Zurich

ZURICH

Stay:

Hotel Josef. 3* Boutique Business Hotel right next to the main station. They also have a cool coffee bar. You can book it here.
Signau House & Garden. Very cute 4* boutique hotel with dreamy garden and even a cinema in the basement. You can book it here.
Hotel Helvetia. Charming boutique hotel by the river Sihl with a nice bar and above all a petite rooftop bar in summer. You can book it here.
Guesthouse Kalkbreite. Good value accommodation with nice rooms and ensuite or shared bathrooms inside the big Kalkbreite building.
25hours Hotel (Zürich West). Colorful 4* hotel with rooms designed by Alfredo Häberli. You can book it here.
CitizenM also has a branch in Zurich with nice lobby spaces. You can book it here.
Hotel Greulich. 4* Design Hotel in one of the atelier and design districts. You can book it here.
NiMo. Cosy hotel close to the State Opera with clean and pretty rooms. You can book it here.
Marktgasse. Cute 4* boutique hotel right in the old town. You can book it here.
Motel One. The German hotel chain has put a nice place-to-stay into Zurich‘s old post building. You can book it here.

Eat:

Bauschänzli. Enjoy the view on the Zurich Old-town at the river in this insular Biergarten.
Blockhuus. For cosy Swiss food close to the Bellevue area.
Kronenhalle. An institution in Zurich! High-class service and food. They also have a famous cocktail bar.
Brasserie Lipp. French food in a bistro ambiance.
Lumière. Romantic French restaurant in the old town area. Their "Filet Café de Paris" melts away in your mouth.
Hiltl. Zurich‘s famous vegetarian restaurants – try their vegetarian Tartar or Cordonbleu. Their rooftop branch on the PKZ is a cool place-to-be.
For more rooftop checkout the Roof Garden on top of department store Globus.
Bernerhof. How about a delicious Entrecôte Double or cheese fondue in winter?
Josef. Tasty restaurant, where you can order small courses and which also has a good bar.
Wirtschaft Neumarkt. In summer the courtyard is just a dream and you can enjoy fresh fish. The Neumarkt is also a theater by the way.
Adlisberg. Great for a little country feeling. During the venison season you just have to go there.
For a cheesy Raclette / Fondue getaway take a walk – or drive – up to Chäsalp. They also offer brunch menus.
Le Hall. For a luxurious timeout go to the lobby of 5* hotel Baur au Lac. They serve great snacks and afternoon tea (autumn and winter season).
Brisket. Texas inspired BBQ – very tasty, especially for meat-lovers. For more Southern U.S. food check out their restaurant Yardbird- crispy fried chicken.

Mediterranean

Ristorante Italia. Great Italian restaurant offering lunch menus and a la carte menus in the evening. Very kind service and tasty food, their home-made desserts are a must-try.
Bebek. Restaurant with nice interior in the Kalkbreite Complex serving a food mixture of Turkey, Lebanon and Greece.
Da Michelangelo. Italian restaurant with funny interior and great simple food.
Accademia del Gusto. High-class Italian dining with classy service. Try the surprise starter platter.
il Pentagramma: Best Italian Paninis in town at Josefstrasse 28, 8005 Zürich
Z. Alten Löwen. It is fun to have a Tavolata-Menu with friends in this local pub – especially on their tree-covered terrace in summer.
Giusis. For great pizzas with great names, try Sofia Loren.
SO Pizza. New Pizza concept: eat slices from many different Pizzas together with a bowl of salad.
There are two Neni restaurants in Zurich, both located in the 25hrs hotels. They offer modern Israeli fusion food.
Gül. Great high class Turkish food with a beautiful open kitchen. We loved the fresh herbs.

Asian

Sala of Tokyo. One of the best and oldest Japanese restaurants in town. Especially over lunch worth the price.
Bimi offers also great Bento Lunches during the week.
Co Chin Chin. Best Vietnamese in Town. Urban flair, great food, friendly service, good prices. Book in advance.
Phuket Thai Food. Freshly prepared original thai dishes.
Miki. Our favourite Japanese Ramen Noodle Soups in Zurich.
Shinsen. Good and affordable Sushi restaurant and delivery.
Achi. Authentic Chinese food, served in good portions. Do make a reservation. Also check out their new branch KHUJUG.
Shiso Burger. Tasty Korean Style burgers in the Old Town of Zurich. The Pink Shiso Ice Tea is also great.
For convenient tasty Korean food, get a box at Bibimshack.
If you want Korean BBQ, this is the place to go: Shilla.

Do & See

Culture

The Lindenhof is always worth a visit. Not only is it a famous historical site in Zurich with great views onto the Grossmünster but also has been filming spot of the popular Korean Drama Crash Landing on You :)
Visit the collection or changing exhibitions of the Kunsthaus, which features a great Monet lake painting in the new building by David Chipperfield.
The National Museum Landesmuseum lies right at the main station and has an annex by architects Christ&Gantenbein, an extensive museum shop and the Spitz restaurant/bar/bistro.
Visit the museum of design inside Zurich‘s huge art school complex.
Museum Rietberg. Museum for non-European cultures, located in a beautiful park.
Haus Konstruktiv is a museum for constructivist-concrete art featuring great contemporary art exhibitions.
Watch a play in Zurich‘s theatre Schauspielhaus or at Rote Fabrik, a former factory site at the lake. They also have a restaurant with changing concerts.
For an exclusive view on design furniture take a walk in the maze of Neumarkt17.
Zurich has a lot of great cinemas. Ranging from big blockbuster houses like Arena to small art cinemas like the Arthouse theaters. 2017 Kosmos opened, an urban complex with cinema, bookstore, restaurant and bar – cosmic!

Activity & Relaxation

What is better than discovering the Old Town and more of Zurich by Tuk Tuk? By E-Tuktuk! (Btw, our favorite guide is Kurt.)
Swimming in the lake of Zurich or the river Limmat: Baths
Relaxed washing in the Hammams of Zurich: Hammam Basar or Hammam Stadtbad
Enjoy ice-skating or minigolf in the forest at the Dolder.
The Dolder Grand Spa is a luxury relaxation area on over 4,000 sqm. The Spa Lunch Break is really worth it.
Rent a free bike to discover the streets of Zurich.
Visit the Zoo of Zurich with its wonderful Masoala rainforest and elephant park. They have flamingos!
For beauty treatments visit one of the Schminkbar or Beauty Space branches around the city.
Atelier Yogart. Wonderful combination of art and yoga, also offering online classes now.

Events

Every summer there is a big theatre event Theaterspektakel at the lake with shows and lots of food.
Every spring and autumn there is a wine tasting event: Expovina. The autumn event is presented on boats at Bürkliplatz.
In summer you can enjoy food and movies in the open air Cinema at the Lake: Allianz Cinema.
In autumn celebrities visit Zurich for the Zurich Film Festival
Every year the hip city quarters 3/4/5 organize a design weekend called Kreislauf 345.

Shopping

Since 2018 Zurich also has a Monocle Store with newspaper kiosk and, of course, a lovely cafe.
Soeder. Cute store offering town-made soaps, clothes, furniture accessories and more.
Charming jewelry by Evelyne-M made in Switzerland.
Mixture of restaurant, flee market, summer bar and urban gardening: Frau Gerolds Garten.
Other flee markets: Kanzlei or Bürkliplatz.
Shopping for gentlemen: Pelikamo or Trunk.
Shopping for ladies, recently opened: Maison Miaki
Fabrikat has 2 locations and is a curious place to get stationary, kitchenware and all kinds of small gifts.
The alleys of Zurich‘s old town are full of surprises: e.g. the charming book store Never Stop Reading, Chinese tea store Shui Tang and famous traditional delicacy shop Schwarzenbach.
For Japanese delicacies visit Nishi Japan Shop. They have tea, food, accessories, ceramics and much more.
Lian Hua has opened a new store with dining area in 2023. Huge store and great variety.

Bars & Cafés

Nude. Very instagrammable cafe bar at the river Limit. It is part of the dancing school.
Coffee and Plants. Cute biophilic café with view set inside the Sihlcity Shopping Mall.
Plaza. Club with bar, inside a renovated cinema.
Rimini Bar. Bar and Monday flee market in a river bathing house. (Bathing only for males during the day.)
Popular after-work bars in the banking district: Talacker, Le Raymond or La Stanza
Raygrodski. Cocktail bar close to hip Idaplatz.
Brick. Another tasty cocktail bar close to Langstrasse.
George has a cosy retro chic interior and a long terrace facing the river Sihl.
Cafe Lang. Stylish cafe and bar, children-friendly.
Dante. Enjoy the interior while sipping on a basil smash or other cocktails.
Just on the other side of the street you will find Total Bar.
El Lokal offers an open-air barbecue at the river Sihl in summer where you can enjoy the evening sun with a drink.
Volkshaus. Enjoy a drink here before or after dinner at their restaurant or a concert next door.