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

Wellness is quite popular in central Europe. A two-hour sauna visit is considered equivalent to a day of vacation. Switzerland, with most of its big cities located by lakes or rivers (or both) offers several possibilities.

Sauna Utoquai is housed at the southern end of the public baths called Bad Utoquai (known as the “Badi” among its regulars). Sauna Utoquai is a members-only club but membership is open to all. The minimum membership period is 3 months and includes unlimited entrance to the facilities: the sauna, the steam bath and the hot tub at the edge of the lake.

The privileged members can enter the lake and relax in the open air throughout the year regardless of weather. From late September to May, members have the entire ground of the “Badi” at their disposal. During the summer they have exclusive use of a separate terrace but can also mingle with the crowds in the Badi.

Outdoor relaxation can take several forms: sunbathing during a nice sunny afternoon or gazing at the sunset or the moonlight from the comfort of the 37 degrees of the hot tub.

Moving to Zurich permanently or for a period of at least three months? The option to take vacation during lunch break, after work or during the weekend exists. In the beginning it is just relaxation; then it gradually becomes lifestyle.

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Sauna Utoquai | Relaxing | Annual subscription fee CHF 1350.00
Utoquai 49 | Kreis 8 Seefeld | +41442528085
09:00 – 22:00 daily

When my friend first told me the name of the restaurant she wanted to check out together, I knew the chances of me falling in love with it were high. There are few things in life that I enjoy more than reading and eating. The quality of the material is tantamount in both cases.

The food is in line with the Italian atmosphere of the place – but not at all in the pasta & pizza overload sense – no, here you get the refined version of Italian cuisine. It’s no surprise really, the walls are plastered with cooking books and only those that have won prestigious awards, so with that sort of inspiration inundating the place there’s absolutely no way the chef could go astray.

One of the many things I like about this place is that the portions aren’t overwhelming so you can quite comfortably have a three course meal and since the prices are scaled down accordingly (compared to other higher-than-average-end Swiss restaurants), the heart attack often endured upon requesting the bill in Zurich is somewhat diminished.

For those impressed with the food, the owner provides some of his secrets in his own cook book. I haven’t bought mine yet, so that means I have to pay another visit – I think it’s fairly obviously that this is my carefully calculated way of creating an excuse to visit Cucina e Libri again soon.

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Cucina e Libri | Restaurants (Italian) | Main Meal CHF 37
Fröhlichstrasse 39 | Kreis 8 Seefeld | +41443832139
Tue 12:00 – 14:00, Wed – Fri 12:00 – 14:00 & 19:00 – 23:30, Sat 19:00 – 23:30

During the summer Zurich offers numerous spots by the water such as cafés, restaurants and boathouses.

Lago Zürich, a boathouse, rents pedal boats, is available for organizing events and functions as a self-service café by the water; More properly put: ON the water. The spot is housed on a platform sitting on the eastern side of lake Zurich by the promenade known as Utoquai.

Lago Zürich is ideal for an outdoor drink during the late evening hours. It combines the beautiful view towards the sunset sky while offering relaxing distance from the crowds of Utoquai.

Most enjoyable is the mild swinging motion of the platform caused by the waves of the lake water. This motion is subtle: during the first visit one wonders weather the effect is real or illusory. But beware: the small waves are often caused by a mild breeze felt more intensely on the platform than along Utoquai. So even if T-shirt feels comfortable on the “mainland” a few meters away, a light jacket may be appreciated on the platform.

I like the setup with the sofas: they create a laid-back mood. There are also plastic chairs which can be moved or rotated “at will”. Guests can choose the desired orientation: facing the sunset sky above the Kongresshaus or the Alps towards the south or the illuminated church towers towards the north.

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Lago Zürich | Coffee & tea, Relaxing, Snacks | Espresso CHF 4.50
Utoquai 6 | Kreis 8 Seefeld | +41442622220
Jun – Aug from 09:30, Apr – May & Sep – Oct from 11:00 (weather permitting)

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 (no side dish) CHF 18.50
Utoquai 10 | Kreis 8 Seefeld | +41442609669
Morning – 22:00 daily (when warm enough & not raining)

I first visited a Japanese restaurant as a student in Boston. The invitation mentioned a Japanese steakhouse with Samurai like performance cooking: sounded great for a fan of Asian food. No mention of the fact that not all Japanese food is served cooked. And so came sushi and wasabi: this first unexpected contact with a new pleasure had it all: you know there is something in it you like but hesitate about fully letting go. You know the second time would taste better. You know you will do it for the rest of your life.

21 years later Japanese food is commonplace in Europe. But now the point is originality. Which are the most Japanese of the Japanese restaurants? Consider the following criteria: (i) the personnel are Japanese and prefer to speak English rather than the local language (ii) you don’t understand much of the menu and it needs to be explained to you (iii) it gets full of Japanese visitors who apparently don’t speak the local language and order spectacular stuff (iv) service is slow (v) it is expensive.

Welcome to Bimi in Zurich-Seefeld: a simple and unpretentious environment; luxury lies in the flavor. The sushi is on the salty side. For a main course I recommend the beef filet: eat it slowly with the vegetables because the portion is Spartan. Finally: don’t be afraid of the red beans on the ice cream if you haven’t tried them before: they are good; let go on the first time.

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BIMI | Restaurants (Japanese) | Dinner for two CHF 220
Seefeldstrasse 25 | Kreis 8 Seefeld | +41432437777
Mon & Sat 18:00 – 23:00 , Tue – Fri 11:30 – 14:00 & 18:00 – 23:00

Even today I still come across people who think of Zurich as a sterile city of bankers and merchants selling expensive watches (to the bankers). But we, who are neither bankers nor merchants, have made Zurich one of the best addresses on earth. We have created our little special scenes all over the city.

So we took the beautiful pedestrian walk along the eastern side of the lake and made a scene out of it.

Of course, from all seasons, the summer wins. Not so much because we can have a meal or drink watching the lake or visit a Badi for a swim. But rather because we can express our “life is good” attitude. We are street performers, jugglers, youngsters listening to rap on a battery powered stereo, petites bourgoises eating take-away sushi or just a family with a kid hanging around. We love and photograph again and again the deep red sky of the dusk. And we don’t mind the occasional smell of cannabis.

We like the melancholy of the autumn for the colors of the trees. And in the spring (maybe as early as February), we’d lie next to the water to absorb solar radiation in anticipation of the summer.

However, I, personally, love that Saturday afternoon in the winter; when the sky is grey and there’s plenty of snow on the ground. I’d be alone and feel like I own the place. Moments later, I’d be jumping into the ice cold water of the lake (check the Sauna Utoguai article).

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Utoquai Promenade | Art & culture, Music, Relaxing, Snacks, Restaurants
Utoquai | Kreis 8 Seefeld
24 hours daily

I had never been a fan of vegetarian restaurants. Somehow, it felt unjustifiable to pay and not eat fish, meat or at least a warm pasta plate. Vegetables were always meant to be a side dish.

Times change and people change too. I recently became increasingly health aware so the dilemma vegetarian or non-vegetarian switched to vegetarian or nothing at all. So Tibits was there for me. I became a customer many years ago and visit, irregularly but certainly ever since.

Tibits is located in Seefeld near some of my other favorite spots, for example Bad Utoquai (check the Bad Utoquai article). So I pass by very often. In the summer the tables outside are always full. The interior is also quite well occupied and lively during all seasons.

The core offering is the salad buffet with cold and warm delicacies. One of the advantages of not serving meat, fish etc. is that the salad menu becomes quite creative. Ah yes, these tomatoes with tofu, …slurp…

There are also fruit and desert dishes in the same area. Sandwiches and ice cream are also available.

If you think that vegetarian means budget, you are wrong; to take care of a big hunger through the salad buffet, you end up paying the price of a typical meal in any restaurant. But it is worth it.

I have the vague impression that women outnumber men in Tibits. And in Zurich women are quite beautiful and elegant (not a vague impression but a fact).

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Tibits | Restaurants (Vegetarian) | Salad Buffet (100 g) CHF 4.10
Seefeldstrasse 2 | Kreis 8 Seefeld | +41442603222
Mon – Fri 06:30 – 00:00, Sat 08:00 – 00:00, Sun 09:00 – 00.00

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. You can also smoke the hookah when you sit outside.

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 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