Alarm clocks hanging from the ceiling ringing out closing time, kitschy paraphernalia covering every inch of the walls and a team of three sisters and a brother running the place since 1966. Mention the Olé Olé Bar to anyone who’s lived in Zurich for a while and you’ll see them swell up with nostalgia – this place is really a piece of Zurich’s history.
So when in late 2012 the bar suddenly closed due to its former owners’ health issues, people were in a state of shock. Not only did it become a main topic of conversation among locals but people even organized one last farewell drink in front of the bar’s closed doors – doors that had seen people come and go for more than half a century. The fear was that this place with its unique character and history would be bought up, renovated and transformed into a modern faceless hipster bar.
Luckily enough, the team that ended up taking over the bar kept its original feel. And while the alarm clocks may now be gone, all the paraphernalia is still there including the old-school jukebox that everyone loves. Even the bar staff still manages to remind us of the old times – even if they’re quite a bit younger, they’re just as friendly and open-hearted as their forerunners. Really a place worth visiting.
