This former garage most certainly won’t appeal to fans of sleek and decluttered interior spaces. Les Halles is a wacky, noisy affair, packed to the rafters with posters and mirrors, bicycles hanging off the ceiling, bric-a-brac, old, mismatched furniture – and punters.

Its popularity most certainly has something to do with Les Halles’ many different disguises. It’s a bar, a restaurant and take-away, it’s got a football table and a great little deli stocking, among other Italian goodies, a vast selection of quality pasta. The small restaurant menu usually consists of moules & frites, a pasta dish, antipasti and salads, with prices staying on the decent side of things.

Tucked away between Pfingstweidstrasse and Schiffbau, Les Halles isn’t the easiest place to find. Your best bet is to start underneath Hardbrücke, walk down Pfingstweidstrasse on the right-hand side and you’ll Les Halles’ unassuming front entrance after about a one-minute walk.

Les Halles provides an excellent starting point if you’re off exploring Zurich West’s nightlife, or a destination in its own right. It will seem like you’ve gone to at least three different places even though you never left the premises.

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Les Halles | Bars, Shopping, Snacks, Restaurants | Glass of beer CHF 5.00
Pfingstweidstrasse 6 | Kreis 5 Industrie
Sun – Wed 11:00 – 00:00, Thu 11:00 – 01:00, Fri – Sat 11:00 – 02:00

The Langstrasse area, in Kreis (districts) 4 and 5, is known for both its multicultural scene and its design community. As such, it plays host every year to Kreislauf 4 + 5, when 90 or so stores and studios open their doors to show their works and give the public an opportunity to speak with the designers.

If you don’t happen to be in Zurich the weekend it takes place in May, it’s still worth checking out the event’s website, one of the best and most complete lists of Zurich’s many ateliers and designers, ranging from fashion and interior to jewellery and art – and available in English.

The entry for each label includes a short description along with a picture and the shop address. Under “Maps fo district” you’ll also find two maps to print with which you can do your own tour all year round.

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Kreislauf 4+5 | Art & culture, Shopping | Free
Kreis 4 and 5 | Kreis 4 Aussersihl
Depends on atelier

Caritas runs several charity shops in Zurich where people can donate and buy used clothes, shoes and household items. Three of them are located in Wiedikon, all within a stone’s throw of each other: a clothes store at Birmensdorferstrasse 52, a bargain clothes store called Netto at Birmensdorferstrasse 38 and a shop selling bric-a-brac.

It goes without saying that the Netto store has the highest fun factor out of them all. Wacky and bold-colored garments reign supreme here. If browsing is your cup of tea you can sift through piles of clothes for hours on end here.

Out with the old, in with the old! In the yard you can donate your old clothes through a flap lid before restocking your wardrobe at the shop. This is charity and recycling in one neat little package.

Across the road at Birmensdorferstrasse 53, Kunst & Krempel is the closest you will get to a jumble sale this side of The Channel.

No matter which store you’ll go for, you can shop to your heart’s content at Caritas, safe in the knowledge that with your purchase you support their worthy cause, helping the poor and the needy in Switzerland and abroad.

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Caritas store | Shopping | Secondhand shoes CHF 3.00
Birmensdorferstrasse 38 | Kreis 3 Wiedikon
Tue – Fri 10:00 – 13:00 &14:00 – 18:30, Sat 10:00 – 16:00

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)

As it goes, I’m not much of a shopping fan. All that browsing, sifting through piles and piles of clothes, finding an empty changing room, trying stuff on, is far too much hard work and incredibly tedious. This is why Tatort Boutique (formerly known as Mississippi and Missi) is such a great place.

This small boutique is located in a side street off Langstrasse and stocks young designers, local and from further afield, alongside more established brands such as Tide and Freesoul. Thus, think affordable (just), wearable and low-key instead of fanciful designer kit fit only for science fiction fancy dress parties.

Whenever I walk in, I almost immediately spot something I like, find that it fits like a glove, pay, and walk out happy with my new purchase all within the space of ten minutes.

In fact, if all clothes shops were like Tatort, I’d probably join the shopping fan brigade out there.

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Tatort Boutique | Shopping
Kernstrasse 31 | Kreis 4 Aussersihl
Tue – Fri 12:00 – 19:00, Sat 11:00 – 16:30

This isn’t a shop for shopaholics, or perhaps it is. It depends on how you sate your addiction, by buying one-off expensive pieces or buying large quantities of lesser priced items. If you’re the former addict, then this place may be your downfall.

I have to admit I do not own anything from here (yet!), as it is the kind of place you walk out of 200 CHF poorer with only a hat, albeit a beautiful hat, to show for your investment. However, I find it’s the optimal place to go to on those days I aspire to be more, well, eclectic. The inspiration you get from this place is enough to place it on my list of favourite shops. It’s quite simply a breath of fresh air from all the mainstream brand boutiques you find on Bahnhofstrasse.

Even the layout of the shop beckons you to wander in and take a little gander at what they have to offer – it’s almost as if the clothes are walking on their own little catwalk!

If you fall in love with something and then kick yourself for not having the guts to buy it then and there, their new online shop will erase all your regrets.

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Eclectic | Shopping
Werdmühlestrasse 7 | Kreis 1 City | +41433448042
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 18:30, Sat 10:00 – 17:00

The thought of cramming a sofa into one’s suitcase may put some visitors to Zurich off the idea of taking a peek at a furniture shop, but let me tell you, Neumarkt is not your average furniture shop. You also don’t have to worry about inadvertently buying something as most of their wares are astronomically priced.

So let’s see if I can convince you to hush the practical voice in your head and consider a trip to this place more akin to a wander around an art gallery. The sumptuous furniture on display is nice enough to look at but what will really have your jaw dragging along the ground is the building itself. From the outside it appears to be nothing more than a regular old-style apartment building. Then you step inside to find that an Alice in Wonderland scenery has been recreated for adults!

The first time I walked in I was wearing a skirt – you may want to avoid this as half the building’s floors are iron grates and totally see-through from below! Below the grates you’ll see a pool of water and when you follow the stairs down to the pool and turn a corner you’ll discover a whole new feature. I’ll stop here with the description to avoid ruining the fun!

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Neumarkt | Art & culture, Shopping
Neumarkt 17 | Kreis 1 City
Mon – Fri 09:00-18:30, Sat 10:00 – 17:00

When I first arrived in Zurich I immediately went to this place to stock up on some Japanese essentials. There is a Japanese food corner in Globus and Jelmoli but the selection is by far the most extensive at Nishi. You can buy rice in bulk (up to 10kg) and you can find fresh ingredients such as lotus root and proper tofu (not just the tetra pack kind). I was most happy about the ice cream and spent a few minutes wondering how much trouble they must go through to bring frozen goods to Switzerland from Japan.

If you’re looking for some Japanese bits and bobs for around the house like little decorations and kitchenware, then Nishi most likely has what you’re looking for. If you’re a Japanese television drama and film fan you can rent DVDs for CHF 4.00 or so. It may be a small shop, but it’s equipped with a myriad of nostalgia inducing objects for the Japanese residents of Zurich. For non-Japanese visitors it provides a great selection of food to get acquainted with.

Don’t forget, there is much more to Japanese food than sushi so get yourself over to Nishi to stock up on the alternatives, some of which you can taste at Ooki (check the Ooki article).

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Nishi | Shopping
Schaffhauserstrasse 120 | Kreis 6/7 Fluntern | +41443631163
Mon – Fri 09:00 – 18:30, Sat 09:00 – 16:00

If ever there was an unorthodox combination to fixate one’s attention upon, Beat Heuberger’s chilli and booze pairing has got to be up there in the top 3 or so. Surely.

I kept cycling past this intriguing looking shop on a daily basis – people were always sat outside it sipping wine and enjoying the neighbourly atmosphere of the semi-piazza it’s located in … and yet it didn’t look like a bar. It wasn’t until I caught the glimmer of a wall lined with wine bottles that I hopped off my bike to take a peek. On one wall was an impressive collection of intriguing wines, ports, cognacs and grappas and on the other side was, in its own way, an even more striking collection of glass containers each containing a different chilli substance or some sort of other herbal concoction.

Try to count the types of chili displayed in this amazing collection and you would be there all day. Another activity you could take part in is the wine tasting session offered, or perhaps you’re brave enough to sign up for the chilli tasting. You can see in the picture that the bar is equipped with chilli powders for you to try. Whatever you end up tasting – this shop is a must for foodies and wine lovers.

For an up to date calendar of what Beat has planned for the year, take a peek here.

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Heuberger | Shopping
Morgartenstrasse 12 | Kreis 4 Aussersihl | +41442811161
Tue – Fri 11:00 – 19:00, Sat 10:00 – 17:00

The thing is, although I’m recommending this place, this is exactly the kind of shop I try to avoid. The only safe way for me to enter shops that offer such beautiful things should offer either handcuffs or credit card control schemes and in my case both would only just hold me back from dropping mad cash on random objects that appeal to my “artsy” side.

I keep trying to rationalize my visits by saying that the Swiss domestic economy is in need of rescue due to the strong Euro and that it’s my duty to do all I can to save the country I’ve adopted as my home. It’s shopaholic logic, I know.

Whether you need cool new headphones to show off, whether you want brightly colored garden furniture even though you don’t have a garden or whether you don’t plan on buying anything at all, this is where you will find that something you’ve been hankering after (even if only subconsciously).

If it’s news to you that the Swiss love design (and not just designer clothes a la Bahnhofstrasse), then pop into this shop to be educated. There is also one on Seefeldstrasse 96 should you be in that part of town. To round up your education you should probably hop over to Neumarkt too (check the article).

Now for those of you in need of a quick fix, Einzigart has opened up a little shop right next to Kaufleuten on Pelikanstrasse 18.

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Einzigart | Shopping
Josefstrasse 36 | Kreis 5 Industrie | +41444404600
Tue – Fri 11:00 – 18:30, Sat 10:00 – 17:00