The 0815 bar in Seefeld opened in October 2008 and is the younger brother of the 0815 bar near the train station which is about 5 years older. Like all brothers that are not identical twins, the 0815 bars have their similarities and their differences.

The similarities:

A mix of architectural design, electronic music, snacks and drinks. I have tried the tapas but my favorite is the beefsteak tartar. My special wish, lots of toasted bread, was impeccably fulfilled.

The differences:

Think about the spot near the train station as somewhat crowded and noisy, the type of crowd having an after-work drink. A bit of pretension? Unavoidably. And there might be difficulty finding a seat (so choose the most interesting crows and squeeze in diplomatically).

Now leave the urban center and move towards the lake. Time to relax. After a swim in Bad Utoquai during the summer or a dip in the frozen lake after a sauna in the winter, 0815 in the Kreuzstrasse is a very valid continuation. It is less crowded than the older brother but busy, less pretentious but still cool and the crowds are no less handsome than near the train station.

In the Summer, there are tables outside. And every other summer, there is football: world cup or European cup. Two big screen TVs with different orientations are located inside. But you can follow the games comfortably even if you are sitting outside.

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0815 | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Orange Juice CHF 5.00
Kreuzstrasse 26 | Kreis 8 Seefeld | +41442420815
Mon – Fri 07:00 – 00:00, Sat 09:00 – 02:00

I spent all summers of my school years near the coast in Greece: life was a beach. Choosing to live in Switzerland felt like this lifestyle would remain a sweet childhood memory. After all, central Europe has no Mediterranean and no real summer. Life would be a bitch. Right?

Wrong! If you want to go swimming every day in the summer after work, which metropolis is better? Athens, Rome or Zurich? You want to get there quickly, maybe also your during lunch break and, if you are an early bird, before going to work in the morning. The choice is a no-brainer: Zurich by all means.

There are several public baths in Zurich. They attract different crowds. Bad Utoquai is located on the eastern side of the lake and is housed in a historic monument dating back to 1889. The venue would not be the first choice of youngsters or families with children. For many regulars, the Badi (local dialect) has been an integral part of their life for years or decades. It is a small world in itself. It offers fantastic sunsets, especially after the sky has been whimsical.

There is a small restaurant offering warm meals as well as a rich salad buffet. The northern (and nicest) end of the Badi is reserved for women, the southern side for men and the two central areas are mixed.

Yes, life is still a beach.

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Seebad Utoquai | Relaxing, Snacks | Entrance adults CHF 6.00
Utoquai 49 | Kreis 8 Seefeld | +41442516151
12 May – 23 Sep 07:00 – 20:00 daily

The first thing that stands out about My Place is the furniture – all designer and vintage fare from the 1960s onwards, and all for sale. Perhaps you are awash with cash, in which case you can purchase a piece of furniture there and then.

Most people, including the writer of this humble piece, will have to make do with the food and drink on offer, and it’s by no means a hard lot. The coffee at My Place is proper strong, and they offer a great selection of snacks such as tartelettes, ciabattas, salads and birchermüesli. They also serve a Swiss beer called Appenzeller on tap, you ought to give it a try.

My Place makes for a pleasant stopover if you’re in the area. It offers welcome respite from all the art at Kunsthaus Zürich and is handy for a tipple before watching a play at Schauspielhaus around the corner. During the day My Place is popular with students from the nearby schools and universities, while evenings are a more quiet affair.

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My Place | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Toast Hawaii CHF 7.50
Hottingerstr. 4 | Kreis 6/7 Fluntern
Mon – Fri 08:00 – 00:00, Sat 10:00 – 00:00

This cozy café bar next to Fritschiwiese is the only place of its kind in this very corner of town and as a result it’s usually crowded with locals. Despite the crowds, the place is bright and airy, and the pretty (1960s?) ceiling lights are a highlight (almost literally).

For me, the main draw is Z am Park’s weekend brunch. There’s three or four dishes to choose from, and as a nice touch, they carry the same female names as some of the nearby streets. Gertrud, with eggs, bacon, bread and salad and washed down with a cup of their excellent coffee, is a personal favorite. As a bonus the brunch options aren’t as pricey as they are elsewhere in Zurich.

The good people at Z am Park also serve lunch during the week, and you can check out the daily specials on the website. In the evening they offer snacks to go with your beer and wine.

As a visitor in Zurich you’re unlikely to spend much time in the area, but if you like a spot off the beaten track, this one is well worth seeking out.

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Z am Park | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Brunch from CHF 9.50
Zurlindenstrasse 275 | Kreis 3 Wiedikon
Mon – Fri 07:30 – 00:00, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 00:00

I had heard a lot about the Tearoom in the Langstrasse neighborhood of Zurich, a locale quite popular for an after work-chillout.

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. 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) and smoke the narghile. In fact, you can smoke during the winter; for that purpose, there are a few tables outside by the front entrance.

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) | Humus (Appetizer) CHF 9.50
Gasometerstrasse 5 | Kreis 4 Aussersihl | +41432110033
Mon – Fri 11:30 – 14:00 & 18:00 – 23:00, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 23:00

I approached the entrance of the bar and looked up the stairs. She was nearby; alone and smoking her cigarette; well dressed, good looking, a bit older than me, indifferent and bored? The textbook opportunity for making contact: “what would you tell me about the Goethe Bar?” I asked. “The bar is good, the restaurant would not be my first choice” she replied (restaurant and bar are separated). “The public tends to be upper class”.

We chatted a bit more about the bar and then the gentleman (noticeably older than me) came near the stairs and looked at her from up inside. “I am coming” she answered and went up hastily.

So one more spot in Seefeld to write about? You know what they say: one spot leads to another. I first noticed it from the tram station on the opposite side of the Seefeldstrasse. About two years ago when it opened. The bar is elevated so, once inside, guests see the human traffic outside especially when they sit along the big glass window facing the street (my preference). The crowd is a bit on the well-dressed side, not the student or teenager type with the sneakers; well dressed maybe because they just come from work. Or maybe because they are going out for the evening and this is the first station.

During the summer there is a more casual option: the few tables outside which often receive plenty of Zurich’s deep red evening light.

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Goethe Bar | Bars, Snacks | Bottle water (gas) CHF 10.00
Goethestrasse 10 | Kreis 1 City | +41442222030
Mon – Thu 07:00 – 00:00, Sat 09:00 – 02:00 , Sun 09:00 – 00:00

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

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 (a big plus in my books).

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. Besides the usual list of drinks, you get a variety of alcoholic coffees and a vast selection of specialty 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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Kafischnaps | 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

Tucked away at the quiet end of bustling Ankerstrasse is Si o No, quite possibly my favorite drinking den in Zurich. What makes it so great, or indeed better, than many of the other fine bars in this city?

For one, its interior is a lovely, much-copied-but-never-quite-emulated mix of quirky furniture, beautiful floor tiles, clever lighting and intriguing room layout. For another, whether you turn up in the middle of the day for coffee or in the wee hours for a nightcap, you can be sure that Si o No delivers.

The place is always pleasantly lively and yet never too crowded. It attracts a diverse bunch of locals, students and office workers so nobody feels out of place here. Furthermore, Si o No offers a decent selection of reasonably-priced drinks and bar snacks, including tasty quiches and salads for lunch. Its latest offering is a so-called Katerfrühstück, breakfast for the hung-over, from 11:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. This means weekend mornings where you have a craving for a Bloody Mary are now catered for too.

Lastly, the bar staff is friendly and efficient, making for a nice change from some of the trendier Zurich spots.

All this taken together goes some way to explaining why it’s always a Si! where Si o No is concerned.

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Si o No | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Glass of wine CHF 6.00
Ankerstrasse 6 | Kreis 4 Aussersihl
Mon – Fri 09:00 – 02:00, Sat – Sun 11:00 – 02:00

Café des Amis does what it says on the tin: It was opened in March 2011 by a group of friends, and the Gallic touch is evident in the bistro-style interior and the food menu. The only thing missing to complete the picture is a blackboard with the specials written on it in chalk.

The café’s large terrace out front is a popular option on sunny days and warm evenings. Indoors the place looks pretty too, especially the mezzanine floor with the sofas, an excellent spot for some serious people-watching.

There’s a great lunch and a small evening menu, both featuring seasonal, local dishes and reminding you that you are still in Zurich after all. Service is pleasant but can be a little on the slow side.

Café des Amis has quickly claimed a place in Wipkingen, and for a pleasant evening out in the area, I’d recommend you start at Kafischnaps (check the article), continue at Café des Amis, then head to Nordbrücke (check the article).

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Café des Amis | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants | Beer CHF 4.50
Nordstrasse 88 | Kreis 10 Wipkingen | +41435369381
Tue – Thu 08:00 – 00:00, Fri 08:00 – 01:00, Sat 09:00 – 01:00, Sun 09:00 – 22:00