Image by Christine Syrad

Sunday Brunching is one thing I’ve tried and tested many times here in Zurich and I’ve seen that some places do food better than others while others offer better atmospheres. Piazza is one of the places you go to for the atmosphere, although the food’s not half bad either. Just make sure you book yourself a spot since, as is often the case here in Zurich, brunch tends to be a busy ordeal and there’s nothing more heartbreaking on a Sunday than turning up to your favourite place only to find it’s booked out…again. If you do miss the boat, you can always come back for an afternoon snack or beers in the evening!

What I love about this place is its location – I think it’s safe to say that Idaplatz is still a little bit of a hidden gem buried in a residential part of town. In the summer it boasts a crowd of fun-loving people who happily rest their tight-jean-wearing bums on the benches while sipping on beers bought at the kiosk. When it’s still too early for beers you can sit in one of the charming bars lining the square, Piazza being one of them.

Some people describe the piazza as making you feel like you’re elsewhere in Europe and while I agreed at first, I now think it’s actually very typical of the relaxed side of Zurich visitors to the city tend to oversee because they expect it to be nothing more than a finance hub.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Piazza | Bars, Coffee & tea, Relaxing | Large brunch CHF 24
Idaplatz 2 | Kreis 3 Wiedikon | +41445589529
Tue – Sat 09:00 – 00:00, Sun 10:00 – 18:00

Image by Christine Syrad

On a Sunday morning if my bagel and egg Benedict craving is one of my waking thoughts then I know I’ll be trekking across the city to Bohemia where, in my opinion, the American brunch experience is worth the journey.

Bohemia was under renovation for a while so Ponyhof was the replacement pop up restaurant they were running in the meantime. If you like the sound of the brunch, go check out Bohemia. I plan on making my way over in the next few days to scope out the new decor and to update this review and take new pictures. If you beat me to it, leave a comment on what you thought!

However, as I remember it pre-renovation, bagels aren’t the only bready substance to have received my seal of approval, the pancakes are also divine with a generous helping of toppings. For the less glutinous there are healthier options but I can’t say I’ve tried them yet! You’ve got to be ready to give into temptation when you set foot in here.

While Bohemia is not on Romerhof, where Ponyhof was, but at Kreuzplatz, the funicular up to the Dolder is is still just a stone’s throw away so you can venture up the hill and go for a wander in the forests while admiring the view. A little picturesque post feeding ramble is just what you need to perfect your Sunday!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Bohemia | Coffee & tea, Restaurants (American) | Complete brunch CHF 35
Klosbachstrasse 2 | Kreis 6/7 Fluntern | +41443837060
Mon – Wed 06:45 – 00:00, Thu – Fri 06:45 – 01:00, Sat 09:00 – 01:00, Sun 09:00 – 00:00

Image by Miltiadis Sarakinos

“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.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
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

Image by Miltiadis Sarakinos

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.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
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

Image by Miltiadis Sarakinos

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.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Trattoria & Soul | Coffee & tea, Music, 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