Archives for “cafe” tag

Gran Café Motta is like black tea with steamed milk: Don’t mock it until you’ve tried it!

I used to live around the corner from Motta, and had a serious passion for coffee a while back (which has now turned into a serious passion for tea). This café is, in my opinion, one of the few places in Zurich that serves a milky cup of coffee just right. In addition, they have a great selection of morning combos that are decently priced. You will find that any other place along the Limmat lives up to Zurich’s pricey reputation.

Motta keeps it real. Like fresh lemonade and iced tea real. So whether you need a chilled glass of their homemade beverages or a crispy croissant to dunk in your cappuccino, Motta fits the bill. Beware of the limitations when it comes to eggs before 8AM – the chef simply just isn’t there yet! And if you need a place to meet with a colleague to gossip, their seating outside is a great way to go incognito for an hour…

Food: Solid, sometimes a bit adventurous.

Staff: Very service-oriented!

There is more to Café Boy than meets the eye. It’s a restaurant rather than a café, and a grown man rather than a boy – the building dates back to the early 20th century, although having recently been refurbished you couldn’t necessarily tell. In its current incarnation, Café Boy has existed since January 2010.

Café Boy serves up tasty Swiss cuisine with a Continental twist in a cosy and welcoming atmosphere. The seasonal menu changes on a monthly basis. It has to be said, this place ain’t cheap, but it’s great for the occasional treat. Most dishes are available as starters or mains, and if there’s a few of you, it’s probably best to order a selection to share. Carnivores and veggies alike are catered for, though the former get a more inspired choice. Service is attentive, down to earth and friendly.

They’re now open for lunch too with two daily specials and a variety of light dishes. However, don’t turn up here on a Saturday or Sunday: Café Boy is open Monday to Friday only. I guess restaurant staff like to get the weekend off just like anybody else!

Mythos is conveniently located near Stauffacherplatz, 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.

“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.

From the outside, the Zähringer looks pretty inconspicuous. There’s not much that indicates that this is not quite an ordinary Café. But this 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, you’ll like this: All the food is freshly prepared and most of it organic. Most of it 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 it’s not just food, there’s culture too. The place originated in the heated eighties and had a lot going on: Concerts, readings, exhibitions and so on. Nowadays it’s a little calmer, but there are still cultural events several times a month. Interested? Stop by, have a homemade ice tea and check out the programme.