Kreis 1 City Zurich – All our local tips

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

The context:
Zurich’s Niederdorf: a couple of decades ago it was the focus of the city’s nightlife (that version of nightlife that ends around midnight). All tourists or newcomers would head to the Niederdorfstrasse by default. To be fair: the area is always a must. It is full of bars, cafes, restaurants, stores with expensive fashion clothing stores with original offerings (guess what the store called condomeria sells) or outdated business models like porno-cinemas.

The need:
I like live music establishments even when the music would not always qualify for my portable player. So ten years ago, as a newcomer to Zurich, I quickly spotted the casa bar during my explorative strolls in the Niederdorf.

The venue (born in 1958):
Imagine a wooden décor, a scene for the band to play, sofas along the walls, a bar area with some seats and, in between, space for standing (see photos). So if you like to sit, come around half an hour before the show. If you come much later, expect to stand in relatively small distance to the other standing guests. In plain words: it gets full even on Mondays. In the weekend it is packed.

The crowd:
Everybody could be there: the nerd with the jeans and the sneakers, the blond with the fur, me, you, etc. A bit of the sound escapes to the busy street so some curious by-passers step in for a quick glance.

The photos: click here.

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Casa Bar | Bars, Music | Orange juice CHF 9.00
Münstergasse 30 | Kreis 1 City | +41442612002
Sun – Thu 17:00 – 01:00, Fri – Sat 17:00 – 03:00

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)

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)

Most people have heard of the Dada art movement, but few realise that it originated in the Niederdorf in Zurich in 1916, in partnership with Cabaret Voltaire.

The founder’s house has been preserved and was opened to the public in 2002 as a museum. Last summer, its café was turned into a bar and Duda was born. The name is a play on words, coming from Dada and the German for ‘you there’. So far, very few people know about the bar, as you have to walk through the museum shop – great for unusual gifts – to get to it, and because Duda is not allowed to advertise itself on the historical façade.

The management team is aspiring to create a local meeting point, which is missing in Zurich’s city centre, with a comfy lounge corner and good music and the cheapest (and exclusively local) beer in town! The stylish bar, made from what looks like copper, and the original architectural features, make this bar one of a kind in Zurich. I’m very happy that the funding to keep it going was secured last autumn, and I hope they’ll receive their funding again this year! So visit it while it lasts.

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Duda | Art & culture, Bars | Bottle beer CHF 4.50
Spiegelgasse 1 | Kreis 1 City | +41432685720
Tue – Sat 12:00 – 00:00, Sun 12:30 – 18:30

The walls of this small bar are covered by porn art of different, often slightly sick minded artists. One week you find aesthetic black white photography of sexy pin-up girls that also prude people can handle without nightmares. Another week, the paintings are, lets say, more explicit.

When you go to the bathroom, you’re surrounded by lots of red and lots of naked women (only pictures of them, of course!). And there are hidden stairs leading all secret porn lovers up to the legendary porn cinema Stüssihof. So don’t get worried if an old man stumbles to the toilett and doesn’t return to the bar for a few hours. He didn’t collapse. On the contrary, he’s probably enjoying himself very much!

You meet crazy and interesting people at Edi’s Weinstube and they are all very communicative. Some of them you’d never expect there, some completely embody the place, like Louisa Lamour, a famous swiss porn star that is regularly hanging around. And the best is yet to come, you get amazing wine for no money. I don’t think wine is cheaper anywhere else, which is one of the reasons the place has become super trendy. You can also buy bottles of wine to take out or have your own little

degustation and try different wines for only CHF 3.00 a glass. If you aren’t afraid of nakedness, you should stop.

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Edi’s Weinstube | Art & culture, Bars | Bottle of wine from CHF 6.40
Stuessihofstatt 14 | Kreis 1 City
Mon – Thu 11:00 – 00:00, Fri – Sat 11:00 – 02:00, Sun 14:00 – 22:00

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

Guy Stevens’ Funny Laundry brings English speaking stand-up comedians from around the world to Switzerland. Every fortnight, selected comedians take the stage at Mascotte. It’s a great way to start the night with a chuckle and in contrast to other performances in Zurich, this evening is all in English.

You find a review about the venue itself by Roman Rey (see this article about Mascotte), so I won’t go into details about it. But the room is perfect for stand-up acts, intimate enough for atmosphere but also big enough to mingle before and afterwards for a drink and a chat at the bar.

The audience is very international and there are always two acts per night. Check the website to see who’s on as the programme changes every time and, of course, to make sure there is an act on that specific Saturday. There is no reserved seating, so first come, first seated.

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Funny Laundry at Mascotte | Art & culture, Theaters | Ticket (Cash only) CHF 35.00
Theaterstrasse 10 | Kreis 1 City
Sat every fortnight: door 19:00, show 20:00

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

The “Niederdorf” is Zurichs old town and it’s really sweet and quite beautiful. It’s also good for shopping, especially fashion (also second hand), and there are a lot of bars and restaurants. My problem is: There’s a lot of places that are a bit too fancy for my taste. So if you’re in the Niederdorf and looking for a dark, smoky Bar where you get a White Russian with 2/3 of Vodka because the bartender is really drunk (and you don’t want to meet to many fellow tourists/travellers), look out for the Kon-Tiki.

The music program consists of rock, and a lot of metal. And it’s pretty loud. So if you want to have tea and have good conversations, this place might not be the best choice – I agree, and there are times I don’t feel like going to the Kontiki. On the other hand there are times where smoke and loud music are exactly what I need. How about you?

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Kontiki | Bars | Beer CHF 5.30
Niederdorfstrasse 24 | Kreis 1 City | +41442513577
Sun – Thu 17:00 – 00:00, Fri – Sat 12:00 – 02:00

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

Don’t know what to do for lunch? Maybe you’re tired of going to just another restaurant. You feel like a good cheap sandwich, but you’ll freeze off at least half of your body parts if you sit outside. Or you can’t stand talking to your tavel buddy anymore and long for a few minutes of silence. Or you belong to those brave and admirable adventurers who visit cities by themselves, but today sitting alone at a table and spending a fortune for a bite to eat gives you nightmares (the Swiss tend flash people sitting alone in public pitiful glances !). Maybe you also just want to eat popcorn.

The Lunch Kino is your rescue! Grab whatever you want to have for lunch wherever you want to, pay a lousy CHF 16.00 (very cheap for Zurich !) and you got a warm place to sit, one of the latest movies served along with it and if you wish, a flirt with a sexy movie freak included. To top this, all films shown are sneak previews that only enter the official program at a later point. If you’re a fan of Hollywood productions, the Lunch Kino might no be your thing.

The main focus is on specially selected studio films, often ones that have won awards or were loved most by the public at legendary festivals in Cannes, Venice, Berlin or Locarno. One movie runs for 7 days, starting Thursdays. Once in a while, there are special showings, where producers or actors come in to hold a speech that reaches from totally crazy to very inspiring (interesting in any case !). Or a live band plays to accompany the movie.

The Lunch Kino is great for all the arty amongst you, who love sitting in those oldschool, comfy, red velvet seats in one of the most authentic cinemas in town. Only catch, you can’t reserve, so be there early enough!

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Lunch Kino | Cinemas | Ticket CHF 16.00
Gottfried-Keller Strasse 7 | Kreis 1 City | +41442505560
Sept – July 12:15 – 14:00 (depending on length of movie)

This club just by the lake is part of a building full of history. It was built at the turn of the century – which makes it one of the oldest clubs in Switzerland. From the thirties on it was a famous place for Swing and Jazz, Show- and Dance-orchestras. Then came the eighties, the time of Laser-Light, Vinyl and DJ’s, the mascotte was the most popular location in town.

There were a lot of style and owner-changes, several in the last fifteen years, where the place lost a bit of its glamour: For a short time the place became “Café Grössenwahn” with mainstream-partys, then the fantasy-themed “Paradise”. Now, since 2004 it’s called mascotte again and the owners try to build on the success of the eighties – with a widespread program (English speakers: check out Funny Laundry) and good concerts.

And that’s why I like it so much: the concerts. While the clubbing is a bit on the fancy side, which is okay but not really my cup of tea, there are many many good concerts in the Mascotte. And if you like rock, you should pay a visit on a Tuesday, when it’s “Karaoke from Hell” time. A band that lets people of the audience sing their favourite rock, punk, metal-Hits while the band plays along.

Fun-Fact for German speaking people: Schlager-Singer Udo Jürgens lives in the building.

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Mascotte | Bars, Music | Beer CHF 5.60
Theaterstrasse 10 | Kreis 1 City | +41442601580
Opening times depending on the party (check out the programme)

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

Back in time, this hill in the middle of Zürich was a bastion for the defense of the city. That is why the Schanzengraben (our most famous moat from the old days) lies right behind it. Later, the hill was turned into the botanical garden of the university, where some crazy naturalists kept their herb gardens.

This was until a new garden was built for them a bit further out and since then (1976), its a public sphere and green oasis for anyone who needs it. At the highest point of the park, you can still find a medieval herb garden with about 50 different medical plants in memory of the crazy naturalists. Rhe historic Palm House pavilion is also pretty.

I love the old botanical garden. It’s a dreamy place, tangly and romantic. Go there and have a picnic (wait till spring maybe!), study some herbs, make out, feel melancholic, hang on a bench and watch how kids piss off their parents or bum some herbal drugs off one of the anthropology students wandering around in their organic sandals. Once in a while you get lucky and won’t meet a soul. A park, in the middle of town, all to yourself, now how funky is that!

Extra tip: If you have some spare time, and I suggest you make some, you must visit the Ethnology Museum that is located in the

garden. Check the current exhibitions on www.musethno.uzh.ch

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Old Botanical Garden | Relaxing | Free
Pelikanstrasse 15 | Kreis 1 City
Apr – Sep 07:00 – 19:00 | Oct – Mar 08:00 – 18:00

As an avid reader, there’s one thing concerning travelling that I lose sleep over: How many books do I carry with me and what do I do when I’ve read them? If I hit the road for several months, there’s no way I can take along all the books I will read in that time. Feel me? Good.

If you have the same fear as me and like to read in English, you don’t have to worry any more – it’s all gonna be good: Orel Füssli Bookshop is packed with English books. So if you’re looking for new reading material you won’t have to be content with the inferior stuff (ehm…I mean… limited choice) you find at train stations and airports: A basement full of Sci-Fi and Fantasy-Books, a ground floor with novels, modern and classics, and a first (if you’re American second) floor with all kinds of special interest material will satisfy your needs.

Oh by the way, dear fellow reading addicts. If you’ve finished a book and have a craving for soup, I have a suggestion for you: check out the Limmatlädeli, they do not only offer delicious soup but they have also a take-one-leave-one bookshelve. Maybe you’re lucky.

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Orell Füssli: The Bookshop | Shopping
Bahnhofstrasse 70 | Kreis 1 City | +41442110444
Mon – Fri 09:00 – 20:00, Sat 09:00 – 17:00

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

Rimini may well be an Italian city on the Adriatic Sea, but it’s also an open-air bar within the river pool area Schanzengraben. During the day the swimming area is for men only (there’s another one just for women at the Limmat near Bürkliplatz).

It was built in 1864 and is therefore the oldest pool area in town with original features. The Schanzengraben was part of the city’s fortification in the 17th century and its atmosphere is often compared to the canals in Venice. Like all pool areas located at one of Zurich’s rivers, entry is free.

In the evening the venue is open to the public and offers pizza and drinks in a beach-style environment, where you’ll feel like you’re in the Mediterranean. This season also sees a market every Monday eve, when various stalls line up around the pool providing an original mix of flee market and design fair. Each week has a different theme ranging from accessories to streetwear but mostly includes fashion and related goodies.

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Rimini – Männerbad Schanzengraben | Relaxing, Shopping | Free
Badweg 10 | Kreis 1 City | +41442119594
Sun – Thu 19:15 – 00:00, Fri 18:15 – 00:00, Sat 11:00 – 00:00 unless it’s raining

20 years ago Zurich had the reputation of a lame place. The saying went: “only the Niederdorf has some life until midnight”. Things have changed. Maybe Zurich is not yet “the city that never sleeps” but it certainly goes to bed late. The Niederdorf, the old-town stretch running parallel to the Limmatquai, has lost its nightlife monopole but has certainly followed the trend: “there is a lot happening there”, especially during the weekend.

Splendid Bar, located at an alley near the river, recently celebrated its 33rd birthday. It is housed at the lobby of the small Hotel Splendid. The bar pianist (not always the same one) is at the epicenter of attention. Often he is only English speaking and sings, guess what, in the English language. Over the years I have heard the piano versions of “Hotel California”, “The House of the Rising Sun” and “Smoke on the Water”. You get the idea. Several guests cluster around the piano, follow the tune with body movements and occasionally sing along.

The public spans a wide range of ages and nationalities. There are regulars and passers-by, coming for a drink before going to a club or moving on with bar hopping.

If you don’t like standing: there are some tables at the perimeter and seats at the bar. Notice the decoration with photos of several jazz artists.

The limited space favors starting a conversations with other guests.

Here are some photos.

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Splendid – Piano Bar | Bars, Music | Orange juice CHF 9.00
Rosengasse 5 | Kreis 1 City | +41442525850
Sun – Thu 17:00 – 02:00, Fri – Sat 17:00 – 04:00

Although Gessnerallee has been the home of avant-garde theatre in Zurich for more than twenty years, its foyer became Stall 6 – a thriving bar and club – just four years ago. The former stable appeals to those looking to avoid the clichés and genres of Zurich’s nightclubs; and it promises new ideas, a few of which will be realised this year.

Banishing clubbing stereotypes in Zurich is tough, yet the varied music styles at Stall 6 mean the club has no set clientele and is one of the few places in Zurich where you never feel out of place no matter what you wear. The organisers are also not interested in a set concept for the club. It’s therefore possible to find reggae on a Monday, funk and soul on weeknights, and electro at the weekend. Alternatively, grab a programme and seek out a Hum Rush party, where you’ll hear all music styles in one night.

Situated in the foyer of Gessnerallee, Stall 6 makes a feature of elements of its past, when the building belonged to the military – such as the horse’s feeding troughs. With visitors ranging from theatregoers to night owls, the audience is constantly changing and the place is never empty; you can even start clubbing at 23:00 if you like, as you’re unlikely to walk into a deserted club.

Sometimes installations from the theatre make their way over to Stall 6, adding to its unique atmosphere, and the generous space offers ample room for groups to arrive at any time without a reservation.

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Stall 6 – Gessnerallee | Art & culture, Bars, Music | Concert CHF 25.00
Gessnerallee 8 | Kreis 1 City | +41442258154
Daily from 17:00

An international dance festival featuring crews from all over the world: Brazil, Belgium, Switzerland, Great Britain, South Africa, Holland, USA, Israel, Germany. They are all doing contemporary dance but interpreted very differently. There’s an incredible spectrum of forms and styles !

The shows are all over Switzerland, in different cities and locations and often they are accompanied by great live music. An inspiring happening for all dancers, all those who would like to be dancers and also those that just love watching dancers and want to be catapulted into a different culture for a few hours.

My Tipp: Bruno Beltrão & Grupo de Rua from Brazil, performing HipHop in the structure of contemporary dance.

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Steps #12 | Art & culture, Music, Festivals & events | Entrance from CHF 20.00
Different places (check website for details) | Kreis 1 City
22. April – 13 May 2010 (check website for program)

“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

One of the best stores in town, with shelves full of the most inspiring travel books from all over the world and not only in German. You’ll find travel guides and stories, maps, specialized and illustrated books as well as contemporary literature about and from all countries and regions on this planet.

There are books to learn exotic languages, books for children, cooking books, design books, books on relgion, politics, fairy tales, architecture, medicine, jewelry, trees, women or economy.

There are books that you won’t be able to find anywhere else, because the woman owning the store has friends spread all over the world that organize special prints for her. If you’re lucky you catch her in the store and she will share her many (many!) travelling experiences with you. Often she is out in the world though, following her passion. This passion is omnipresent in the store and highly contagious.

There is an atmosphere that makes you want to pack your bags and explore the world. And if there is no way to get out there at the moment, then you just go back to the store on a regular basis, because stepping in already makes you feel like a bit of a globetrotter.

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Travel Book Shop | Shopping | Free
Rindermarkt 20 | Kreis 1 City
Mon 13:00 – 18:30, Tue – Fri 09:00 – 18:30, Sat 09:00 – 17:00

The blond asked for the bill and turned to me: „so shall we go for another drink? Let’s try the Widder bar. It’s only a few minutes from here”.

I agreed. We crossed the Bahnhofstrasse, entered the Augustinergasse and headed for the Widder hotel with its famous piano bar. We sat centrally at a small table.

“What can you tell me about this place?” I asked her. “Oh, I’ve been here only three times”, she replied while performing the feminine ritual of lighting a cigarette. “As you can see, there is a pianist but sometimes they have concerts. And the whiskies are excellent (but you probably don’t care anyway)”, she continued. My hands caressed the camera in my bag but I felt I wasn’t ready; so I went on with the smalltalk: “seven years ago, when I first came, the lights were bright, it was almost empty, there were only senior citizens”, I remarked. “I like it better now, the lights are dimmer, the crowd is more diverse, it has character“.

The waiter came: she ordered a Caipirihna (19 CHF), I stuck to the usual: Espresso (6.50 CHF), what else? “Do you really have concerts?” she asked him. “Yes”, he said, “on Tuesdays, yesterday we had Flamenco, I bring you the program”.

The pianist was singing: “a minha saudade, o meu amor”. She asked him for a song. He sang it after his break and she whispered along.

It became more crowded as the evening progressed.

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Widder piano bar | Bars, Music | Tuesday concert CHF 45
Widdergasse 6 | Kreis 1 City | +41442242988
Mon – Wed 11:30 – 01:00, Thu – Sat 11:30 – 02:00 , Sun 11:30 – 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

The annual Youth Filming Days are the largest and most renown festival for upcoming Swiss filmmakers. They’re already taking place for the 34th time this March. The heart of the festival is a competition, where people of up to 25 years can hand in their productions (short films).

All films are shown by age category, judged by a jury as well as the audience and a winner announced on the last day. Further there’s also a category for students up to 30 years that are currently attending film schools. In between, other films created by young adults from all over the world are shown that focus on themes that concern young people cross-culturally.

On top there are various studio workshops to take part in and of course the legendary parties in the evenings, where all of Zurich’s hipsters meet up to go wild for a few hours. On the website you can check out the detailed program and take a first look at the films that are in the competition.

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Youth Filming Days 2010 | Art & culture, Cinemas, Festivals & events | Entrance from CHF 00.00
Gessnerallee 9 | Kreis 1 City
10 – 14 March 2010 (check website for program)