Coffee & tea – All our local tips

Café Milchbar is a recent discovery. Several years after my first visit, I ventured again into the Zentralhof, a beautiful and quiet square hidden near the busy and hectic Bahnhofstrasse. The square evoked vague memories of the Place Vosges in Paris. In the middle there is a fountain. During the warm season it is surrounded by flowers. Two cafés share the southeastern corner of the square for their tables.

The venue is a bakery offering a wide range of breads, sandwiches and pastries. It claims to be the only bakery in the city center preparing its own bread. It caters to early birds since it opens at 05:00 during working days. Lunch is also an option.

For me personally the spot is becoming a preferred station during my Saturday afternoon city stroll. I evade the crowds of the Bahnhofstrasse and enjoy my tomato-mozzarella specialty before going back to where the action is, preferably Confisserie Sprüngli (see the Sprüngli article).

Self service applies. Several major daily newspapers are available. When sitting outside you can choose between a table in the square or in the corridor leading out to the Kappelergasse, where the front entrance to the Café is. But even when sitting inside, during colder weather, you will still appreciate the atmosphere, it always feels like “taking a break”.

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Café Milchbar | Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (Bakery) | Espresso CHF 4.10
Kappelergasse 16 | Kreis 1 City | +41442119013
Mon – Fri 05:00 – 18:00, Sat 07:00 – 17:00

From the outside, the Zähringer looks pretty inconspicuous. There’s not much that indicated that this is not quite an ordinary Café. But it is not quite an ordinary café. Beginning with the ownership: The Zähringer is self-governing, which means everyone who works there is partly owner and has a say in everything that happens. So the girl who serves you coffee there is basically part of the executive board.

The Zähringer is a good place to drink coffee, but also to eat lunch or dinner. If you care about the environment (and you should), you’ll like this: All things are freshly prepared and most of them organic. Most of them because the Zähringer-Collective favors regional products (even if not organic) over products that have traveled around the whole globe. Normally you can choose between a yummy vegetarian, a vegan and a carnivoric (yes, that’s how they call it) meal.

And there’s the cultural thing. The place started in the heated eighties and had a lot going on: Concerts, readings, exhibitions and so on. Now it’s a little calmer, but there are still cultural events several times a month. Interested? Stop by and check out the programme.

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Café Zähringer | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Music, Snacks, Restaurants (Organic)
Zähringerplatz 11 | Kreis 1 City | +41442520500
Mon 18:00 – 00:00, Tue – Sun 08:00 – 00:00

The flagship Swiss confectionery and café moved to its current address in 1859. The confectionery prides itself for selling the Luxemburgerli and the Grand Crus (chocolate truffles from wild cocoa beans). The café serves the best hot chocolate and deserts in town. Legend had it that it had been a contact place for affluent mature ladies and younger men.

I started visiting the café shortly after arriving to Zurich in the summer of 2000. In the midst of the stock market bubble, the pretentious me needed a place to read a financial newspaper on Saturday afternoon and dream about being able to predict future market movements while enjoying a small cigar and a hot chocolate.

Nine years later the hot chocolate remains. Stock markets are not predictable, smoking is prohibited and affluent ladies find pleasure in shopping (at least on Saturday afternoon). And I have moved from the main area on the upper floor to the ground floor with its large glass windows and small tables with small sofas: a cozier and more relaxing alternative.

I begin with a tiny warm focaccia (tomato, mozzarella sandwich) which sells at the scandalous price of 9 CHF (fully worth it) before I move to sweeter delights.

When weather permits, there are tables outside. I recommend sitting along the few ones just outside the glass windows rather that the ones on the other side of the pavement.

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Confiserie Sprüngli | Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks | Hot chocolate CHF 6.20
Bahnhofstrasse 21 | Kreis 1 City | +41442244740
Mon – Fri 07:30 – 17:30, Sat 08:00 – 15:00, Sun 09:30 – 17:30 (Cafe only)

The Dynamo is Zurichs youth centre with a big range of cultural projects and workshops – an ideal place for creative, active youngsters. Music, Dance, Theatre, Graphics, Photo and Handcraft are what the Dynamo is all about. The place is supported by the city, which means that there is a lot going on and projects, that wouldn’t find sponsors get some financial support.

At the weekends there are parties and often concerts (mostly rock). Besides the main concert location in the Building, under ground there is also a kind of basement, the “Werk 21“, for more underground shows. Every Band can play here, no matter if they’re good or not. So if you want to see real local, real young (and sometimes really bad) Punkbands, check this place out. I even played there myself when I was in a punkband, and oh boy did we suck The crowd at these crowds is normally very alternative, so if you’re scared of tattoos and piercings then maybe they’re not made for you.

The Dynamo is right at the Limmat-River and there is a Café too. So even if you don’t feel like concerts or parties, you can have a coffee (or a beer) and enjoy the artsy atmosphere and (hopefully) the good weather besides the water.

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Dynamo | Art & culture, Bars, Coffee & tea, Music, Restaurants (Mediterranean)
Wasserwerkstrasse 21 | Kreis 6/7 Fluntern | +41443653444
Restaurant Tue – Fri 10:30 – 19:00, Sat – Sun 11:00 – 19:00

Are you a pirate, a sailor, a pilgrim on the paths of Diego “el pibe de oro” Maradona, or a social revolutionary? No? Well, you’ll have to come to El Lokal anyway, because this is a one-of-a-kind-place.

Situated at the Sihl, a small stream, this Bar will make longing for the faraway. Like the Hafenkneipe nearby, the interior of El Lokal reminds you of docks, ships and the far far sea. But that’s only part of its charme: El Lokal is appointed with so many strange, cool and strangely cool objects that you can discover something new every time you visit. Especially in the men’s toilet (I don’t know about the women’s, for obvious reasons): A room full of captivating pictures, I look forward to peeing every time I’m in El Lokal. Seriously.

The owner seems to be obsessed with Che Guevara, Elvis and Diego Maradona (who you can admire on the tv-screens from time to time). The screens are good for something else too: important Swiss football games are shown in El Lokal. If you wanna be part of it, be in time, it’s usually very crowded.

What else does the place have to offer? There is a small stage for concerts (the music-booker has taste), and you can eat Mediterranean inspired food – the tapas are drop dead delicious. Now winter is fading away, and the great days of sitting outside next to the stream are beginning again. It’s the best.

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El Lokal | Bars, Coffee & tea, Music, Snacks | Beer CHF 4.80
Gessner-Allee 11 | Kreis 1 City | +410433448750
Mon – Thu 10:00 – 00:00, Fri 10:00 – 02:00, Sat 14:00 – 02:00, Sun 14:00 – 00:00

Somehow, and I am unsure why, this is a wonderful place. Apart from the round windows, there is nothing special about it. You feel a little like in a canteen from the 70s (lots of orange!) with better lighting. The couch in the corner, which you should pounce at immediately if it’s free, is quite ugly, but super comfy.

Lovely Gloria goes through a metamorphosis daily. It changes from a café you go to for breakfast in the morning, to a restaurant for lunch, back to a café in the afternoon and ends the day transformed into a bar, nothing being changed about the interior. This way it is everything and nothing really at the same time.

If you are lucky, one of the Indian waiters/waitresses will serve you and you’ll feel very well taken care of. If it is not your day, the infamous lady with the long blond hair will pull your mood down (all the way!). Try to ignore and don’t start asking yourself what you have done wrong that she treats you like someone that killed her cat. Many have wondered. Up to date, nobody knows.

I suggest the spot for breakfast. You get it till 11:30 and it isn’t overly expensive. If you’re too late, take the Gloria Salad with bacon and eggs and croutons and tomatoes and many many more tasty things and an

even tastier sauce, that I could easily live of for a few weeks.

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Gloria | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (Intern.) | Gloria Salad CHF 16.70
Josefstrasse 59 | Kreis 5 Industrie
Mon – Fri 07:30 – 00:00, Sat – Sun 09:00 – 18:00

This is a wonderful café, whose owners have devoted themselves to celebrate the art of coffee making. Entering is almost like coming home. You’ll feel comfortable the second you step in.

Throw yourself onto one of the couches or find a seat at a rustic wooden table. In the menu you’ll find a huge variety of classic and innovative coffee creations.

If you’re hungry, you have to try a freshly made tarte flambee (Flammenkuchen), a speciality from Alsace. And then start observing the scene. The Henrici is a place where the so-called Niederdorf Originale, people that have lived in Zurich’s old town forever (quite an eccentric crowd), meet with their usually over-fed and rat-like dogs.

It’s a place, where you’ll see grey-haired men, taking notes with old-fashioned fountain pens. A place, where students debate between piles of books, where construction workers check out whatever female is passing by and where young trendy mums are busy keeping the volume of their kids to an agreeable level. If you’re lucky, you might even walk into an amazing (and free!) jazz concert.

This is one of these places you can bring your dad or your super cool DJ friend to and both will like it just as much. The Henrici is full of life, just like a café should be!

Extra tip: The paintings on the wall are from Tika, a street artists whose art you’ll find all over town. Keep your eyes open: http://www.myspace.com/tika_tgs

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Henrici | Bars, Coffee & tea, Music, Snacks | Classic tarte flambee CHF 16.00
Niederdorfstrasse 1 | Kreis 1 City | +41442515454
Mon – Thu 08:00 – 00:00, Fri – Sat 08:00 – 02:00, Sun 10:00 – 22:00

I discovered this bar when I lived in Kreis 6 for one year. What a relief when it opened as this area has few places to go otherwise.Kafischnaps is a café during the day and a bar in the evening. While many bars in Zurich close their doors early on Sunday, this venue is open until midnight and is also open every day of the week (another plus).

The beautifully tiled space harks back to its former life as a butcher’s at the turn of the last century. Exuding warmth and calm and a welcoming atmosphere, the only complaint uttered by a few is that it can get too smoky. Besides the usual list of drinks, you get a variety of alcoholic coffees and a vast selection of speciality fruit schnapps (hence the name). Another great feature is that they serve breakfast until 16:00 every day. However, they do have to close the bar at midnight every day as they’re in a residential area.

Upstairs, Kafischnaps also has five rooms to rent (B&B) – for a bargain by Zurich standards.

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Kafi Schnaps | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Rooms from CHF 44.00
Kornhausstrasse 57 | Kreis 6/7 Fluntern | +41442154040
Mon – Fri 08:00 – 00:00, Sat – Sun 09:00 – 00:00

La Stanza was destined to catch my eye and become an addition to my list of favourites. The venue is located on Bleicherweg, somewhere between Paradeplatz and the next Tram stop (Stockerstrasse), near Palavrion, Onyx Bar and Coco. La Stanza opened its doors in the summer of 2008.

It was not only the location but also the style that fitted my taste. That first Friday evening I saw a bar packed with young people, most of them standing in the Art Deco interior (built by an Italian bar constructor brought from Northern Italy). The crowd was loud; come in Italia.

What did I order that first time? Espresso, of course, what else? I consumed it standing up and in a hurry. Since then, I always order the same when I go there. A word of caution: the Espresso in La Stanza is so strong and bitter that even an Espresso fanatic like me needs to add a bit of milk.

La Stanza is also well visited during the daytime and offers snacks. But I choose the late summer or autumn evening when it is dark: the crowd is in the small side terrace with the wooden tables, the wooden chairs, the wooden floor and the colourful hanging lamps (see photos). It is a small terrace so table sharing is common (I like that). But it feels quite relaxed: the Espresso does not have to be consumed standing up and in a hurry.

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La Stanza | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Espresso CHF 4.00
Bleicherweg 10 | Kreis 1 City | +41438176282
Mon – Wed 06:30 – 23:00, Thu 06:30 – 00:00, Fri 06:30 – 02:00, Sat 11:00 – 02:00

The Maier’s is a little Mekka for cultural events a bit offside the centre of Zürich. Month after month,they have a packed program with many kinds of things: comedy, cabaret, plays, bands, solo artists, dance performances, choirs and so on. You can find pretty special/interesting stuff too, like improv theatres or singalong-performances (whatever that exactly is).

But I have to admit, I haven’t been to the theatre-room in the back of the place a lot. Except when there were Slam Poetry-championships, which really rocked. Anyway, what I wanted to say: There is also a Bar, where you can hang out before or after a performance or just because, as I do from time to time, because I like the atmosphere.

If you want to have lunch, maybe this is the wrong place for it,  but they have tapas to satisfy your little hunger. Check it out!

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Maier’s Theater | Art & culture, Bars, Coffee & tea, Music, Theaters
Albisriederstrasse 16 | Kreis 3 Wiedikon | +41438186565
Open when there’s an event, from 18:00

Every rule is best confirmed by its exceptions. So here are some of my rules: I practice dinner cancelling and I avoid red meat (health awareness). I also prefer ethnic restaurants: Arabic, Asian, Indian, Italian, Greek etc.

And now the exception(s): I permit myself the pleasure of a dinner with red meat in a typical Swiss restaurant. My favorite delicacy is bio-beefsteak tatar. For those unaware: it is smashed high quality raw beef that is pasted like (or together with) butter on toasted bread. OK, I skip the butter and have a good conscience but I order the very spicy version of the meal.

Mövenpick is a chain of Swiss restaurants. Their offerings overlap. Quality and service are impeccable. From the entire chain in Zurich I prefer the Palavrion because of the setting: in the summer it is possible to sit outside and in the winter just behind the big glass wall where it feels like sitting outside. Since the venue is located in an area with many bars and clubs, it is possible to enjoy people-watching at its best.

After my favorite meal, I always neutralize the flavor with a scoop of stracciatella ice cream and an Espresso. Only afterwards do I regain my health awareness.

Some additional information: there is a wide Sushi offering and a Sunday buffet brunch for CHF 29.00.

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Mövenpick Palavrion | Coffee & tea, Restaurants (Swiss) | Beefstake Tatar CHF 31
Beethovenstrasse 32 | Kreis 2 Enge | +41442865454
Mon – Fri 08:30 – 00:00, Sat 11:00 – 00:00, Sun 11:00 – 23:00

A museum full of beautiful art from Asia, Africa, America and Oceania, covering super interesting themes. Themes that won’t only (but also!) fascinate the art lovers and connoisseurs amongst you.

Currently there’s for example an exhibition on indulgence and intoxication, showing crazy, colorful paintings of nicely dressed Indians going wild while smoking drugs or being chased by monkeys in their drunken, delirious state. Very amusing, pretty to look at, beautifully drawn and at the same time highly educational, teaching you quite a bit about Indian history. That is if you are not too lazy to read the background information next to the paintings. Try to defeat your weaker self, its worth it!

At the end of the visit you should check out the museum store that is full of treasures. You can also buy the huge, funky posters from all the different exhibitions for only a few franks (see picture). Then you will definitely need a coffee and a piece of cake. It is time to go sit in the museum café and stare the ethno ladys with their weirdly shaped galsses hanging there.

Once your energy is restored you have to go take a walk in the beautiful (beautiful!) park surrounding the museum. In winter it is nothing special (unless there’s snow and you have a sled!), but all other seasons it’s just magical.

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Museum Rietberg | Art & culture, Coffee & tea | Entrance from CHF 10.00
Gablerstrasse 15 | Kreis 2 Enge | +41442063131
Tue – Sun 10:00 – 17:00, Wed – Thu 10:00 – 20:00

Zurich’s district of Wipkingen is waking up. Its latest addition, the bar and restaurant Nordbrücke, is just beside the local train station and is great for Saturday afternoons. Buy your fresh vegetables, fruit and flowers at the nearby stall and then spend the rest of your time enjoying a beer or a coffee in the former train station buffet, while you watch people pass by. It’s a place to go for drinks or coffee, but also a good address to get some food.Open since March 2008, it seems the sheer volume of clientele and the variety of people visiting proves that the concept has hit the spot. Combining old (they simply varnished the nicotine-stained walls, kept the tables and chairs, and added comfort with Biedermeier sofas) with new (a blue/green fitted bar and new lighting system), the venue still has an air of train station buffet, but with a contemporary feel.

The big windows are great for people spotting and have recently been unveiled after a lifetime behind net curtains. The result of the gentle makeover is a charming and comfortable bar in which you immediately feel at home. It’s a place where you sense the past, making it feel somehow more real than many of today’s cloned modern, trendy bars.

In winter, the terrace and garden are not much use but the comfy interior as well as the diverse lunch menu make up for this. The menu alsways includes a vegetarian as well as a lactose-free dish.

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Nordbrücke | Bars, Coffee & tea, Music, Restaurants (Swiss) | Lunch from CHF 17
Dammstrasse 58 | Kreis 10 Wipkingen | +41442710177
Tue – Thu 07:30 – 01:00, Fri 07:30 – 02:00, Sat 09:00 – 02:00, Sun 09:00 – 23:00

Of course it’s unfair that Oerlikon is slagged off by locals as the suburbs – it’s been a district of Zurich since 1934. But it just hasn’t much to offer and seems far away from the city. But I like not guilty, a restaurant that I discovered while working in this area.

The mostly organic salads, sandwiches and soups on offer have no additives or any “bad” stuff, but taste great. My favourite is the Tandoori Chicken Salad, with aromatic chicken, cucumber, sugar peas, bean sprouts, cherry tomatoes and coriander. If you don’t like one of the ingredients (in my case coriander), just ask them to not include it, as they mix the salads right on spot and fry the meat after your order is in.

You can either order take away or eat in the restaurant. The interior is simple and stylish and outdoor you find big tables which are right next to the beautiful MFO Park (which is actually worth a trip to Oerlikon itself).

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not guilty | Coffee & tea, Restaurants (Soup and salads) | Salad +/- (cash only) CHF 15.00
Emil-Oprecht-Strasse 1 | Kreis 11 Oerlikon | +41443103505
Mon – Fri 07:00 – 16:00

This café is historic. Maybe it’s the oldest in Zürich. Maybe not! But one of the oldest certainly!

Admittedly, the once glorious café has faced quite a decline over the past years. It used to be the number one hanging place for great thinkers like Einstein, Lenin and James Joyce. Once the era of the great thinkers was over, the artists and all those who wanted to be artists came. This was before the gay scene captured the place and turned it into their number one hunting ground, which was then evily destroyed by tourists and 8th grade students who invaded and „de-cultured” the café brutally.

Probably because of that, the elderly waiters, who look like they could easily already have been present in Lenins days, have lost their humour (all of it!). They are so incredibly unfriendly, that you just have to start smiling to compensate for it (there is a nice waiter one once in a while!).

The coffee they serve, is about as bad as their mood, the food quite ok but too expensive. Still you shouldn’t miss out! The Odeon is very art nouveau, with red cushions, brass, marble and chandeliers that beam you back in time.

In between all the tourists and 8th grade students, the place somehow still manages to make you feel a bit more intellectual than you are (Thank you Einstein!). If all fails, you can always order an Absinth!

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Odeon | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Glass of tea CHF 4.50
Limmatquai 2 | Kreis 1 City
Mon – Thu 07:00 – 02:00, Fri – Sat 07:00 – 04.00, Sun 09:00 – 02:00

Onyx Bar is best known as Hyatt Bar. I discovered it shortly after it opened a few years ago and gradually adopted it because it reminded me of my nights out in Helsinki during the 90s.

Hyatt Bar feels classy and sinful at the same time. It is the choice of many well-dressed people. Once I commented to a lady with whom I was sharing a table in Onyx: “there are many beautiful women here” and she replied: “and many beautiful men too”. Indeed, many people there are good looking; they know it, they show it and many like to take advantage of it.

You will encounter diversity and contrast: coats and ties together with jeans and leather jackets; young people of student age as well as a more mature public; young women conversing with older men and vice versa; dresses ranging from the very conservative, teacher-type to the most extravagant outfit.

You will hear non-local languages: German as spoken in Germany, English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese and a lot of Russian.

There is background music whose volume rises as the evening progresses. And during the warm season, there are tables outside. Maybe there would be a Ferrari or a Lamborghini parked on the pavement.

To complement the offering: nuts roasted in-house and sweet coconut-flavored chips (you eat one, you can’t stop) as well as a large humidor with the flagships of Cuban and Dominican production.

The service is excellent.

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Onyx Bar – Park Hyatt Hotel | Bars, Coffee & tea, Restaurants | Juice CHF 9.00
Beethoven-Strasse 21 | Kreis 2 Enge | +41438831072
Sun – Wed 06:30 – 01:00, Thu – Sat 06:30 – 02:00

Pur pur is a place with two faces. In the warm season you chill out on the terrace outside. At other times, you can relax in the oriental setting inside during the early hours but as the evening progresses, the venue turns into a night club with beautiful people and loud music (see photos).

The terrace has two sections. The front side, along Seefeldstrasse, is the “see and be seen” area where seeing really means “(people) watching”: something like the after-work drink for the professional crowds in their thirties.

If you are lucky you get to sit on the little sofa at the edge. The side terrace feels quieter: a place for focusing on the person you are with. The tables are decorated with nice red candlelight.

During major football events, there are two TV screens outside, one in the front terrace and one in the back. During the Euro 2008, the former had a visible region of dead pixels (which probably means the crowd didn’t really care about football).

Inside the venue you get to sit on pillows and smoke the hookah to get in some “1000+1 nights” mood. The first thing you notice when you find a nice free spot to sit is the little paper note telling from which time the spot is reserved for others. But there is usually enough time to enjoy an evening drink.

From the snacks, try the tartar. From the non-alcoholic cocktails I like the frullato.

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Pur Pur | Bars, Coffee & tea, Music, Snacks | Non-alcoholic drink CHF 12
Seefeldstr.9 | Kreis 8 Seefeld | +41444192066
Mon – Thu 11:00 – 02:00, Fri 11:00 – 04:00, Sat 14:00 – 04:00, Sun 14:00 – 02:00

When the Volkshaus restaurant was renovated not long ago, everyone was scared that another hyper trendy place with uncomfortable seats would be the result. A place, like so many, that would soon be governed by only the most stylish, who passionately protect it against all not so stylish invaders. Everyone was wrong. At least partially.

The result is probably a bit trendy (not too much though!) but the seats are completely fine. Overall, they did a fantastic job! The huge room is skillfully divided by old-school partitions and sparely furnished with antique tables, chairs, carpets and beautiful, beautiful lamps, giving it all a very Parisian brasserie flair. This clashes nicely with the modern industry-like floor and ceiling.

The waiters perfectly fit the scene. Most of them are about as old and used as the furniture (old!). But not the bad type of old. They are passionate about their job, charming and look a lot like the butler in the TV series „The Nanny”. There is also some younger exemplaries, who are equally charming and who will also look like that crazy butler in a few years.

The food isn’t too expensive and not too cheap either, but really quite good. Something like Swiss traditionalism gone hau

te cuisine. Lovely!

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Restaurant Volkshaus | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (Swiss) | Tiramisu CHF 10
Stauffacherstrasse 60 | Kreis 4 Aussersihl | +41442421155
Mon -Tue 08:00 – 00:00, Wed – Sat 08:00 – 02:00, Sun 10:00 – 00:00

This is for the vegetarians and vegans, but not only. Yes, Carnivores, at Samses you won’t find any dishes with meat, but I dare say that you won’t miss it. Because here you’ll find delicious, always fresh food, inspired from cuisines from all over the world.

Besides the bill of fare there is a big, daily changing buffet with salads and all kinds of dishes that you can combine. In this buffet everything looks freakin’ tasty, so prepare yourself for some hard decisions.

The place used to be a travel agency, until a few years ago it was turned into what it is now: My favourite vegetarian restaurant. The only reason I don’t eat there all the time is because it’s not really cheap and I’m kinda poor. Still, the food is absolutely worth the money.

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Samses | Coffee & tea, Restaurants (Vegetarian)
Langstrasse 231 | Kreis 5 Industrie | +41444401313
Mon – Fri 11:00 – 23:00, Sat 16:00 – 23:00

I don’t know what it’s like in your city, but here most bigger bookshops have a Café at some floore where you can sit down and rest from the tiring bookshopping. Now I’ve even seen Starbucks built in Bookstore. That’s… well, I won’t go there now. Anyway, the Spheres is kind of like this – except it’s different. Because the Spheres is not a Bookshop with a Café in it, it’s a Café with a Bookshop in it. Or at least both equally.

So if you want to have a coffee in an inspiring atmosphere, go to the spheres, order something to drink and take a book to skim through – if you speak German. Unfortunately, you won’t find English books there. If you do speak German, I’m sure you’ll like the choice of books.

Something I haven’t told you yet: The Café and Bookshop, that’s not all. From time to time, one part of this place turns into a stage for book-readings or discussions where people are invited to take part in. For example there’s a monthly event called “Science Bar” where top-scientists answer burning questions about modern science. No, not a lecture, but an unforced discussion with the guests. I bet your bookstore ’round the corner doesn’t have that.

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Spheres | Art & culture, Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Coffee CHF 4.50
Hardturmstrasse 66 | Kreis 5 Industrie | +41444406622
Mon – Fri 08:00 – 00:00, Sat – Sun 09:30 – 19:30

“So where do we go now?” you asked your companion(s) that Saturday evening after dinner; it somehow felt too early to call it an evening and you had something like a bar with music in mind.

Or maybe you felt like having a tea or a snack that Saturday afternoon after shopping?

Read my other articles to get plenty of ideas for such occasions. Read this one to know a place that offers all in one for you: Café Terrasse.

The special thing about Café Terrasse is that there is nothing special about it: it is an excellent choice for all occasions. Centrally located near Bellevueplatz, the venue is open from early till late: for a snack, a complete meal, a tea, a late drink, inside or outside, with or without music.

There is a big central area with tables and plenty of light during daytime for the bourgeoisie that wants to feel pampered with a bit of luxury: yes, the moment of truth is when that big tea portion you ordered arrives.

Lights are dimmed later on and the mood adapts accordingly.

The outside: a garden terrace for the warm season, Zurich style (flip flops and tattoos on those areas of the body that can be decently exposed). For some intimacy, there is a small balcony terrace on the side of the river.

Last but not least: a bar area with a younger (or younger feeling) public and the appropriate (electronic) music. Sounded like house last time.

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Terrasse Café | Bars, Coffee & tea, Music | Espresso CHF 6.20
Limmatquai 3 | Kreis 1 City | +41442511074
Mon – Tue 10:00 – 01:00, Wed – Sat 10:00 – 02:00, Sun 10:00 – 00:00

I have always had a love-hate relation to jazz. I understand nothing about it. I cannot name any artists or tell it apart from soul, blues etc. And all jazz sounds the same to me.

But I love jazz bars. Many years ago I discovered the “Gig”, a small hot smoky jazz club in the Müllerstrasse. The artists were not internationally famous (probably) but little bands, sometimes local ones (luckily, because I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference). Then the Gig moved to a new location in the Fraumünsterstrasse; from the red light district to the business district. Same faces, same concept: no entrance fee, no overpriced drinks, just voluntary tipping. Guests could order from the Italian restaurant next door and consume while listening to music. And then, a couple of years later, the Gig closed; a sign was pointing to the Trattoria & Soul in Seefeld, a going-out district.

Trattoria and Soul brings me back (mentally) to the Gig. The environment has evolved: it is more bourgeois than underground and a bit more luminous but is very pleasant anyway. Live music plays only on Thursday and Friday from October to May; for a couple of hours starting at 21:00. There is a rich artist repertoire that changes weekly. You can enjoy the music with bar-food or just a drink and/or a cigar from the humidor.

At other times you are in a very nice Italian restaurant. In the summer there are tables outside.

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Trattoria & Soul | Coffee & tea, Music, Relaxing, Snacks, Restaurants (Italian)
Seefeldstrasse 5 | Kreis 8 Seefeld | +41442525212
Mon – Fri 11:00 – 02:00, Sat 17:00 – 02:00, Sun 17:00 – 00:00

The Uetliberg is pretty well known and very touristy. So what is it doing here, you ask? Well, I don’t want to tell you about the famous Zurich lookout per se, I want to recommend you a way to get there: I want you to walk up there. Don’t take the train, as they say, it’s boring, and you miss the beautiful path through the beautiful wood and that would be a pity.

So if it’s raining take the the Bus Number 72 or the Tram 14 to their terminal station “Triemli” and from there head to the hill. Or take the Tram number 13 to “Albisgüetli”, also an terminal station for an alternative way up. Getting up takes about an hour, a bit less if you’re an athlete, a bit more if you’re a slacker like me. Halfway up there’s a booth where you can buy hot chocolate, tea or punch to warm up and refresh yourself a bit. Then on the top you can enjoy the view over Zurich, feeling that you really deserved it after a healthy dose of exercise.

To get back into the city, I allow you to take the train.

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Uetliberg by Foot | Coffee & tea, Relaxing
Triemli | Kreis 9 Altstetten
Daily (but I recommend you to go when it’s good weather)

In February 2009, the Wohnzimmerbar opened its doors just next to cinema RiffRaff. As the name suggests (Wohnzimmer means living room), it’s small and pleasant and the atmosphere familiar, filled with comfy chairs, small tables and a chaise longue.

The area in the back normally sports one large table but can also be booked for a party up to 10 people for a customized dinner. For all other empty stomachs there are tapas plates available as well as various spreads with bread.

Since this spring, they’re able to open the front window fully so it’s like sitting outside while being inside. They serve a killer Margarita and now that it’s a bit warmer also punch (which we Swiss love!).

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Wohnzimmerbar | Bars, Coffee & tea, Restaurants (Tapas) | Tapas from CHF 9.00
Neugasse 75 | Kreis 5 Industrie | +41762104880
Mon – Sat 18.00 – 00:00

The Limmatquai, the eastern side of the river Limmat, prides itself as being one of the best addresses of the globe. Less crowded but much more elegant is, in my opinion, the western bank of the river. It is a pedestrian walk offering a unique perspective of the city.

Café Wühre is a small cozy café “strategically” located on the western bank of the Limmat. Open throughout the year, the café assumes its maximum charm during the warm season when tables are located outside along the waterline. During a sunny evening the visitor enjoys a colorful view of the Limmatquai which is literally “splashed” with sunlight.

The place offers coffee, tea, snacks and small meals. I recommend the big yogurt portion with fruits or seeds (around 12 CHF).

At busy times, the spot is ideal for people-watching. Numerous locals and tourists stream by in both directions.

Prices are below average. You arrive by walk. The nearest public transportation stop is a boat station 50 m to the north or the tram stations at the other side of the river (140 m).

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Wühre Café | Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants | Snacks from CHF 12.00
Wühre 11 | Kreis 1 City | +41442113881
Mon – Fri 08:30 – 23:00, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 23:00

Zum Guten Glück (which means fortunately or literally to the good fortune in German) is open daily and offers a tasty range of sweet and savoury pancakes, waffles and freshly made ice-cream. If you’re in a hurry there is also a take-away service. The pancakes are wonderful; I recommend the Bolognese or spinach topping – hmmm!

The venue – a café during the day and a bar at night – is separated into two rooms. When you enter, a huge bar made of pure tin, handcrafted by a local artist, will catch your eye. In this front room you get a good view onto the street in a non-smoking environment. Smoking is still allowed in the adjacent room, which is also bit darker and more suitable for a drink at night. The locale is run by the same team which own Kafi Schnaps in Kreis 6 and it also offers five stylish rooms for a good price.

Zum Guten Glück is situated right at Weststrasse which used to be the motorway connection through the city – so a lot of traffic! Since May 2009, there is now a motorway that leads the traffic around the city and within a year, this street will become a residential road with a maximum speed limit of 30 km/h.

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Zum Guten Glück | Bars, Coffee & tea, Restaurants (Pancakes) | Food CHF 9.00
Stationsstrasse 7 | Kreis 3 Wiedikon | +41435407299
Mon – Sat 09:00 – 00:00, Sun 09:00 – 20:00