Zurich

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Where to eat in Zurich: my 25 favourite restaurants

Nobody eats well following the tour buses. These are the 25 restaurants in Zurich I'd send a friend to: the cheap neighbourhood place, the one locals keep to themselves, the splurge that's genuinely worth it. No photo menus.

Sternen Grill★ 4.4 · CHF 10–15 · Swiss · sausage standThe bratwurst counter at Bellevue that Zurich treats as an institution. Directions
Kronenhalle★ 4.6 · CHF 70–120 · Swiss · fine diningThe dining room that has not changed since 1924, hung with real Picassos, Mirós and Chagalls that the owner bought from the artists when they ate here. Directions
Zeughauskeller★ 4.5 · CHF 25–40 · Swiss · beer hallA 1487 armoury turned beer hall, with halberds still on the walls and long shared tables under oak beams. Directions
Haus Hiltl★ 4.6 · CHF 25–45 · Vegetarian · buffetThe oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world, open since 1898 and in the Guinness book for it. Directions
Café Sprüngli★ 4.4 · CHF 15–35 · Café · confectioneryOn Paradeplatz since 1836, and the place Zurich buys Luxemburgerli, the small light macaron the shop invented. Directions
Zunfthaus zur Waag★ 4.7 · CHF 45–80 · Swiss · guild houseA linen weavers' guild house from 1637 on Münsterhof, with the old panelled rooms intact. Directions
Frau Gerolds Garten★ 4.5 · CHF 20–40 · Casual · gardenUnder the railway arches in Zürich West: shipping containers, mismatched furniture, a garden that runs all summer and a fondue chalet that takes over in winter. Directions
Markthalle im Viadukt★ 4.6 · CHF 15–35 · Food hallA market hall built into the viaduct arches: cheese, bread, a fishmonger, wine, and counters where you eat what they sell. Directions
John Baker★ 4.5 · CHF 10–20 · Bakery · breakfastThe sourdough bakery that changed what bread means in Zurich, with branches around the city and one on Napfplatz in the old town. Directions
Bauernschänke★ 4.6 · CHF 45–80 · Modern SwissA former tavern in Rindermarkt doing modern Swiss cooking with a serious wine list, from the team that also runs the tapas bar downstairs. Directions
Swiss Chuchi★ 4.3 · CHF 30–50 · Swiss · fondueThe fondue restaurant in the Hotel Adler in Niederdorf, and yes it is aimed at visitors. Directions
Lily's★ 4.2 · CHF 20–30 · Asian · noodlesA big loud Asian canteen on Langstrasse, bowls of noodles and curry, open late, and priced like a city that is not Zurich. Directions
Babu's Bakery & CoffeehouseCHF 15-30 · Bakery & brunchA big, bright three-floor bakery a minute from the station doing the best brunch spread in the centre: proper bread, eggs done well, and a cake counter that is genuinely hard to walk past. Directions
Café HenriciCHF 15-35 · Italian & coffeeA relaxed corner spot at the bottom of the Niederdorf doing Italian plates, good coffee and natural wine, with a handful of tables out on the lane. Directions
Café OdeonCHF 8-25 · Coffee & cocktailsAn art nouveau room from 1911 that has been having the same argument for a century: Lenin, Joyce, Einstein and Mata Hari all drank here, and the chandeliers and brass have not moved since. Directions
CloudsCHF 30-70 · Modern EuropeanOn the 35th floor of the Prime Tower, which makes it the highest dining room in Zurich. Directions
Conditorei SchoberCHF 10-25 · Pastries & hot chocolateProbably the most beautiful room in the old town: a red and gold confectionery on a narrow lane, layered with mirrors, painted ceilings and cake counters that look staged until you realise they are just the shop. Directions
Jules Verne PanoramabarCHF 15-30 · CocktailsA round bar squeezed into the top of the Urania observatory tower, windows the whole way around and a narrow walkway outside. Directions
La StanzaCHF 12-28 · Italian coffee & aperitivoA proper Italian coffee bar in Enge, dark wood and marble, doing espresso in the morning and aperitivo when the offices let out. Directions
LäderachCHF 8-20 · ChocolateThe Swiss chocolatier that decided to break every slab into pieces at the counter and sell it by weight. Directions
Max ChocolatierCHF 12-30 · ChocolateA small-batch chocolatier on a quiet lane behind the Lindenhof, working seasonally with Swiss milk and single-origin beans. Directions
Old CrowCHF 18-30 · CocktailsA dark, small cocktail bar near the Lindenhof with a bartender-led menu and no interest whatsoever in being trendy. Directions
Raclette FactoryCHF 25-45 · Swiss / racletteA small place in the old town that does exactly one thing: melted raclette scraped onto plates, in about a dozen varieties from plain to truffle to chilli. Directions
SchwarzenbachCHF 15-30 · Coffee & Swiss classicsA colonial goods shop that has sold coffee, dried fruit and spices on the Münstergasse since 1864, with a small café across the lane run by the same family. Directions
TeuscherCHF 10-25 · ChocolateA Zurich institution since the 1930s and the shop that made the champagne truffle famous. Directions