Zurich
Overview
Map
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Food
From experience
- Beyond 别样馆 (3/3)
- My Chinese food go-to for Zurich. Beyond is located right next to the train station, specializes in Szechuan cuisine. They speak German and Chinese, but not much English.
- Recommend: 溜肝尖
- Kronenhalle Restaurant (2/3)
- This place has everything I love — impressive backstory, old world charm, fine service, great wines, and amazing art. The walls are LITERALLY adorned with Matisse, Picasso, Chagall… I mean, where do you find another place like this?! It truly hurts my heart to deduct a point off — but as a restaurant, they simply must have better food. My veal was so well done I thought it was chicken when it was served.
- Regardless, this is a place worth visiting (albeit the ) at least once in your life, for the art, for the service, for the atmosphere.
- Note 1: no official dress code but lots of people dress between cocktail and black tie.
- Note 2: make a reservation and you can request to sit in front of certain artworks!
- Note 3: pay attention when you are walking — the hallway pieces are not to be ignored.
- Note 4: downstair rooms have more well known artists but the upstairs room (Swiss room) seems better for conversations.
- Note 5: scroll down to read about the bar!
- Memory from my 2018 Nov 4th visit: this visit marks my very first time forgetting to bring wallet to a restaurant. I literally had to uber back to the hotel to pay the bill. Cheer for stupidity.
My to-try list
- Haus zum Rüden Gothic dining room in a 13th-century guild hall serving gourmet Swiss dishes, with outdoor tables.
- Rico’s French, Michelin
- Ecco Zurich Michelin 2 star, European
- White Elephant Authentic Thai food — at Marriott
- Hongxi Cantonese and Shanghai food, fine dining, dimsum
- Achi 东北人 Dongbei cuisine, mixed reviews
- Khujug Restaurant
- Wesley’s 上海生煎包, food truck in the train station
- Confiserie Sprüngli sweets, known for “Luxemburgerli”
- Blindekuh the original dine in the dark experience
Drinks
From experience
- Widder Bar & Kitchen (3/3)
- Hotel bar to the legendary Widder Hotel, this place does not kid about their spirits collection. Their spirits tasting leaves me speechless - both for the price and for the variety.
- Drinks recommendation: Opa’s Pfiifä is one of the most fun drinks I’ve ever had. It translates to “Grandpa’s pipe” and is served in a pipe that you can drink from both ends (that sounded dirty). In addition, I had my first Seelbach here.
- Music music music!! This is THE place to be for jazz and live music so make sure to check up their calendar. 2018 Nov: the artist played lots of goodie oldie that you can singalong to (like stuck in the middle)!
- Quick note, no dress code is enforced but lots of people suit up at this place.
- Cocktail bar at Hotel Storchen (3/3)
- This is probably my favorite hang out spot in Zurich. They have seating right on the river with great cocktails and fantastic service. It’s quite cold here in November and they have furs on the seats and covers that you can use. It’s all about extra mile in thoughtfulness in service.
- I’m currently feeding the swans popcorns (shhhh) and enjoying night view over old town in complete serenity and silence, besides the noise of swan chomping. Need I say more?
- Kronenhalle Bar (3/3)
- Read above for restaurant review.
- The bar is right by the restaurant and quite perfect if you want the immersive art experience without the mediocre food. The drinks are good, some with fun backstories (I had a Giacometti)
- Three recommended spots to sit — across from the bar with the Miro, the corner tables by a Picasso, a Matisse and a Paul Klee, or for larger groups, the table by the door under a Rauschenberg. I have to say this again…where else can you find this experience??? And the art nerd in me needs to tell you that all the lamps are Giacometti’s.
- Café Odeon (2/3)
- To be honest, I came here for the historic bonus point, and conveniently it sits across the street from my dinner. Cafe Odeon is probably one of the most famous locations in Zurich with its fascinating history. I won’t bore you with the details because you can Google. It’s comforting to see it remained a local’s bar where people know each other and stop by for greetings.
- Experience-wise — it’s okay. It’s a beautiful cafe with average drinks. Would I come here just for a drink? Perhaps (definitely not for cocktails). Would I come here with first-timers to impress them? Yes of course.
- Cranberry Bar (1/3)
- It’s the local gay bar — seems like where the community is! Definitely more of a group hang out spots and/or singles/mingles.
- I felt old and tired and bolted after a drink, which is mediocre at best.
My to-try list
- The Old Crow friendly backstreet bar, rare spirits
- Aura recommended by Patrick
- Raygrodski lively; recommended by Patrick
- Jules Verne great views; recommended by Patrick
- OOO The closest thing Zurich has to a secret bar, this impressive rooftop bar on the Bahnhofstrasse can be found by entering the discreet door to the right of the Modissa clothes store (during the day, you enter by walking through the shop). Take the lift up to the top floor and enjoy amazing award-winning cocktails, and an atmospheric view of the local skyline and busy street below.
- Dolder Grand Hotel (Piano Bar) overlooks the entire city from up high on the Adlisberg; great signature cocktails, an impressive alcohol collection, live piano music (Tuesday to Saturday), monthly jazz evenings
- George Bar & Grill wooden cocktail bar, electro swing music with musicians, and a terrace on three sides of the building
- BarMunster walked pass and looks like good vibes!
- Andorra Bar the everything bar, sometime hosts jazz concerts; walked pass, doesn’t look like a cocktail place
- Rimini Bar outdoor bar by the river, casual
Destinations
From experience
- Lake Zurich (3/3)
- Walks along the river (3/3)
My to-try list
Art & Architecture
From experience
- Kunsthaus Zürich (3/3)
- AMAZEBALLS MUSEUM. I completely under-estimated this place. It’s just breathtaking with its width and depth of European art collection. I literally stayed here till the very last second before I had to go to the airport.
- Recommendations:
- The Veil of Veronica, Philippe de Champaigne
- Interior of San Pietro, Giovanni Paolo Panini
- Holy Family, Rubens
- Ruins in Dresden, Bernardo Bellotto
- Still life with lobster, Cornelis de Heem
- Deliverance to St. Peter, Matthias Stom
- Christ carrying the Cross, Bartolomeo Montagna
- Paintings by Ferdinand Hedler (note: the Day, Lady by the stream)
- Paintings by Heinrich Füssli (note: sin pursued by death)
- Paintings by Augusto Giacometti (note: adam and eve)
- The Prometheus Triptych, Oskar Kokoschka
- The Back I-IV, Matisse
- Paintings by van Gogh (note: self portrait, apricot trees and the cypress and flowering tree)
- water lilies room by Monet (note: pond at night)
- Serenity, Kandinsky
- Mid floor on Alberto Giacometti (note: La cage (woman and head))
My to-try list
- Grossmünster Landmark 12th-century cathedral, Iconic twin-towered Romanesque cathedral, where 1500s religious reformer Huldrych Zwingli preached.
- Fraumünster 11th-century church with Chagall windows; Elegant church with a delicate, copper-topped spire & stained glass by Marc Chagall.
- Rietberg Museum Non-European artworks displayed within a 19th-century villa & landmark modern extension.
- Museum Haus Konstruktiv one of the most impressive examples of New Objectivity and one of the most attractive buildings of industrial architecture. It is the leading museum in the Swiss cultural landscape that focuses on constructive, concrete and conceptual Art, as well as on revealing its continuing impact within contemporary art.
- Cabaret Voltaire birthplace of the anarchic Dada art movement
- Giacometti Murals the “flower hall,” ornate police station entry hall painted by Augusto Giacometti.
- Pavillon Le Corbusier the façade resembles an unfinished Rubik’s cube
- Cocoon one-of-a-kind, spiral-concept building takes modern office space to the extreme
Lodging
From experience
- Zurich Marriott Hotel (2/3)
- Definitely get a room on the higher floor facing old town — this is one of the tallest hotels in Zurich, so the view is spectacular on higher floors.
- Pro: very close to train station, on the quieter side of town, bigger room than European average
- Con: it’s slightly further from old town where all the fun places are (20 minute walk or so, far by Zurich standard)
My to-try list
- The Dolder Grand Victorian-era Château further away from downtown. It has amazing view overlooking the city of Zurich and a fantastic piano bar.
- Baur au Lac the IT place for luxury in Zurich — overlooking Lake Zurich with michelin restaurants and amazing cocktails.
- Widder Hotelhistoric building redesigned to incorporate past and future; amazing bar, situated in old city; each room is individually designed.
- Eden au Lac also lakeside, palatial interior
- Hotel Storchen by the river in old town