World City Guide

Restaurants

We have selected 15 restaurants, which we have divided into five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments.
The restaurants have been classed into four different pricing categories:

$ (up to SFr45)
$$ (SFr45 to SFr60)
$$$ (SFr60 to SFr100)
$$$$ (over SFr100)

The prices quoted below are for a three-course meal, including VAT and service charge. Besides VAT at 7.6%, a compulsory 15% service charge is included in the cost of all restaurant bills. Diners also tend to round the bill up to the nearest SFr10.

Gastronomic

Blaue Ente
One of Zurich’s best restaurants, the Blaue Ente (Blue Goose) was named after an inn established in 1675 by an ancestor of one of the owners. The restaurant is about 1km (0.6 miles) south of the city centre, forming part of a trendy shopping centre based on a converted mill on the east shore of Lake Zurich. With its whitewashed bricks, glass and bits of machinery from the original mill, the Blaue Ente draws a cosmopolitan crowd from advertising, the media and the arts. Duck in many forms is the speciality of the house. One can also enjoy a menu that changes every five weeks, reflecting both seasonal changes and the chef’s experimentation. Reservations are recommended.

Seefeldstrasse 223
Tel: (01) 388 6840.
Website: www.blaue-ente.ch
Price: $$$.

Kronenhalle
Many of the 20th century’s great artists, like Stavinsky, Brecht, Joyce, Nureyev, Devenue and Saint Laurent, have enjoyed the wonderful food at the Kronenhalle. The fin de siècle decor and ambience is perfect for displaying the wonderful collection of 20th-century art originally formed by Hulda Zunsteg, and now owned by her son, Gustav, including works by Giacometti, Picasso, Miro, Chagall and Matisse. This is a restaurant whose quality attracts many regular diners. There is nothing new or startling on the menu, just a mix of excellently prepared local and international favourites. Although the service is first rate, the ambience is laid-back rather than formal, so clientele preferring sausages and beer rather than delicacies are treated with the same respect. The banquet room, holding 50-60 people, carries on the same ambience as the restaurant. The restaurant bar with its Art Deco overtones is an excellent place to unwind; the brass lamps were designed and built by the Giacometti brothers.

Rämistrasse 4
Tel: (01) 251 6669.
Website: www.kronenhalle.com
Price: $$$$.

Petermann’s Kunststuben
Horst Petermann, born in Hamburg, is one of Switzerland’s greatest living chefs, especially amongst devotees of French cuisine. The restaurant, 6km (4 miles) south of the city centre on Lake Zurich’s eastern shore (the ‘Gold Coast’), is in a house constructed in 1873. This was an art gallery when Petermann purchased it and his own fine collection of pictures are set off both in the restaurant with its dark grey walls and in a gallery alongside. As with the other great Zurich restaurants, the Kunststuben has played host to many heads of state, major artists and businesspeople. Petermann believes in a hands-on approach and leads his small team rather than just supervising. His wife takes care of clients, decoration and service; there are always fine floral arrangements and the placing of tables allows for privacy. Three-, five- and seven-course menus are offered. Specialising in cuisine du marché (dishes prepared daily by the chef using whatever food he finds fresh in the market), the daily changing menu can include rabbit terrine with black truffles or lobster with artichokes and almond oil. Entrées, desserts and cheeses are of the same high quality. The wine cellar is exceptional and every effort is made to match wines to the dishes; many wines can also be purchased by the glass. During the summer, guests can dine outside in the intimate garden. Reservations essential.

Seestrasse 160, Küsnacht
Tel: (01) 910 0715.
Price: $$$$.

Business

Haus zum Rüden
Located in a building first mentioned in records in 1295, the Haus zum Rüden (House of the Hound) is closely related to the Constaffel Society, the noblemen and knights who elected the mayor in the Middle Ages. The restaurant, which has three rooms (two of which are solely used for private functions), is today one of the best venues for business meetings, cocktail parties and other events. The main dining room, the Restaurant Gothic Room, which can cater for up to 70 people, is located on the first floor and boasts 11-metre long (36ft) beams. The Constaffelsaal on the second floor, which can be hired by 10-40 people, has early Baroque stucco decorations and the adjacent Rüdenstübli, with room for 30-150 people, has stucco work and Rococo frieze dating from 1773. Dishes are traditional and definitely cuisine de marché (using fresh produce bought locally in the market). Full modern audiovisual equipment is available for hire; Powerpoint presentations can even be e-mailed to the restaurant to be put onto a laptop. Closed Saturday and Sunday (although the restaurant can be hired for events). Reservations are required.

Limmatquai 42
Tel: (01) 261 9566.
Website: www.hauszumrueden.ch
Price: $$$$.

Hummerbar
The St Gotthard Hotel has been in the Manz family since 1899 and its Hummerbar (Lobster Bar) has long been one of the city’s top dining places. The setting, like the hotel, is fin de siècle with rich scarlet decor, candles and much polished wood. All shellfish is flown in fresh every day and alongside the simple methods of preparation, one can enjoy more elaborate fare. In August, the city’s Swedes go there for crayfish. Besides an excellent grill, the St Gotthard Hotel also offers diners the Bouillabaisse restaurant, where superb fish dishes are served in an Art Nouveau atmosphere complete with pianist. Champagne is the drink of choice.

Hotel St Gotthard, Bahnhofstrasse 87
Tel: (01) 227 7700.
Website: www.hotelstgotthard.ch
Price: $$$$.

Veltliner Keller
Incredibly, the Veltliner Keller has been a restaurant since 1551. Housed in a building next to St Peter’s church and used as a wine cellar since 1325, the site has always been used to store the Italian-Swiss Valtellina wines that were carried over the Alps to Zurich. The ancient carved wood interior is based on Graubündner Alpine culture (the most south-eastern part of the country whose canton capitol is St Moritz), with wooden panelling made from arve mountain pine, which only grows in Switzerland. The menu is seasonal and includes both Swiss and Italian classic dishes.

Schlüsselgasse 8
Tel: (01) 225 4040.
Website: www.veltlinerkeller.ch
Price: $$$.

Trendy

Blindekuh
This is a truly unique restaurant, conceived and run by blind and visually impaired staff, where diners eat in pitch-blackness to simulate the experience of being blind. The blind waiters and waitresses guide customers to their seats and no one ever sees the interior of the restaurant or even their own food. Although it serves as a way to bring the problems of visually impaired people to the public’s attention, the restaurant could not have become such a resounding success (with waiting lists several months long), without providing its guests with a high quality menu.

Muhlebachstrasse 148
Tel: (01) 421 5050.
Website: www.blindekuh.ch
Price: $$.

Blu
Housed in a former 19th century industrial laundry building, with a completely modernised, minimalist interior where sparkling chrome and stark concrete contrast with the warm colours of the timber flooring, this restaurant attracts a young, achingly cool crowd. It is optimally located on the banks of the Zurichsee, so guests can look out through the glass walls at a breathtaking view of the marina and the mountains beyond. From a culinary perspective, Blu serves a menu of delicious Italian favourites, and places heavy emphasis on the use of healthy, fresh, seasonal ingredients.

Seestrasse 457
Tel: (01) 488 6565.
Website: www.blu-restaurant.com
Price: $.

Restaurant LaSalle
LaSalle is at the centre of the up-and-coming West Zurich area of urban regeneration. The restaurant, which was originally a shipbuilding warehouse, has been innovatively converted: the building was gutted and then an enormous glass box, which houses the dining area, was suspended inside the external redbrick structure. There are two theatres and a jazz bar located in the same complex, and the surrounding area boasts dozens of trendy new bars and clubs. The menu is predominantly French and Italian, with a seafood focus, and is produced with commendable ecological consciousness.

Schiffbaustrasse 4
Tel: (01) 258 7071.
Website: www.lasalle-restaurant.ch
Price: $$$.

Budget

Café Bar Odéon
Now an ultra-trendy café and bar, this is the famed coffeehouse from 1912 where the pre-revolutionary Lenin and other intellectuals met when they could not afford to heat their own rooms. Joyce and Einstein were also regular visitors, and Thornton Wilder, Mata Hari and Mussolini also visited. Now the crowd is counter-culture chic and in the evening, the Odéon attracts both singles and gays. The café section remains intimate and is decorated in Art Nouveau style with many banquettes and small private areas; there is also outdoor seating in the summer. It is still possible to enjoy fine pasta dishes and a daily lunch menu and desserts. There are also unusual dishes like ostrich stroganoff with spinach noodles and game dishes in the Autumn. There is an ongoing campaign to regain the building next door, which is now a pharmacy. The Odéon is open late into the night.

Limmatquai 2
Tel: (01) 251 1650.
Website: www.odeon-zuerich.ch
Price: $.

Restaurant Hiltl
The Bavarian Ambrosius Hiltl purchased the Vegetarierheim und Abstinez-Café (Vegetarians’ Home and Teetotalers’ Café) in 1907 and, with the aide of his wife, turned it into the Restaurant Hiltl. Today, the restaurant is run by Ambrosius’ great-grandson, Rolf. The ground floor offers very relaxed dining around a circular central serving area, with a bar area beside it, while the first floor is more traditionally furnished, reflecting the early 20th-century beginnings. At lunch, the menu always includes 50 salads, and in the evening, besides salads, rösti and pasta dishes, the restaurant serves an Indian and Thai menu of 30 dishes, which are priced by weight. Desserts and cheeses are also excellent, and national and international newspapers are available.

Sihlstrasse 28
Tel: (01) 227 7000.
Website: www.hiltl.ch
Price: $.

Rheinfelder Bierhaus
One of Zurich’s best beer halls, the Rheinfelder is located on the pedestrianised Marktplatz on the Niederdorf side of the River Limmat. The atmosphere is inviting, cheerfully encompassing all classes of society. Nevertheless, this is not a restaurant for people with lung problems or those trying to give up smoking. Standard beer hall food like sausages and liver are available. However, the specialities are recommended and include rindsfeffer (preserved beef stew with spätzli pasta) and ‘Schweins Cordon Bleu’, a large pork fillet filled with ham and cheese, breaded and fried, and served with excellent French-fried potatoes. Occasionally, the Spanish/Romansch owners serve a special home-made paella, an unusual but excellent menu option.

Marktgasse 19
Tel: (01) 251 2991.
Price: $.

Personal Recommendations

Adler’s Swiss Chuchi
The wooden-panelled dining room of the Adler Hotel is located directly on Hirschenplatz, the Niederdorf’s main square, on the east bank of the River Limmat. The restaurant offers a varied menu including veal escalope with ham and cheese, salmon basil-style with vegetable rice, catfish with tartar sauce or Tessin-style osso buco. However, the real reason for dining here is the many different and, possibly Zurich’s best, versions of fondue and raclette (melted cheese usually served with ham and potatoes), with prices varying according to the number of ingredients and alcoholic additions.

Hirschenplatz
Tel: (01) 266 9696.
Website: www.hotel-adler.ch
Price: $$.

El Parador
Probably the best Spanish/Portuguese restaurant in the city, located just off the Limmatplatz, El Parador is known for its light and cosy atmosphere and attention to detail. First courses can include garlic soup and Spanish salads like salt cod with white beans. The paella and chicken with garlic and onions are wonderful but the real speciality is parrillada, an amazing mixed seafood grill. The staff offer a warm Spanish welcome and service to their guests. Closed Sunday (late August-late September) and Monday (mid-winter).

Luisenstrasse 43
Tel: (043) 366 8885.
Website: www.elparador.ch
Price: $$$.

Zueghauskeller
Built on the remains of an old armoury (zeughaus), originally constructed in 1487, the Zueghauskeller restaurant opened in 1927, when a new owner converted the building into the city’s top restaurant and beer hall. Large stone pillars hold up the ornamental wooden-beamed ceiling, which holds weapons from the Middle Ages to the present day. The decor is traditional, with large portraits of noblemen from the time of the medieval mercenaries and well-separated large tables that are shared, often leading to new friendships as discussions become all-inclusive. Besides classic dishes like Zurich-style kalbsgeschnetzeltes (sliced veal and mushrooms in a white wine sauce) and burgermeister hans waldmann sword (small beef steaks wrapped round a sword blade), the restaurant serves at least 12 varieties of sausage, including kanonenputzer (French-speaking region), vaudois (pork, bacon, white wine and spices slowly smoked), bratwurst, Hungarian and St Gallen schüblig. The restaurant also serves around 36 tonnes (35 tons) per year of its house potato salad with its sausages. Desserts include Swiss favourites like vacherin cheese or Charlotte kirsch and house specialities like ice cream pie, frozen strawberry cream or walnut parfait.

Bahnhofstrasse 28a, Paradeplatz
Tel: (01) 211 2690.
Website: www.zeughauskeller.ch
Price: $$.