75c120c3168e03. You can also take your own walking tour. Take a look at the suggested itinerary for Zurich put together by Fodors on this site, click on "Destinations" above and scroll down to Zurich. I would definitely include the area around St Peter's church, a visit to the Fraumunster church, a climb up the tower of the Grossmunster church to get a great view of Zurich, the lake and (if it is a clear day) the Alps.
2. Utliberg - If you get a clear day, this is a great trip. You take a little train to Utliberg, hike uphill for about 10 minutes and then you are rewarded with the best view of Zurich, the lake and Alps. On a clear day, you can see to Germany. The train leaves from the main train station. The train ride takes about a half hour, and you can use a Zurich Card. There is a nice hotel with a good restaurant and a more informal sort of bratwurst place, both nice for lunch. (Go to http://www.utokulm.ch/english/restaurant) There are some good walks in this area, you might ask your hotel if they have suggestions, or go to the tourist office in the main train station and see if they have brochures.
3. Ferry Trips - 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. However, my recollection is that ferries stop running on September 1, so do check with your hotel before heading out. The ferry pier is 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. Two towns you might want to stop in for lunch or dinner would make 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. There is a lovely hotel, the Seehotel Sone (http://www.sonne.ch/en/hotel.shtml)
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.
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.
4. Biking - You can rent bikes for free or a small fee/deposit at train stations in Zurich. You can ride around the entire lake if you wanted, this would take the better part of the day, but would be flat and there is a bike lane the entire route. (You could just go as far as you wanted and turn back.) The road around the lake is nice because it is flat (hard to find in Switzerland), it is a little busy with cars but not really bad, esp once you get away from Zurich proper. Another good place to bike is the waking and bike path along the river which, you would find the path near the main train station. You can ride for at least 10 miles along the path. You can also join a bike tour of Zurich, the itinerary looks interesting, riding over the cobblestones in the old town is always good for a laugh, go to http://www.zurichbybike.ch/daytour_e.htm. You could even bike to Kuschnacut or Thalwil (see above under ferry rides) and have lunch or dinner there. You could then take a train back with yoru bikes rather than have to ride back. For this, going to Kuschnacht would be easier, as the train station is very close, in Thalwil you would have to ride up qutie a steep hill to get from teh lake to the train station.
5. If the weather is bad (and this is Switzerland, where the amount of rain they get is their dirty little secret along with those numbered bank accounts. . . .) head to one or more of the museums. Museums are open all days (e.g. Sunday) except for the occasional holiday closure. Many have restaurants in them as well. Some to consider:
Landesmuseum/National Museum of Swiss History. Take a look at http://www.musee-suisse.ch. This is behind the main train station, close to your hotelt. You might skip the early part of the collection which is about pre-historic Switzerland, and to go Roman and medieval parts of the collection.
Kunsthaus – this is the major art museum in Zurich, they have a good permanent collection and changing exhibits. It is right on the edge of the old town, in a very nice area for restaurants, antiquie books and near to the Grossmunster cathedral. Go to kunsthaus.ch
E. G. Bührle Collection - great collection of 18th and 19th century art, including many impressionist paintings. Take a look at http://www.buehrle.ch. This has somewhat limited opening hours. This is a bit out of the main town area, but it is a nice tram ride through a residential part of the city.
Zunfthaus Zur Meisen - porcelain museum. In a lovely baroque building next door to the Fraumunster church. Their huge ceramic stoves are worth a short visit. http://www.musee-suisse.com/
Rathaus - town hall. On the river. Beautiful coffered-ceiling meeting rooms. On the right bank of the old town in a lovely area of shops and cafes. The website is in German, but a guidebook or your hotel should be able to tell you the opening hours.
Museum Oskar Reinhart am Stadtgarten - good collection of art by mainly German and Swiss artists. Take a look at http://www.museumoskarreinhart.ch/
Kunsthalle - changing exhibits of young and relatively unknown modern artists. Take a look at http://www.kunsthallezurich.ch/. In the same building as the Wasserkirche (Waterchurch) in the old town on the river)
Rietberg - great collection, they have African art, which may whet your appetite, as well as Asian and other non-European art. Take a look at rietberg.ch
For a list of all the museums in Zurich, go to http://www.zuerich.com, and click on “Museums & Art” from the left hand menu.
Some logistical suggestions as well:
1. If you will have a lot of luggage that you won't need in Zurich over night, and can plan ahead, you might want to leave your larger pieces at the airport. You could then just take small hand luggage into Zurich and use public transport to get to and from the hotel. A taxi from the airport will run you something like US$50 for the 10 minute ride (welcome to Switzerland), the train will cost you US$4. There is a manned luggage room and luggage lockers at the airport. Website for the airport is http://www.flughafen-zuerich.ch. (click "EN" in lower right for English.) You should find info there on baggage storage.
2. As you are flying AA, it is very unlikekly that you can check-in early for your US flight, but if the flight is a code share with Swiss, it may be possible. In Europe, many airlines allow you to check in at the airport up to 18 hours in advance, if that is possible then you could check in for your continuing AA flight as soon as you land in Zurich AND check your larger pieces of luggage as well. Is Swiss Air actually operates the flight they may allow it, if AA operates the flight, it is unlikely that they will allow early check-in as I never found any US airline that allowed early check-in.
Check the website above or call AA.
3. For public transport, there is something call the Zurich Card which might be good for you. This card includes one round trip to and from the airport, unlimited trips on trams and most ferries, free entry to most of Zurich museums, discount on the guided walking tour (see above) and discount admission to the Zurich Zoo. It also includes the rail trip to Utlieberg (see above). The Zurich Card costs CH15 (US$12) for a 24-hour card. You can buy them at all the train stations in Zurich, at the airport and at the Bellevue tram stop near your hotel. As the fare to and from the airport is CH11.60 US$9), the Zurich Card is a usually good deal as you get all that plus all the other transport free. For further information on the Zurich Card, visit the city's official website at: http://www.zuerich.com/zurich_az/en/zuerichcard.php
I will post Zurich restaurants on the next thread....
I don't know your hotel at all, but looked up the address, it is a good location near the train station and basically across the tram plaza from the start of the right bank of the old town. With 2 stars it is unlikely to have air conditioning, probably not necessary in September unless there is a heat wave, but you might ask for a room on a high floor, and perhaps one not facing onto the Centrale tram area or Stampfenbachstrasse itself. This area can be a title noisy, but on a Monday night should be OK.
1. A walking tour of the old town is of course one of the first things you should do. There is a tourist office in the main train station (Hautbahnhof) which is close to your hotel, so head there and get a good map of the city. You could also get the map as soon as you arrive into the train station from the airport (see bottom of this message). There are walking tours of the old town in English every day at 3 pm and on Saturdays at 11 am & 3 pm. They cost about US$15 and last about 2 hours. They are supposed to be quite good. You don’t need a reservation, just show up at the tourist service office in the main train station a few minutes before the tour. For information, go to http://www.zuerich.com/sightseeing, in particular see http://www.zuerich.com/sightseeing/c...75c120c3168e03. You can also take your own walking tour. Take a look at the suggested itinerary for Zurich put together by Fodors on this site, click on "Destinations" above and scroll down to Zurich. I would definitely include the area around St Peter's church, a visit to the Fraumunster church, a climb up the tower of the Grossmunster church to get a great view of Zurich, the lake and (if it is a clear day) the Alps.
2. Utliberg - If you get a clear day, this is a great trip. You take a little train to Utliberg, hike uphill for about 10 minutes and then you are rewarded with the best view of Zurich, the lake and Alps. On a clear day, you can see to Germany. The train leaves from the main train station. The train ride takes about a half hour, and you can use a Zurich Card. There is a nice hotel with a good restaurant and a more informal sort of bratwurst place, both nice for lunch. (Go to http://www.utokulm.ch/english/restaurant) There are some good walks in this area, you might ask your hotel if they have suggestions, or go to the tourist office in the main train station and see if they have brochures.
3. Ferry Trips - 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. However, my recollection is that ferries stop running on September 1, so do check with your hotel before heading out. The ferry pier is 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. Two towns you might want to stop in for lunch or dinner would make 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. There is a lovely hotel, the Seehotel Sone (http://www.sonne.ch/en/hotel.shtml)
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.
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.
4. Biking - You can rent bikes for free or a small fee/deposit at train stations in Zurich. You can ride around the entire lake if you wanted, this would take the better part of the day, but would be flat and there is a bike lane the entire route. (You could just go as far as you wanted and turn back.) The road around the lake is nice because it is flat (hard to find in Switzerland), it is a little busy with cars but not really bad, esp once you get away from Zurich proper. Another good place to bike is the waking and bike path along the river which, you would find the path near the main train station. You can ride for at least 10 miles along the path. You can also join a bike tour of Zurich, the itinerary looks interesting, riding over the cobblestones in the old town is always good for a laugh, go to http://www.zurichbybike.ch/daytour_e.htm. You could even bike to Kuschnacut or Thalwil (see above under ferry rides) and have lunch or dinner there. You could then take a train back with yoru bikes rather than have to ride back. For this, going to Kuschnacht would be easier, as the train station is very close, in Thalwil you would have to ride up qutie a steep hill to get from teh lake to the train station.
5. If the weather is bad (and this is Switzerland, where the amount of rain they get is their dirty little secret along with those numbered bank accounts. . . .) head to one or more of the museums. Museums are open all days (e.g. Sunday) except for the occasional holiday closure. Many have restaurants in them as well. Some to consider:
Landesmuseum/National Museum of Swiss History. Take a look at http://www.musee-suisse.ch. This is behind the main train station, close to your hotelt. You might skip the early part of the collection which is about pre-historic Switzerland, and to go Roman and medieval parts of the collection.
Kunsthaus – this is the major art museum in Zurich, they have a good permanent collection and changing exhibits. It is right on the edge of the old town, in a very nice area for restaurants, antiquie books and near to the Grossmunster cathedral. Go to kunsthaus.ch
E. G. Bührle Collection - great collection of 18th and 19th century art, including many impressionist paintings. Take a look at http://www.buehrle.ch. This has somewhat limited opening hours. This is a bit out of the main town area, but it is a nice tram ride through a residential part of the city.
Zunfthaus Zur Meisen - porcelain museum. In a lovely baroque building next door to the Fraumunster church. Their huge ceramic stoves are worth a short visit. http://www.musee-suisse.com/
Rathaus - town hall. On the river. Beautiful coffered-ceiling meeting rooms. On the right bank of the old town in a lovely area of shops and cafes. The website is in German, but a guidebook or your hotel should be able to tell you the opening hours.
Museum Oskar Reinhart am Stadtgarten - good collection of art by mainly German and Swiss artists. Take a look at http://www.museumoskarreinhart.ch/
Kunsthalle - changing exhibits of young and relatively unknown modern artists. Take a look at http://www.kunsthallezurich.ch/. In the same building as the Wasserkirche (Waterchurch) in the old town on the river)
Rietberg - great collection, they have African art, which may whet your appetite, as well as Asian and other non-European art. Take a look at rietberg.ch
For a list of all the museums in Zurich, go to http://www.zuerich.com, and click on “Museums & Art” from the left hand menu.
Some logistical suggestions as well:
1. If you will have a lot of luggage that you won't need in Zurich over night, and can plan ahead, you might want to leave your larger pieces at the airport. You could then just take small hand luggage into Zurich and use public transport to get to and from the hotel. A taxi from the airport will run you something like US$50 for the 10 minute ride (welcome to Switzerland), the train will cost you US$4. There is a manned luggage room and luggage lockers at the airport. Website for the airport is http://www.flughafen-zuerich.ch. (click "EN" in lower right for English.) You should find info there on baggage storage.
2. As you are flying AA, it is very unlikekly that you can check-in early for your US flight, but if the flight is a code share with Swiss, it may be possible. In Europe, many airlines allow you to check in at the airport up to 18 hours in advance, if that is possible then you could check in for your continuing AA flight as soon as you land in Zurich AND check your larger pieces of luggage as well. Is Swiss Air actually operates the flight they may allow it, if AA operates the flight, it is unlikely that they will allow early check-in as I never found any US airline that allowed early check-in.
Check the website above or call AA.
3. For public transport, there is something call the Zurich Card which might be good for you. This card includes one round trip to and from the airport, unlimited trips on trams and most ferries, free entry to most of Zurich museums, discount on the guided walking tour (see above) and discount admission to the Zurich Zoo. It also includes the rail trip to Utlieberg (see above). The Zurich Card costs CH15 (US$12) for a 24-hour card. You can buy them at all the train stations in Zurich, at the airport and at the Bellevue tram stop near your hotel. As the fare to and from the airport is CH11.60 US$9), the Zurich Card is a usually good deal as you get all that plus all the other transport free. For further information on the Zurich Card, visit the city's official website at: http://www.zuerich.com/zurich_az/en/zuerichcard.php
I will post Zurich restaurants on the next thread....
I don't know your hotel at all, but looked up the address, it is a good location near the train station and basically across the tram plaza from the start of the right bank of the old town. With 2 stars it is unlikely to have air conditioning, probably not necessary in September unless there is a heat wave, but you might ask for a room on a high floor, and perhaps one not facing onto the Centrale tram area or Stampfenbachstrasse itself. This area can be a title noisy, but on a Monday night should be OK.
Aug 23rd, 2006, 07:45 PM
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Here would be some suggestions for restaurants for Zurich. All would be fine for lunch as well, note that Zurich restaurants have pretty set serving hours for lunch, between like 11:30 and 2, so except in sandwich or bratwurst bars you won't find lunch at a late hour generally. Almost all of these have a terrace or garden or some outdoor space, as I am a big fan of outdoor eating, as are the Swiss.
Hotel zum Storchen
Am Weinplatz. 2
Zürich
Tel: Tel: 41 1 227 2727
Has a very good grill 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. In a lovely part of the old town.
Kronehall
Rämistrasse 4, 8001
Tel: 41-1-251 6669
This is probably Zurich's most famous restaurant, also one if its oldest. A favourite with locals, their bar is worth a look and a drink. Classic Swiss-German food. Unless you speak German, however, you tend to be overlooked by staff.
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.
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. In good weather they have a few tables under the covered walkway in front. Very charming, I actually think it has a bit more atmosphere than the main restaurant. Good food, a I think bit more value for money than the main restaurant, above.
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 summer months, it is a winter only food.) Wood paneled restaurant, they have a little garden in back. This is in the old town a few yards from the Grossmunster church in an interesting neighborhood of antique bookshops.
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.
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.
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.
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, esp good for Veal Zurich style. If you can get a window seat (upstairs or downstairs) you will get a good view of the tram station and lake.
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.
Zum Grünen Glas
Untere Zäune 15
Zürich
Phone: 41-1-2516504
Very good modern French food near the University and the Kunsthaus Museum. Small garden in back.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hotel zum Storchen
Am Weinplatz. 2
Zürich
Tel: Tel: 41 1 227 2727
Has a very good grill 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. In a lovely part of the old town.
Kronehall
Rämistrasse 4, 8001
Tel: 41-1-251 6669
This is probably Zurich's most famous restaurant, also one if its oldest. A favourite with locals, their bar is worth a look and a drink. Classic Swiss-German food. Unless you speak German, however, you tend to be overlooked by staff.
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.
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. In good weather they have a few tables under the covered walkway in front. Very charming, I actually think it has a bit more atmosphere than the main restaurant. Good food, a I think bit more value for money than the main restaurant, above.
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 summer months, it is a winter only food.) Wood paneled restaurant, they have a little garden in back. This is in the old town a few yards from the Grossmunster church in an interesting neighborhood of antique bookshops.
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.
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.
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.
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, esp good for Veal Zurich style. If you can get a window seat (upstairs or downstairs) you will get a good view of the tram station and lake.
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.
Zum Grünen Glas
Untere Zäune 15
Zürich
Phone: 41-1-2516504
Very good modern French food near the University and the Kunsthaus Museum. Small garden in back.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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Aug 24th, 2006, 02:54 AM
#8
Cicerone offers very good information.
I went to La Salle three months ago. It is hard to find because the parking lot is located at the back of this huge building.
Although the food was good and the ambience was very good, the dishes are also quite expensive and the main portions aren't too big. I don't think you can eat outside there.
I've never been to the Kronenhalle but would love to go. I heard Boris Becker even hangs out there.
I went to La Salle three months ago. It is hard to find because the parking lot is located at the back of this huge building.
Although the food was good and the ambience was very good, the dishes are also quite expensive and the main portions aren't too big. I don't think you can eat outside there.
I've never been to the Kronenhalle but would love to go. I heard Boris Becker even hangs out there.
Aug 24th, 2006, 09:10 PM
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Suelynne, since you will be there longer, I have some further suggestions for you, as well as some other restaurant reccos (one of these days I will put them all together into one place....):
1. There is a farmers market every Tuesday and Friday morning at Burkliplatz on the lake near the ferry piers. It starts at 7 am and goes until about 10. It goes all year, although in the winter months it is on a much smaller scale. There are fruit, vegetables, hundreds of cheeses, breads, flowers, it is quite a good market and interesting to see. You can buy great croissants and bread and have breakfast, and you can usually find coffee as well. It is quite colorful and you will laugh to see Zurich women actually shopping using wicker shopping baskets! This is good to do early in the morning and then go to the Fraumunster church, which is about 2 blocks away, to see the Chagall windows as the morning light hits them and they are at their most beautiful. The church opens for visitors at about 9:30 am but do check a guidebook. The Sprungli cafe (see below) is about 100 feet from the church and is a good place to go for breakfast either before or after seeing the church.
2. There is an excellent flea market in the same place on Saturdays from April through October. It goes from about 8 am – 4 pm. Lots of fun stuff on offer. You can find those lovely wooden Alpenstock walking sticks for nothing, as the Swiss no longer want them because they use those telescoping walking poles. You can usually find old prints, copperplate engravings, photographs and sometimes maps of Zurich and Switzerland, and old books as well, sometimes in English. Old clothes and hats (I found a great mink hat for $8 that matches my coat perfectly and astrakhan hat as well). A fun browse for a little bit.
3. A great kitschy souvenir place on the river in the old town to buy stuff is:
Teddy's Souvenir shop
34 Limmatquai
This is on Limmatquai along the river just below the Grossmunster cathedral and across the river from the Fraumunster church. the open at something like 7 am and close around 6 pm. They have postcards, Swiss knives, cuckoo clocks, T-shirts, baseballs caps and my favorite thing which is a CD of Swiss music which when you play you can NEVER be depressed; it just makes you laugh it is so cheerful and bouncy. For such a serious people their music is just plain silly. I play it whenever I get a little homesick for Switzerland.
4. Rapperswil – this is a town at the far end of the lake. The ferry trip takes about 2 hours, you can buy lunch or snacks on board and there are bathrooms. (You could not use your Zurich Card.) There is a medieval portion of the town which is very charming and if you climb the hill you will get great views. There is a castle at the top (now a museum on Polish history of not too great interest unless you are Polish.) There is a church which is interesting as well. Take a look at www.rapperswil.ch, click on the UK flag for the English version. You can then return to Zurich by train (about 30 minutes) rather than taking the ferry back. The train station is quite close to the ferry pier.
5. Boat hire – You can hire a motorboat, a rowboat or a peddle boat and take it out on Lake Zurich, a fun afternoon in nice weather, quite crowded on weekends and public holidays. Sometimes the places below have sailboats as well, do ask if you are interested. They are generally open from about late March until late November. (Bring your passport, you may need to show it to rent the boat.)
Bürkliplatz Boat rentals
General Guisan-Quai
8002 Zürich
Tel: +41 44 211 22 62
Fax: +41 44 363 13 27
[email protected]
homepage.hispeed.ch/sutterboote/index.html (German only, but not hard to figure out)
This is right near the ferry piers.
Pier 7
Limmatquai 7
8001 Zürich
Tel: +41 44 261 70 77
Fax: +41 44 261 70 72
[email protected]
This is quite near the Grossmunter church, is on the river. I don't think they have sailboats, but you might ask, would be kind of a pain to get out to the lake in a sail boat as you have to pass under a bridge. They have a small restaurant as well with a nice view.
There is also an outfit that will take you waterskiing or wake-boarding, go to http://www.hb-as.ch/e/index_e.shtml for info.
6. Train Rides – If you aren't going to the countryside elsewhere in Switzerland on this trip, then the trips below offer some spectacular scenery and a chance to get into the countryside for the day. For train schedules go to rail.ch:
Walensee – this is a beautiful, very large glacial lake in the middle of jagged mountain peaks (If you have seen the Remarkables in New Zealand, they will look familiar). This could be done as a half day trip, or a full day if you wanted to hike/bike. You can take the train to Murg or Mols (about an hour from Zurich), then take a ferry down to the other end of the lake to Weesen and have lunch (see below) and then get the train back to Zurich from there. There is very good walking in this area as well, as well as biking along the lake, you should be able to rent bikes at any of the train stations. For info on ferry service on the Walensee, go to http://www.walenseeschiff.ch/en/welcome.cfm
A nice place for lunch in Weesen on the lake is
Parkhotel Schwert
Hauptstrasse 23
8872 Weesen
http://www.parkhotelschwert.ch
Appenzell – this is a lovely village set in the rolling green hills with the Alps as a background. This is part of "Heidi" country, the story is set in Maienfield which is not too far and which you can also visit. The train ride would take about 2 hours each way. You can walk around the town and have lunch, there are also walks in the nearby countryside.
Pontresina/St Moritz – this is a fantastic trip, both in terms of scenery going there, and the towns themselves. The trip takes 3.5 hours each way. The most beautiful part of the trip is between Tiefencastle and Celerina, but really all of it is very pretty. You can either go to St Mortiz (expensive and glamorous) or to Pontresina or Celerina which are smaller. All are set in a large flat valley surrounded by Alps with lakes dotted about. A great day and chance to get into the mountains.
Guarda – in my opinion this is the most beautiful village in Switzerland, a country of charming villages. It has the painted houses like Stein am Rhine, but is much smaller. This is the Engadine region which is relatively untouristed, esp by Americans. The train ride there is very pretty, not quite the stunner that the Pontresina/St Moritz ride is, esp since the route now goes through a tunnel, but the tunnel route means that you can get there in 2.5 hours. Other nice villages in this area are Schuol and Tarasp (which has a castle), you can train between these towns in less than 30 minutes.
Bernina Express – this is an all-day trip, from about 7 am to 7 pm. The first 2/3rds is the same as going to Pontresina/St Moritz as above. After that you start going higher and up into the glaciers, the views are really excellent. For info, go do rhb.ch
Finally, if you are in Zurich on a Saturday evening, at 7 pm all the church bells in Zurich ring for 15 minutes. For some strange reason I always found this strangely moving. I would not rearrange your schedule around it, but if you are in the old town area, it is a lovely thing to hear as there are many churches in the old town.
Some further restaurants:
RESTAURANT BAUSCHAENZLI
Stadthausquai 2
8001 Zürich
44-212-4919
http://www.bauschaenzli.ch/de/index.html
Lively outdoor beer garden on the Limmat. Great lake, city, river and Alp views. Good food and fun atmosphere. 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. This is located on the river but quite near the lake, at Burkliplatz, on the left bank of the river. Is about 100 yards or so along the river from the Fraumunster church (on the same side of the river) towards the lake. In the fall they have an Oktoberfest party every night and the circus is there at Christmas (both in a tent with heaters).
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.
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. This is quite close to the Adler.
Café Walthi
Schoffegasse 3
(Old town, right bank)
Tel: 41-1 262-0906
Great crepes. Extremely casual, not expensive, lots of university students. Quite small. No outdoor area, but you could do a takeaway and go across the street to the river for a very casual picnic.
Brasserie Restaurant Lipp
Uraniastrasse 9
(just off the Bahnhoffstrasse near the river)
Tel: 41-1-211 1155
Popular local restaurant with Swiss and European dishes. No outside seating. Casual bistro--type atmosphere.
Juice Market
Augustinergasse
Tel: 01 211 69 33
Located in one of Zurich’s most romantic little alleys in the old town (left bank). Delicious fresh pressed juices and hearty sandwiches. Very casual.
Sprungli
21 Banhofstrasse
This is the main shop of the famous chocolate-maker 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, IMO, as there are other better choices for inside dining.
1. There is a farmers market every Tuesday and Friday morning at Burkliplatz on the lake near the ferry piers. It starts at 7 am and goes until about 10. It goes all year, although in the winter months it is on a much smaller scale. There are fruit, vegetables, hundreds of cheeses, breads, flowers, it is quite a good market and interesting to see. You can buy great croissants and bread and have breakfast, and you can usually find coffee as well. It is quite colorful and you will laugh to see Zurich women actually shopping using wicker shopping baskets! This is good to do early in the morning and then go to the Fraumunster church, which is about 2 blocks away, to see the Chagall windows as the morning light hits them and they are at their most beautiful. The church opens for visitors at about 9:30 am but do check a guidebook. The Sprungli cafe (see below) is about 100 feet from the church and is a good place to go for breakfast either before or after seeing the church.
2. There is an excellent flea market in the same place on Saturdays from April through October. It goes from about 8 am – 4 pm. Lots of fun stuff on offer. You can find those lovely wooden Alpenstock walking sticks for nothing, as the Swiss no longer want them because they use those telescoping walking poles. You can usually find old prints, copperplate engravings, photographs and sometimes maps of Zurich and Switzerland, and old books as well, sometimes in English. Old clothes and hats (I found a great mink hat for $8 that matches my coat perfectly and astrakhan hat as well). A fun browse for a little bit.
3. A great kitschy souvenir place on the river in the old town to buy stuff is:
Teddy's Souvenir shop
34 Limmatquai
This is on Limmatquai along the river just below the Grossmunster cathedral and across the river from the Fraumunster church. the open at something like 7 am and close around 6 pm. They have postcards, Swiss knives, cuckoo clocks, T-shirts, baseballs caps and my favorite thing which is a CD of Swiss music which when you play you can NEVER be depressed; it just makes you laugh it is so cheerful and bouncy. For such a serious people their music is just plain silly. I play it whenever I get a little homesick for Switzerland.
4. Rapperswil – this is a town at the far end of the lake. The ferry trip takes about 2 hours, you can buy lunch or snacks on board and there are bathrooms. (You could not use your Zurich Card.) There is a medieval portion of the town which is very charming and if you climb the hill you will get great views. There is a castle at the top (now a museum on Polish history of not too great interest unless you are Polish.) There is a church which is interesting as well. Take a look at www.rapperswil.ch, click on the UK flag for the English version. You can then return to Zurich by train (about 30 minutes) rather than taking the ferry back. The train station is quite close to the ferry pier.
5. Boat hire – You can hire a motorboat, a rowboat or a peddle boat and take it out on Lake Zurich, a fun afternoon in nice weather, quite crowded on weekends and public holidays. Sometimes the places below have sailboats as well, do ask if you are interested. They are generally open from about late March until late November. (Bring your passport, you may need to show it to rent the boat.)
Bürkliplatz Boat rentals
General Guisan-Quai
8002 Zürich
Tel: +41 44 211 22 62
Fax: +41 44 363 13 27
[email protected]
homepage.hispeed.ch/sutterboote/index.html (German only, but not hard to figure out)
This is right near the ferry piers.
Pier 7
Limmatquai 7
8001 Zürich
Tel: +41 44 261 70 77
Fax: +41 44 261 70 72
[email protected]
This is quite near the Grossmunter church, is on the river. I don't think they have sailboats, but you might ask, would be kind of a pain to get out to the lake in a sail boat as you have to pass under a bridge. They have a small restaurant as well with a nice view.
There is also an outfit that will take you waterskiing or wake-boarding, go to http://www.hb-as.ch/e/index_e.shtml for info.
6. Train Rides – If you aren't going to the countryside elsewhere in Switzerland on this trip, then the trips below offer some spectacular scenery and a chance to get into the countryside for the day. For train schedules go to rail.ch:
Walensee – this is a beautiful, very large glacial lake in the middle of jagged mountain peaks (If you have seen the Remarkables in New Zealand, they will look familiar). This could be done as a half day trip, or a full day if you wanted to hike/bike. You can take the train to Murg or Mols (about an hour from Zurich), then take a ferry down to the other end of the lake to Weesen and have lunch (see below) and then get the train back to Zurich from there. There is very good walking in this area as well, as well as biking along the lake, you should be able to rent bikes at any of the train stations. For info on ferry service on the Walensee, go to http://www.walenseeschiff.ch/en/welcome.cfm
A nice place for lunch in Weesen on the lake is
Parkhotel Schwert
Hauptstrasse 23
8872 Weesen
http://www.parkhotelschwert.ch
Appenzell – this is a lovely village set in the rolling green hills with the Alps as a background. This is part of "Heidi" country, the story is set in Maienfield which is not too far and which you can also visit. The train ride would take about 2 hours each way. You can walk around the town and have lunch, there are also walks in the nearby countryside.
Pontresina/St Moritz – this is a fantastic trip, both in terms of scenery going there, and the towns themselves. The trip takes 3.5 hours each way. The most beautiful part of the trip is between Tiefencastle and Celerina, but really all of it is very pretty. You can either go to St Mortiz (expensive and glamorous) or to Pontresina or Celerina which are smaller. All are set in a large flat valley surrounded by Alps with lakes dotted about. A great day and chance to get into the mountains.
Guarda – in my opinion this is the most beautiful village in Switzerland, a country of charming villages. It has the painted houses like Stein am Rhine, but is much smaller. This is the Engadine region which is relatively untouristed, esp by Americans. The train ride there is very pretty, not quite the stunner that the Pontresina/St Moritz ride is, esp since the route now goes through a tunnel, but the tunnel route means that you can get there in 2.5 hours. Other nice villages in this area are Schuol and Tarasp (which has a castle), you can train between these towns in less than 30 minutes.
Bernina Express – this is an all-day trip, from about 7 am to 7 pm. The first 2/3rds is the same as going to Pontresina/St Moritz as above. After that you start going higher and up into the glaciers, the views are really excellent. For info, go do rhb.ch
Finally, if you are in Zurich on a Saturday evening, at 7 pm all the church bells in Zurich ring for 15 minutes. For some strange reason I always found this strangely moving. I would not rearrange your schedule around it, but if you are in the old town area, it is a lovely thing to hear as there are many churches in the old town.
Some further restaurants:
RESTAURANT BAUSCHAENZLI
Stadthausquai 2
8001 Zürich
44-212-4919
http://www.bauschaenzli.ch/de/index.html
Lively outdoor beer garden on the Limmat. Great lake, city, river and Alp views. Good food and fun atmosphere. 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. This is located on the river but quite near the lake, at Burkliplatz, on the left bank of the river. Is about 100 yards or so along the river from the Fraumunster church (on the same side of the river) towards the lake. In the fall they have an Oktoberfest party every night and the circus is there at Christmas (both in a tent with heaters).
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.
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. This is quite close to the Adler.
Café Walthi
Schoffegasse 3
(Old town, right bank)
Tel: 41-1 262-0906
Great crepes. Extremely casual, not expensive, lots of university students. Quite small. No outdoor area, but you could do a takeaway and go across the street to the river for a very casual picnic.
Brasserie Restaurant Lipp
Uraniastrasse 9
(just off the Bahnhoffstrasse near the river)
Tel: 41-1-211 1155
Popular local restaurant with Swiss and European dishes. No outside seating. Casual bistro--type atmosphere.
Juice Market
Augustinergasse
Tel: 01 211 69 33
Located in one of Zurich’s most romantic little alleys in the old town (left bank). Delicious fresh pressed juices and hearty sandwiches. Very casual.
Sprungli
21 Banhofstrasse
This is the main shop of the famous chocolate-maker 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, IMO, as there are other better choices for inside dining.
Aug 27th, 2006, 01:45 PM
#10
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Cicerone.....WOH.
We will be in Zurich (for Business) Oct 18 -21. My DH asked last night, what is there to do in Zurich when he has finished his business.
I have printed this out to read at leisure. Thankyou.
Hope you haven't talked about this already, but typically what sort of weather can we expect? Sounds like I should pack an umbrella!
We will be in Zurich (for Business) Oct 18 -21. My DH asked last night, what is there to do in Zurich when he has finished his business.
I have printed this out to read at leisure. Thankyou.
Hope you haven't talked about this already, but typically what sort of weather can we expect? Sounds like I should pack an umbrella!
Aug 27th, 2006, 06:20 PM
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ps. I have just read your suggestions. This is definately coming with me on the trip as I will have some free time while dh has his meetings.
I don't suppose you have some equally wonderful advice for Hanover?
I don't suppose you have some equally wonderful advice for Hanover?
Aug 27th, 2006, 07:14 PM
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aussiedreamer, yes, most likely you will have rain and cooler temps in October, but the good news is that it is perfect weather for the great hot chocolate at Sprungli! But you could luck out and have great weather, you never know. Also, accross the street from the main Sprungli shop on the Bahnofstrasse is Madler (26 Bahnhofstrasse), which has beautiful leather wallets, handbags and luggage. Bring lots of money, it is worth a look for their excellent designs and quality, even though I can only just about afford the wallets.
Another good place to shop are the Swiss handicraft shops called Schweizer Heimatwerk. These sell very good quality goods, not cheap, but interesting. They have a shop in the main train station (open on Sundays), and two in the old town, addresses are below, or try their website at http://www.heimatwerk.ch. I think they have an outlet in the airport as well.
Schweizer Heimatwerk
1 Uraniastrasse
This one is along the river and if you continue along the pedestrian walkway past the shop along the river toward the lake, there are some antique shops and other interesting shops as well. This whole area is worth wandering around, you can walk up to the right and get to St Peter's Square, or continue along the river and get to the Fraumunster area (and Teuscher chocloate).
Schweizer Heimatwerk
14 Renweg
This is on one of the main shopping streets on the left bank of the old town, quite close to the Bahnhofstrasse. You can get to the St Peter's Square area from here as well to the left, or at the top of the street, take a right onto Widdergasse and take a walk down Augustinergasse, which I think is one of the loveliest shopping streets anywhere. Lots of oriole windows and gabled buildings.
Sorry I don't have any advice on Hanover, would like to see YOUR report....
Another good place to shop are the Swiss handicraft shops called Schweizer Heimatwerk. These sell very good quality goods, not cheap, but interesting. They have a shop in the main train station (open on Sundays), and two in the old town, addresses are below, or try their website at http://www.heimatwerk.ch. I think they have an outlet in the airport as well.
Schweizer Heimatwerk
1 Uraniastrasse
This one is along the river and if you continue along the pedestrian walkway past the shop along the river toward the lake, there are some antique shops and other interesting shops as well. This whole area is worth wandering around, you can walk up to the right and get to St Peter's Square, or continue along the river and get to the Fraumunster area (and Teuscher chocloate).
Schweizer Heimatwerk
14 Renweg
This is on one of the main shopping streets on the left bank of the old town, quite close to the Bahnhofstrasse. You can get to the St Peter's Square area from here as well to the left, or at the top of the street, take a right onto Widdergasse and take a walk down Augustinergasse, which I think is one of the loveliest shopping streets anywhere. Lots of oriole windows and gabled buildings.
Sorry I don't have any advice on Hanover, would like to see YOUR report....
Aug 27th, 2006, 08:07 PM
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thanks again. I can't find any reports nearly as interesting as yours re; Hanover. Oh well, I will just have to make sure I take lots of notes when there and give a detailed report.
We leave Oct 17 return Oct 27, so its only a short one.
We leave Oct 17 return Oct 27, so its only a short one.
Aug 28th, 2006, 11:55 PM
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Thanks Cicerone. I just read your extra tips. We've done some of this already - 4 years ago - and I have to agree with you re Guarda, Tiefencastel, Bernina Express etc. My husband wanted to see Zurich on this trip. I was there years ago and I was being stalked by some men who'd been on my train, so I don't think I exactly enjoyed it. Luckily I went on to Luzern and the Lake and loved that.
This year we're going back to some places we enjoyed last time, and some new places, including Appenzell. Thanks again!
This year we're going back to some places we enjoyed last time, and some new places, including Appenzell. Thanks again!
Nov 23rd, 2006, 07:55 PM
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Cicerone,
Thank you for all the terrific information.
I had a couple of questions...
-We will be in Zurich for a short layover on December 28. We will be arriving around 11:20am and departing again at 17:00
I had always wanted to see the mountains in Switzerland, but realize do not have enough time to really go outside Zurich.
If we took the 1.5 hour ferry ride that goes to Thawil and back, will we get a better view of the mountains at all? Is it too cold to take a ferry ride at that time? Could we still sit inside the ferry and look out the windows?
- I was debating if we should take a train to Lucerne to get closer to the mountains (I know that sounds crazy but don't know if I'll ever get back to Switzerland). Is any part of that train ride through mountains as we would be only spending a very short amount of time in Lucerne if we took this option. If the train ride was very pretty, I would consider doing that.
-Also, in the airport, are there any restaurants there we could eat Swiss food while we are waiting to board the flight, particularly Rosti.
Thanks for any help!
Thank you for all the terrific information.
I had a couple of questions...
-We will be in Zurich for a short layover on December 28. We will be arriving around 11:20am and departing again at 17:00
I had always wanted to see the mountains in Switzerland, but realize do not have enough time to really go outside Zurich.
If we took the 1.5 hour ferry ride that goes to Thawil and back, will we get a better view of the mountains at all? Is it too cold to take a ferry ride at that time? Could we still sit inside the ferry and look out the windows?
- I was debating if we should take a train to Lucerne to get closer to the mountains (I know that sounds crazy but don't know if I'll ever get back to Switzerland). Is any part of that train ride through mountains as we would be only spending a very short amount of time in Lucerne if we took this option. If the train ride was very pretty, I would consider doing that.
-Also, in the airport, are there any restaurants there we could eat Swiss food while we are waiting to board the flight, particularly Rosti.
Thanks for any help!
