Image by Christine Syrad

Despite not being a girly girl and despite never being able to maintain manicured hands due to my climbing, I found this place really enchanting and am contemplating using the cold weather as a hiatus from climbing just so I can pull beautifully manicured hands out of my ski gloves this year. Just for a change.

Schminkbar is tucked away behind Bahnhofstrasse and is the perfect little oasis in the middle of all the shopping chaos that surrounds it. Upon entering you’re faced with a bar where you can order a hot tea or perhaps a prosecco, whichever you find relaxes you more. If you come just in time for your appointment, don’t fret, you will get some tea and a fruit kebab during your treatment anyway.

What I find so appealing about this place is that you won’t find an air of pretentiousness that can sometimes waft around such salons. Since my nails never resemble anything other than tools that help me grip walls, I usually feel embarrassed about presenting them to a manicurist. Here I felt like it’s ok to walk in with claws and expect to leave with hands fit for a magazine spread.

The quick manicures and pedicures are perfect for those of us in a perpetual hurry who still want to look polished – they only take 30 mins or so max!

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Schminkbar | Relaxing | Manicure CHF 30
Beatengasse 9 | Kreis 1 City | +41433330808
Mon 11:00 – 20:00, Tue – Fri 09:00 – 20:00, Sat 09:00 – 18:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Zurich

Image by Christine Syrad

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

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

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

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

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

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Zurich

Image by Christine Syrad

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

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

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

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

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Zurich

Image by Miltiadis Sarakinos

“So where do we go now?” you asked your companion(s) that Saturday evening after dinner; it somehow felt too early to call it an evening and you had something like a bar with music in mind.

Or maybe you felt like having a tea or a snack that Saturday afternoon after shopping?

Read my other articles to get plenty of ideas for such occasions. Read this one to know a place that offers all in one for you: Café Terrasse.

The special thing about Café Terrasse is that there is nothing special about it: it is an excellent choice for all occasions. Centrally located near Bellevueplatz, the venue is open from early till late: for a snack, a complete meal, a tea, a late drink, inside or outside, with or without music.

There is a big central area with tables and plenty of light during daytime for the bourgeoisie that wants to feel pampered with a bit of luxury: yes, the moment of truth is when that big tea portion you ordered arrives.

Lights are dimmed later on and the mood adapts accordingly.

The outside: a garden terrace for the warm season, Zurich style (flip flops and tattoos on those areas of the body that can be decently exposed). For some intimacy, there is a small balcony terrace on the side of the river.

Last but not least: a bar area with a younger (or younger feeling) public and the appropriate (electronic) music. Sounded like house last time.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Terrasse Café | Bars, Coffee & tea, Music | Espresso CHF 6.20
Limmatquai 3 | Kreis 1 City | +41442511074
Mon – Tue 10:00 – 01:00, Wed – Sat 10:00 – 02:00, Sun 10:00 – 00:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Zurich

Image by Miltiadis Sarakinos

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 | Orange Juice CHF 7.50
Goethestrasse 10 | Kreis 1 City | +41442222030
Mon – Thu 07:00 – 00:00, Sat 09:00 – 02:00 , Sun 09:00 – 00:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Zurich

Image by Miltiadis Sarakinos

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.

Not only the location but also the style fitted my taste. That first Friday evening I saw a bar packed with young people, most of them standing in the Art Nouveau 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. Be warned: the Espresso in La Stanza is so strong and bitter that even a fanatic like me needs to add a bit of milk. The October 2010 issue of the Swiss Airlines on-board magazine calls it the best Espresso in town.

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

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Zurich

Image by Miltiadis Sarakinos

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

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Zurich

Image by Miltiadis Sarakinos

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

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Zurich

Image by Miltiadis Sarakinos

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

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Zurich

Image by Miltiadis Sarakinos

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.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
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)

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Zurich