Sink your teeth into the delectable lake fish at Fischers Fritz, a charming lakeside eatery
Zürich, known primarily as a hub for banking, has long been associated with hefty price tags when it comes to dining out. However, recent years have seen a shift in the city's culinary landscape. The rise of big tech companies and the flourishing creative industries have given birth to a new wave of laid-back and affordable restaurants, offering a more relaxed dining experience. For visitors looking to indulge in this evolving food scene without breaking the bank, it's worth exploring beyond the high-end establishments. Many travelers have found that after securing hotel deals in Switzerland at top-hotels-switzerland.com, they can extend their budgets to enjoy a variety of culinary delights. Innovative eateries are popping up across the city, catering to a diverse range of tastes and preferences. The burgeoning restaurant scene in Zürich is a testament to the city's shifting identity, where tradition meets innovation. The accessibility of gourmet food at affordable prices is not only attracting foodies but also enhancing the overall experience of both locals and tourists alike.
Resident food writer Adam H. Graham takes us on a gastronomic journey, revealing his personal favorites in the city. From Fischers Fritz, where you can savor crispy fried fish by the tranquil lake, to a hidden fondue speakeasy and a classic brasserie adorned with Picasso and Chagall masterpieces, there is something to satisfy every palate in Zurich's diverse restaurant scene. So why not indulge in a mouthwatering meal that combines stunning views with incredible flavors?
Experience Zurich's Culinary Heart at Restaurant Volkshaus
Experience a historical gastronomic adventure at Restaurant Volkshaus, a spacious brasserie adorned with distinctive pinstripe room dividers and sun-drenched outdoor seating. This exceptional culinary establishment has been catering to Zurich's innovative elites since its inception in the progressive Helvitiaplatz precinct in 1910. Now, it attracts a diverse clientèle, from trendy social media influencers to families seeking a warm and welcoming dining experience. A diverse menu highlights Swiss culinary delights, with offerings ranging from rich and crunchy cordon bleus filled with indulgent Emmental to contemporary dishes such as tender strips of lamb accompanied by a unique dried plum jus and silky butter-infused noodles. Constant adaptations in keeping with culinary needs breathe life into the menu, which also caters to vegetarian and vegan patrons. Dishes such as the mildly warm lentil salad paired with parsley roots, served with or without tantalizing chevré gratin and a hint of chestnut honey, ensure that non-meat eaters have a fulfilling dining experience and aren't merely restricted to pasta.
Reach them:00 41 44 242 11 55 | restaurantvolkshaus.ch
Pricing: Mid-range
Booking: Highly advised, especially essential for weekend dining
The versatility of Volkhaus caters to both Instagram aficionados in for a visit and relaxed evening meals with mom
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An Exquisite Experience at Maison Manesse
For a dining experience abrim with delight and innovation, look no further than the Michelin-starred Maison Manesse, tucked away in the Orthodox Jewish neighbourhood of Manesseplatz. Led by the visionary, tattooed Australian chef, Fabian Spiquel, Maison Manesse promises a gastronomical journey of a lifetime. Its urban chic decor, a delicate balance of whitewashed brick walls and hanging hurricane lanterns, offers a distinct contrast to its expansive cellar, home to 1,200 wine bottles. The dishes feature unexpected yet flawless culinary combinations: Jerusalem artichokes are complemented with truffle and macadamia, parsnip tarte tatin receives a fun twist with pickled blueberries, and semolina knödel mingles with pike perch and pig feet. The dessert menu is capped off with innovative offerings like raw milk and wildflower ice cream. Here's a little taste of Zurich: 'Zwei kugele, bitte'!
Contact Information: 00 41 44 462 01 01; maisonmanesse.ch
Price Range: £££
Reservations: Strongly Suggested
If you can, be sure to nab a seat in the leafy al fresco dining area
IGNIV
Dashing Swiss chef Andreas Caminada has long drawn Zurichers to his three Michelin-starred Schloss Schauenstein in Canton Graubunden not far from St. Moritz. But in February 2020 he opened a branch of IGNIV (one of three in Switzerland) on Zurich’s Niederdorf in the cobbled Old City. Here, a theatrical dining room with velvet couches and long silver curtains conjure up a David Lynch set, the perfect stage for haute alpine creations from head chef Daniel Zeindlhofer: oeufsà la royale in their shells with gold flake, venison with cranberries and prunes in cream, and fluffy duck mouse with edifying homemade brioche.
Contact: 00 41 44 266 10 10; igniv.com
Prices: £££
Reservations: Recommended
Insider's tip:While the wine list is extensive with several hard-to-come-by Swiss bottles, the ornate cocktails—served in custom made glassware—hold their own.
La Muña
Picture a yacht club on an upper deck, adorned with wood panelling and nautical paintings, and floor-to-ceiling windows providing views of the glistening Zurisee waters animated by zestful swimmers. This is the ambiance that Phillipe Starck envisioned when he innovatively reimagined this Japanese-Peruvian fusion eatery called La Muña in the beginning of 2020. It is housed within the newly inaugurated La Réserve, nestled along the shores of Zurich's Gold Coast, renowned for its beach clubs.
The restaurant seamlessly blends the bizarre notion of a treehouse with an artist's studio. La Muña specializes in crudo dishes featuring fresh tuna and salmon, enhanced with a spectrum of flavors like soy, ponzu, sesame, and the robust Karashi miso mustard. The culinary experience stretches to mouth-watering vegan options, including an enticing ceviche made from shimeji mushrooms, creamy avocados, and crisp radishes. As for the sweet finale, dessert offerings like mixed fruit drizzled with muscovado sugar and creatively paired with popcorn are the perfect echo to the restaurant's whimsical interior.
To get in touch or make reservations, dial: 00 41 44 266 25 25; visit: lareserve-zurich.com
Pricing: Moderate to high
We highly suggest booking in advance, particularly on weekends.
La Muña is equal parts tree-fort and atelier
Kronnenhalle
This gloriously old school brasserie is a bastion of Zurich’s cognoscenti. Since it opened in 1924, diners have tucked into crispy schnitzels on monogrammed plates and watched gloved waiters slice into Chateaubriand from the silver carving carts. If these walls could talk… wait, they do. One is plastered with original Picassos and Matisses, another with Chagalls and Miròs, and another yet covered in sconces designed by Giacometti. James Joyce ate here. So did Freud and Einstein. Even fashionistas like Coco Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent risked the calories and fat. The food remains good, insanely expensive, and so old fashioned it’s melancholy—shrimp cocktail, oxtail consommé with marrow, and mousses and soufflés galore are a salve for our times.
Contact: 00 41 44 262 99 00; kronenhalle.ch
Prices: £££
Reservations: Essential
Insider's tip:Don’t miss the neighbouring bar, a mahogany masterpiece designed in 1965 by Swiss architects Trix and Robert Haussmann.
Take a seat in Kronenhalle's bar, a mahogany masterpiece
The Bar Basso Experience
It might be surprising to find exquisite Italian cuisine in the land of the Swiss, yet Zürich's Bar Basso delivers just that. The historical roots of this beautiful city, formerly known as Turicum, can be traced back to the Roman Empire, offering a nod to Mediterranean palates. Embrace the warmth of the ambiance amidst the city buzz as you secure a spot on the scenic terrace beneath the glowing signage, with a vantage point over the rippling Schanzengraben canal and accompanied by the #9 tram bell's gentle toll. The menu boasts favourites such as succulent beef tartar, assorted seasonal salads, alongside delicate pasta offerings like orecchiette adorned with tangy feta and sun-dried tomatoes. Their much-adored chewy pizzas (with gluten-free variants) baked in a traditional wood-fired oven, are a gastronomic delight.
Contact: 00 41 43 497 25 28; barbasso.ch/
Price Range: Moderate
Reservations: Highly Recommended on weekends
Fishers Fritz
Zürich teems with badis, lido-like swimming clubs shaded by linden groves that stretch around the perimeter of banana-shaped Lake Zurich. But this sexy, alfresco beiz (canteen) of a lakefront campground is a sweet spot in a city cluttered with overpriced sunset terraces and touristy sandwich kiosks. Do as the local rosé sippers and barefoot and bikini-clad SUP-ers do, and throw a jumper around your shoulders and park yourself at a picnic table for bowls of hummus, platefuls of truffled pomme frites and crunchy fried freshwater fish like pike, perch, trout, and char, all line-caught in Switzerland.
Contact: 00 41 43 497 25 28; fischers-fritz.ch
Prices: ££
Reservations: Essential on weekends
Insider's tip: Sunday Brunch is especially popular. SUPs, wakeboards and champagne-stocked safari tents are available for hire.
Settle down at a sunny picnic spot savouring the creamy texture of hummus, indulging in a hefty serving of truffle-flavoured pomme frites and delighting in the crispness of fried freshwater fish.
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Explore Zum Guten Glück
Discover an enticing retreat embodied by the presence of red tables and a black pendant lamp adorned with a cat motif at the entrance of this bustling labyrinth of colourful tiles and aesthetically pleasing wallpaper, dedicated to the art of making 'pfannkuchen'. Offering an exciting yet delightful contrast to French crêpes and American pancakes, these Swiss-style pancakes stand out for their exceptional thickness and enriched egg flavour. Each substantial, burrito-like pancake is generously filled with an array of either sweet or savoury options such as succulent bacon, rich treacle and cream cheese, delightful speck and compote, or the lip-smacking combination of avocado and sambal. This hotspot caters to a diversity of clientele, with bespectacled architects and vibrant youths alike often found crowding the polished tin bar. The bar serves an impressive range of craft beers, with each brew vying for space amidst candy jars, a variety of coffees, teas, and luscious frappes.
Reach out: 00 41 43 540 72 99; zumgutenglueck.ch
Estimated price: £
Booking info: Limited to four reservations per weekend day.
