Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Restaurant in Zurich

IMO it’s hard to get a bad meal in Europe and very hard in Switzerland. I never really know what people mean when they say they are “foodies”, because I think everyone likes good food...if by “extraordinary food” you mean you want to have gourmet star-rated food, well the only Michelin-starred restaurant that I know in Zurich closed a few years ago (that was a Thai restaurant). So the next best might be Petermann's Kunststube which is in a suburb down the lake from Zurich, see the list at #16 below. It’s a 2-star. On a Sunday night this might be a bit of a journey down and back, it will be well after midnight by the time you finish dinner and there might be a wait for a train back, take a look at rail.ch for schedules. The train only takes about 15 minutes, but on a Sunday night and after midnight, they will not be running that often. It also might be a bit quiet for children. Its very expensive as well, but this is Switzerland....

Otherwise, below, in no particular order, are some of my favorite restaurants in Zurich you might try. (I will say that some of my more favorite restaurants are listed first.) None other than the Kronehall, the Baur au Lac, and the Grill at the Zum Storchen are especially dressy, perhaps Petermann’s as well. Some of these may NOT be open on Sunday evening.

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. Some of the ones with larger outdoor areas may not be so appropriate in March.

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.

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. Restaurant Kindli
Hotel Kindli
Pfalzgasse 1
8001 Zürich
tel: 043 888 76 78
http://www.kindli.ch

Very good Swiss specialties and other European dishes, nice ambience and wine list. In a lovely part of the old town.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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

10. 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.

11. Restaurant Bierhalle Kropf
In Gassen 16
Zurich
Telephone 41-1 221 1805

Swiss specialties in a nice setting in the old town.

12. Kantorei
Spiegelgasse 33
Intersection with Neumarkt
Zürich
Tel: 41-1 252 2727

Good Italian and fusion Italian-Asian food. Interesting part of the old town, a few blocks off the river.

13. Zum Grünen Glas
Untere Zäune 15
Zürich
Phone: 41-1-2516504

Very good modern French food near the University.

14. 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.

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. Petermann's Kunststube
Seestrasse 160
Kusnacht
tel 41-1 910-0715

This is a Michelin 2-star. Very expensive but excellent. It is in Patricia Schultz's book 1,000 Places to see before you die. Cabfare from Zurich would be about $60 one way. Train schedules can be found at rail.ch.

17. Blaue Ente
Seefeldstrasse 223
Tiefenbrunnen
Tel: 41-1-388-6840

Set in an old industrial mill on the shore of Lake Zurich. The house specialty is duck, the menu is European and Swiss specialties. A favorites among locals.

18. 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 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.

19. 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.

19. 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.

20. 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.

21. 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. Casual.

22. 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.

23. Chasstude Rehalp
Forchstrasse 359
8008 Zurich
tel: 01-381-0180

This is more of a local place, I don't believe they 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. 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. Your hotel could help with the tram, I know it is the #11, but don't recall the stop.

24. 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.