Snacks – All our local tips

The restaurant belongs to the family Te. It’s a traditional family business and you can feel that ! When you look at the menu for the first time, it’s a bit overwhelming and you don’t exactly expect to get good food. The variety of specialities offered is insane and next to every dish there’s a super trashy picture showing way too shiny noodles and similar.

But then you get the food and you will almost faint because it’s so good! This makes you forget the interior, that really isn’t ideal for a romantic dinner, mainly because it’s dominated by several big TV screens that you just have to stare at. Those are showing wild, pimped up Asians dancing or rather hopping around to their own pop music, the lyrics being shown at the bottom, in case anyone is up for a spontaneous karaoke session. Then again you might also not want to forget the interior because it adds to the authenticity of the restaurant.

During lunch time you’ll always find a table but in the evening you have to make sure to reserve, if you aren’t into eating before 6 o’clock or standing in a line with other hungry Ah-Hua fans that are prepared to do anything to gorge some satay chicken. This can of course be very entertaining as well and introduces you to one of the darker sides of us Swiss.

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Ah-Hua | Snacks, Restaurants (Thai) | Main (meat) from CHF 17.00
Ankerstrasse 110 | Kreis 4 Aussersihl | +41442403888
Mon – Fri 11:30 – 15.00 & 17:00 – 22:30, Sat – Sun 12:00 – 22:30

If your stomach is rumbling and have an instant desire for Indian food – or Bollywood-Like Music videos – and don’t want to spend too much money, the Bombay Karachi is just what you’re looking for. Admittedly, this is not the fanciest restaurant around, it actually isn’t a restaurant at all, more of a take-away. But I’m telling you about the place because the food is yummy and you get big portions.

They normally have about six or seven Indian and Pakistani dishes, which you can combine with each other as your heart desires. Of course there is rice too. At least three of them are vegetarian, and if you just take veggie, you pay less. What else there is? Oh yeah, you can have free salad and looooots of dips and sauces with your food. Already hungry?

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Bombay Karachi | Snacks, Restaurants (Indian/Pakistani) | Veg. meal CHF 12.00
Stampfenbachstrasse 32 | Kreis 1 City | +41442626500
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 21:30

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

I enjoy being a spotter because I like to tell the world stories about my favorite places and things. But there is more to it: I developed the habit of having my eyes open and ending up noticing new spots.

I can’t explain otherwise why I noticed the Coco this year although it exists since October 2006.

Why should I have noticed it earlier? Because it is located so dramatically at a point I often go by: very close to Paradeplatz and on the way to other spots I have already written about (check the Palavrion article, Hyatt Bar article).

Why is it hard to notice? Because it is well hidden as if it wants to let its guests relax in peace. Take Bleicherweg from Paradeplatz and on the second opening look left. You will see a charming place with a garden: elegantly and simply setup. There are nice wooden tables with a simple light complementing the surrounding little lights (see photos). And there are also two little sofas (my favorite setting for a drink) without a table in front of them. So if you don’t want to place your glass on the floor, steal a chair from the nearby tables.

I have only tried the drinks but I certainly will test the venue as a restaurant as soon as possible and will update.

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Coco Bar & Grill | Bars, Snacks, Restaurants (Grill) | Drinks for two CHF 10.00
Bleicherweg 1A | Kreis 1 City | +41442119898
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 14:30 & 17:00 – 00:00, Sat 17:30 – 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)

Are you looking for a restaurant combining quality, quantity, a good atmosphere, all at a reasonable price? In Zurich? For me, the Mexican Restaurant Desperado pops up high on the list; in the last 9 years, it has never disappointed me.

There are actually two Desperados in Zurich, one in Höngg and one in Wiedikon. I am a regular of the former.

The menu usually puts me in a dilemma because too many of its dishes appeal to my taste. But most often the winner is: fajitas a discrecion. This meal requires a minimum of two persons and implies unlimited rounds of chicken, beef and shrimp. To enjoy, follow the following strategy: leave out the chicken (nothing special) and concentrate on the beef and the shrimp which are superb. Reduce the proportion of carbohydrates: roll generous quantities of meat and shrimp in the tortillas and leave out rice, beans etc. And don’t order any appetizer before the fajitas.

Some of the deserts are masterpieces: I love the “helado de crema catalana”, yamm! A cigar from the humidor and/or an espresso can be the triumphant epilogue to the entire ritual.

The music is in cultural harmony with the rest of the venue.

If you take your friends to Desperado for your birthday party and declare it, preferably in advance, you eat for free.

The service is excellent; some waiters have been working there for many years.

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Desperado | Bars, Snacks, Restaurants (Mexican) | Fajitas à discrecion CHF 42.50
Limmattalstrasse 215 | Kreis 10 Wipkingen | +41443417040
Mon – Thu 11:00 – 14:00 & 17:00 – 00:00, Fri 11:00 – 02:00, Sat 16:00 – 02:00,Sun 17:00 – 02:00

The worst thing about this never-ending winter wasn’t the short days, the almost unbearable frostiness or the missing of colors and tomatoes. No, the worst thing was that you couldn’t go to “Dim Sum Take-Away”, get delicious asian food for lunch and eat it in the beautiful green park nearby, just beside the river. But now, thank Zeus, the endless-winter somehow ended and “Dim Sum” is open again.

“Dim Sum” is not only the name of the place, it is also the name of the special Chinese specialty that the place is specialized in: dumplings filled with various ingredients that “touch the heart” – which is its English translation. And they keep their promise. The cook, a woman from northern China that came to Switzerland almost two decades ago to work for a celebrity chef, makes the Dim Sums based on traditional recipes from her mother and grand mother – but with her own advancements that she has developed over the years.

While she prepares delicious food with her two assistants in the background, her husband sells you Dim Sums and some other Asian meals like fried rice or noodles, everything available with or without meat, always with a genuine smile on his face. You pay 9-16 Franks for one portion, and that’s more than okay for what you get in taste and volume.

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Dim Sum Take Away | Snacks | Dim Sum with vegetables CHF 14.00
Walchebrücke | Kreis 1 City
March – Oct 11:00 – 19:00 daily (in Summer until 20:00)

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

The only bakery in Zürich that is open 24/7 and located perfectly at Langstrasse, so you can be sure you’ll be close-by after, or in the middle of, a night out.

Around 4 in the morning, your body will tell you that it needs more to survive than just another vodka shot and that’s when you stumble over to the Häppi Beck, as we call it. But watch it, you’re not the only one in a delirious state hunting for food at those hours!

Don’t get irritated by the prostitute getting a snack between work or the weird guy in the corner ambitiously reciting poems in a language you, and noone else, will recoginze. If you can handle that, nothing will feel better than that Würstli im Teig (wiener saussage wraped in pastry) you’re gulping down. Yes, the Happy Bäckerei is truly a happy place!

And please, don’t ruin it by going back during the day, because you loved that Würstli im Teig so much. It will have lost its magic!

Extra tip: The Happy Bäckerei has a

deal with the taxi service. You get 10% Happy Discount. All you have to do is show your ID.

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Happy Bäckerei | Snacks | Big piece of chocolate cake CHF 3.20
Dienerstrasse 32 | Kreis 4 Aussersihl
24 hours daily

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

When all the Italians came over to Switzerland in the 50s, we Swiss were very afraid of the spirited folk (the Swiss are always afraid!). With time, we fell in love with them and their pasta though.

But of course, because we are Swiss and tend to traditionalism, we wanted to have the pasta our own way. We couldn’t change anything about the dish itself, it was just too perfect, so we had to do something about the manner of eating it. Solution: We don’t eat it as a starter like our southern neighbours, but in big portions as a main dish.

One of the good places in Zürich that lives up to that is the Hot Pasta right next to the university. It has only a very small selection of different pasta dishes, but those are amazing and always freshly prepared. You can either go for take away or sit down somewhere in the middle of the Italian icons that pose in black-white photos all over the walls. I suggest the table right below the young Sophie Loren.

Everyday you get to choose between one type of: ravioli, vegetarian pasta, pasta with meat and a seasonal pesto. The ingredients of the sauces are changed daily, so ravioli today won’t be like ravioli tomorrow! Finally, don’t forget to tell the waiter (that could very likely be a mafioso in his free time) to bring you a glass (or two, three, four) of the great red house wine.

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Hot Pasta | Snacks, Restaurants (Italian) | Big plate of pasta CHF 16.00
Universitätsstrasse 15 | Kreis 6/7 Fluntern
Mon – Fri 07:30 – 00:00, Sat 09:00 – 00:00

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

Le Cèdre Bellevue is the young brother of Le Cèdre at Badenerstrasse (see the Le Cedre article). It opened in April this year, apparently to fill in some gaps that the original venue left open. It is managed by the (younger?) brother of the charmeur who rules the place in Badenerstrasse.

The difference between the two restaurants can be best summarized in two words: location and occasion.

About the location: the new restaurant is located more near the city center, the river and the lake. Most importantly, it has a big terrace.

For which occasion(s)? Here are some examples: a lunch if you are working in the area or visiting Zurich, an outdoors dinner during a warm evening, a snack for reacting to hunger after a swim nearby. So if the original place is ideal for a special experience, to be planned and savored in each detail, the new venue is mostly chosen after spontaneous decision-making.

The menu at Cèdre Bellevue is a subset of the menu of the original restaurant. However, if you are a regular of Badenerstrasse and don’t see your favorites in the menu, just ask. I myself realized that the Viagra (name of an appetizer, Pfizer is not directly contributing to its preparation) was available although it was not listed.

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Le Cèdre Bellevue | Relaxing, Snacks, Restaurants (Lebanese) | Dinner for two CHF 120
Schifflände 5 | Kreis 1 City | +41442528370
09:00 – 00:30 daily

Are you a bit hungry but don’t have the time or money to go to a restaurant? But you don’t want to go to McDonalds, Subway or have a Kebab, because that’s what you had yesterday, and the day before, and last week? Well, then I have a recommendation for you: Lebanese food at the Libanon il Achdar (translated: the green Lebanon).

What you get there will remind you of kebab, but it’s refreshingly different from the stuff you get everywhere. You can chose between diverse meats like lamb, chicken, beef or kafta (small ground beef balls), or Falafel, the vegetarian version. Then they put strange but tasty vegetables in it, a sauce with lebanese spices and in the end stuff the hole thing with french fries. Sounds strange? Nevermind, it’s fantastic, I tell you.

But that’s not everything you can have, there are chicken skewers, fried Kaftas, Maali (pitabread with vegetables and hummus) for us vegetarians and all kinds of other exotix stuff. Give it a try, you won’t regret it.

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Libanon IL-Achdar | Snacks, Restaurants (Lebanese) | Most things CHF 7.00
Hafnerstrasse 13 | Kreis 5 Industrie
08:00 – 21:00 daily

Back when I was younger I used to say a soup is a beverage, not something to eat. When I started cooking myself, I noticed how wrong I was. Soups can actually be good, if they have the right ingredients and if they’re made right. Discovering the Limmatlädeli, the soup take-away, only reinforced that insight.

The Limmatlädeli reminds of a corner-shop of old times and seems like an anachronism in modern Zürich, especially this part of town – and that’s what makes it special. There are all kinds of goods for your daily use in the shelves, like detergents, flour, soups of course, coffees, some bottles of wine, candy and so on. But mostly not-ordinary brands that you don’t find in the supermarkets. There’s also a “take one leave one”-Bookshelf, so if you’ve just finished a book, bring it along.

But let’s get to the point: the soups. You have the choice between five soups, with your choice you get bread, of course, and also an apple for healthy dessert. If that’s not enough, you can buy some unhealthy dessert too, don’t worry. Note: You can’t eat there, it’s only take-away, so now the days are getting warmer look for a nice park to eat (like this one) before you buy your soup. That’s all I have to say, bon appetit!

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Limmatlädeli | Snacks, Restaurants (Soups) | Soups from CHF 9.00
Limmatstrasse 259 | Kreis 5 Industrie
Mon – Thu 11:00 – 18:30, Fri 11:00 – 22:00, Sat 11:00 – 16:00

I had heard a lot about the Tearoom in the Langstrasse neighborhood of Zurich, a locale quite popular for an after work-chillout. On a Saturday evening this past winter I finally tried but failed: the place was packed; however, I immediately decided to become a repeat-visitor.

The Tearoom, officially called Maison Blunt, is a copy of a Moroccan restaurant in Fez. It is located in the new in-quarter of Zurich, an area whose previous dubious reputation is rapidly giving place to trendy bars, restaurants and highly desired apartments.

The Tearoom offers a unique combination of original atmosphere with intense flavors and the pleasant odor of the narghile. The left side offers a more typical restaurant setup with tables that can be reserved; the other side is dominated by sofas and low round tables for relaxing and letting time go (see photos). Food is served on both sides.

During the warm season there are tables in the backyard so you can sit in the open air (until 22:00).

The food is tasteful. A most attractive part of Arabic cuisine is its appetizers (mezes). I recommend the chicken and meat versions (something like kebab) as well as the humus. Different types of bread are automatically served.

The Tearoom caters primarily to a young public and has a distinct bohemian character. The place is packed on weekends and is quite full during the week. You are likely to sit close to or even share a table or sofa with another party, possibly making new acquaintances.

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Maison Blunt | Snacks, Restaurants (Morocan) | Appetizer CHF 12.00
Gasometerstrasse 5 | Kreis 4 Aussersihl | +41432110033
Mon – Fri 11:30 – 14:00 & 18:00 – 23:00, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 23:00

Mythos is conveniently located near Stauffacheplatz, a mixture of business and nightlife district. I discovered the restaurant with my work colleagues while working nearby: it was our favorite in a neighborhood full of alternatives.

Finding a table around noon during working days is a challenge. So be advised: either reserve or go early (at 11:30).

During the warm season there are tables outside. They cannot be reserved.

Greek cuisine is famous for its appetizers. Mythos offers a representative variety of dishes, starting with the famous Greek salad (tomatoes, feta, onions, etc. all with Greek olive oil) and moving higher to more sophisticated plates like “Garides (Shrimp) Saganaki (baked with feta cheese)”.

From the main dishes I prefer the Souvlaki which comes in the usual two versions: on a straw or as a pita-bread wrap. In this latter version, one senses the erratic quality gap of Mythos with respect to similar offerings in Greece. Simply put: in Greece, Souvlaki is often junk food. In Mythos, Souvlaki is gourmet kitchen. Visitors wishing to avoid the traditional version of Souvlaki with pork meat can try the chicken or the shrimp versions.

Mythos offers a superb price quality ratio (see photos). It is a great tip for an informal lunch or dinner before going to one of the many bars, night clubs or cinemas nearby.

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Mythos | Snacks, Restaurants (Greek) | Dishes from CHF 7.00
Stauffacherstrasse 35 | Kreis 4 Aussersihl | +41443722954
Mon – Thu 11:00 – 22:00, Fri 11:00 – 23:00, Sat 08:30 – 23:00

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

For several years, Paddy Reilly’s had attracted my attention. Located between two major locations of Zurich, Paradeplatz and Stauffacherplatz, the place was a regular view from the tram window during daily commuting. Its stylish green decor (by the way, it is an Irish Pub) and the crowd sitting outside during the warm season repeatedly triggered the thought: “next time I should try it”.

So I did. After becoming a fan of public viewing of sport events (meaning football), I became an irregular visitor of Paddy Reilly’s.

On the occasion of a major football event and warm weather: arrive half an hour before the game to find a table outside. You will hear English, sometimes with a hardly understandable heavy British accent: it feels a bit like Old Trafford, a bit like Anfield Road. But not all guests are British. More people rejoiced the goal of Barcelona (on the 92nd minute) than the early goal of Chelsea during this year’s Champions’ League semifinal.

Well, you wouldn’t expect me to recommend spaghetti would you? Go for the cheese burger. Fish and chips is also available.

I have not yet witnessed the very tasteless and low level habit of beer flying around when a team scores.

In case you have read my other articles: no, the venue is not on the waterside: no lake, no river. Instead, a very urban setting which I also find appealing (for a change).

I am already looking forward to FIFA’s world cup next summer.

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Paddy Reilly’s | Bars, Snacks, Restaurants (Irish) | Cheese Burger CHF 21.00
Talstrasse 82 | Kreis 1 City | +41434973966
Mon – Fri 11:30 – late, Sat – Sun 13:00 – late

If Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse gets the lion share of human traffic when it comes to shopping, then Utoquai, the eastern side of the lake, is popular for just strolling along the waterfront. It is where crowds celebrate a sunny Sunday afternoon in the winter or every day of the summer. My wife always compares it to the Greek island of Spetses.

Strolling is nice but a place to sit and eat is also necessary. Restaurant Grill Pumpstation is located at the ideal “latitude”: close enough to Bellevueplatz to go by walk, far enough to feel like Spetses.

A great location is good for a restaurant; a great location with good food even better. I have not tried many items of the menu because I practically stuck with the first thing I tried: Pumpisspiess, a beef skewer whose taste won my loyalty. The portion goes for CHF 18.50 but comes without a side dish. So ordering French fries would add another CHF 7.50 to the bill.

At around 18:00 or 19:00 in the evening it may get very hard to find a table, especially on the side closer to the lake. I personally recommend taking a swim at that time and coming to the restaurant after 20:00 to enjoy the late evening mood including the sunset (photos).

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Pumpstation | Relaxing, Snacks, Restaurants (Grill) | Chicken breast CHF 17.50
Utoquai 10 | Kreis 8 Seefeld | +41442609669
Morning – 22:00 daily (when warm enough & not raining)

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

The Rote Fabrik is one of the bigger cultural centres in Zurich. As the name implicates, the building-complex once was a factory.

Music is a big thing here, there are over 100 concerts, partys and festivals every year. Now, if you know me (respectively my texts on this site) you’ll expect that there’s mainly rock music. Wrong. Hip-Hop, Reggae, Soul, R’n'B, Worldbeat, Folk and Jazz are equally as important. The people in charge characterize their program as “music from aficionados for aficionados”, speak: stuff that’s good but not necessarily mainstream.

But there’s not only the music, there’s a theatre, there are a lot of readings, sometimes panel discussions, a Bar to have a drink and Restaurant where you can eat really well. Oh yeah, I almost forgot: The Rote Fabrik is located right at the lake… which is nice.

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Rote Fabrik | Art & culture, Bars, Music, Snacks, Theaters, Restaurants (International)
Seestrasse 395 | Kreis 2 Enge | +41444855858
Restaurant Tue – Thu & Sun 11:00 – 00:00, Fri – Sat 11:00 – 01:00

It is summer. Occasionally, I want to take a break from lake Zurich. One of the alternatives is a small lake located at the northeastern end of the city: the Katzensee. The origin of the lake’s name is not cat (Katze is cat in German) but originates from Hatto, a German guy who gave his name to the lake sometime around the 7th century A.D.

If Katzensee were a company then it would formulate its USP (Unique Selling Proposition) with respect to its competitors (Zürisee, Greifensee) as follows:

1) So close to the city and so far away from it: the walk from the bus stop to the lake is very idyllic; you traverse a beautiful forest.

2) Extreme temperature variations: the lake is small (800 m length, 400 m width, maximum depth 8 m). The water gets warm enough for swimming earlier than the water of competitors. It can also freeze in the winter. In January 2009, ice skating was permitted exactly during one weekend.

3) A place for all: arriving to the lake from the side of Zurich, head right to arrive to a children’s playground. Going in the other direction, you see the average age rise; it reaches its peak value at the official nudist section.

Some additional features: (i) a small restaurant (ii) possibility for barbecue grilling (iii) natural shade from trees at least until late afternoon (iv) sunset.

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Seebad Katzensee | Relaxing, Snacks
Katzenseestrasse | Kreis 11 Oerlikon | +41443710890
May – Sep 09:00 – 20:00

In the 1960s this swiss kid went on a roadtrip to the USA, was fascinated by the American diners and got addicted to burgers. So once he was back, he invented the legendary Silberkugel, where they serve you the legendary Beefy burger, the first American burger Switzerland got in touch with.

And no wonder it sold! With the name Beefy, the kid perfectly swissified the burger. Make it sound cute, small and harmless and the Swiss will buy it. In case you haven’t been here, because otherwise you’d have noticed, we have an incredibly annoying soft spot for belittlement!

And this way, the Silberkugel grew to be our parents McDonalds! Like at McDonalds, the tasty burgers are most likely made out of newspapers and highly poisonous, although the diner claims to be The Home of Fine Foods. But the interior design shows Ronald McDonald up badly.

It’s a strange but fabulous mix of an old American diner and a super futuristic spaceship (where the swiss kid got the inspiraton for the latter from is still a mistery!). If you like good burgers and trash, you will absolutely love the Silberkugel!

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Silberkugel | Snacks, Restaurants (Fastfood) | Farmer Beefy CHF 7.80
Bleicherweg 33 | Kreis 2 Enge
Mon – Fri 06:00 – 20:00, Sat 07:15 – 17:00

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

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

An island in the city: beyond the lake and the river, Zurich offers this attraction too. It just feels different to be surrounded by water from every side (trust me, I am Greek). Ok, the island in question is reachable through pedestrian bridges.

The Werdinsel is located in the river Limmat in the city quarter called Höngg. I am a regular visitor of the island since I live nearby. The island appeals to different people and tastes and is, naturally, most popular in the summer.

The upper (eastern) side offers supervised river bathing for the mainstream. Families would appreciate the natural shade of the trees (if desired) and the little pool and playground for the offspring.

Moving westwards you encounter some vast fields which serve as a football playground.

The lower side is a popular nudist area (officially illegal since 1983) that is divided into two parts: the major part has a fraction of women and heterosexual men around 0.1%. The smallest part, separated from the rest by a shallow water canal, attracts a more mixed public. On a hot Sunday evening, the naked sun-worshippers are occasionally flushed with the smoke from the ad-hoc sausage grilling of non-naked locals.

There is a summer festival (Inselfäscht) in the beginning of July.

But the island is also ideal for walking, jogging and cycling during the other seasons, especially during the autumn. I have also heard of senior citizens bathing in the ice-cold river water during the winter (brrrr).

Click here for more photos.

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Werdinsel | Relaxing, Snacks | Free
Badeplatz Au-Höngg | Kreis 9 Altstetten | +41443417193
24 hours daily

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