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Restaurants in Zurich

Zurich's restaurants cater to every palate and budget. Eating out in Zurich is a positive treat, offering both traditional Swiss cuisine and global fare.

The Zurich restaurants below have been hand-picked by our guide author and are grouped into three pricing categories:
Expensive (over SFr120)
Moderate (SFr50 to SFr120)
Cheap (up to SFr50)

These prices are for a three-course meal for one, including half a bottle of house wine or equivalent, tax and service charge. Besides VAT, a compulsory 15% service charge is included in the cost of all restaurant bills. Diners also tend to round the bill up to the nearest SFr10.

Expensive

Kronenhalle

Cuisine: Classic European

Some of the 20th century's greatest artists (including Stravinsky, Brecht and Joyce) have frequented the Kronenhalle. Its fin de siècle décor is well suited to its wonderful collection of 20th-century art, which includes works by Giacometti, Picasso, Miro, Chagall and Matisse. The menu attracts many regular diners, who enjoy the excellently prepared local and international dishes on the menu. Service is first-rate and the ambience more laid-back than formal, despite the price.

Address: Old Town, Rämistrasse 4, Zurich, 8001
Telephone: +41 44 262 9900.
Website: http://www.kronenhalle.ch

Rico's

Cuisine: Modern European

Rico's, 6km (4 miles) south of the city centre on Lake Zurich's eastern shore (the 'Gold Coast'), has long been considered one of Switzerland’s best restaurants under the patronage of Hamburg-born, Michelin-starred chef Horst Petermann. Since he retired, the place has been left in the very capable hands of his former apprentice, Rico Zandonella, who has retained the restaurant’s two Michelin stars while adding his own artistic flair to the modern European menu. The intimate 19th century building (a former art gallery) boasts an exceptional wine cellar and a lovely outdoor terrace. Reservations, though, are essential.

Address: Küsnacht, Seestrasse 160, Zurich, 8700
Telephone: +41 44 910 0715.
Website: http://www.ricozandonella.ch/index.php?de_restaurant

Moderate

LaSalle

Cuisine: Modern European

For a taste of modern Zurich, this smart yet relaxed restaurant in the renovated Schiffbau (a former ship-building warehouse) is the place to go. Stylish and bright, its vast dining room retains the industrial feel of its origins whilst also being thoroughly modern. Likewise, the menu features classic dishes with a modern twist, such as grilled scallops with avocado and mango salad, and veal liver with shallots and herbs. Changing daily specials make the most of seasonal ingredients.

Address: Zurich West, Schiffbaustrasse 4, Zurich, 8005
Telephone: +41 44 258 7071.
Website: http://www.lasalle-restaurant.ch

Le Dézaley

Cuisine: Swiss

Zurich may be in the Swiss-German part of the country, but this lovely restaurant near the Grossmünster gives you the chance to sample dishes from the French-speaking area of Vaud, without making the two-hour train trip to get there. In the intimate surroundings of a medieval house (it dates back to 1274), Le Dézaley offers up such specialities as papet Vaudois (sausage with creamed leeks), air-dried meat, veal liver with rösti and steak tartar.

Address: Old Town, Römergasse 7+9, Zurich, 8001
Telephone: +41 44 251 6129.
Website: http://www.le-dezaley.ch

Zeughauskeller

Cuisine: Swiss

Built on the remains of a 15th-century armoury, the Zeughauskeller opened in 1927, when a new owner converted the building into a beer hall. Large stone pillars hold up the ornamental wooden-beamed ceiling, and portraits of noblemen and weaponry are displayed. As with all beer cellars, patrons share lengthy tables. Classic Zurich cuisine dominates the menu, including at least 12 varieties of sausage, plus wiener schnitzel (zeal that's breaded and fried), rösti and a tasty range of local desserts. As you'd expect, there's a good line-up of draft and bottled beers.

Address: , Bahnhofstrasse 28 A, Zurich, 8001
Telephone: +41 44 220 1515.
Website: http://www.zeughauskeller.ch

Cheap

La Fonte

Cuisine: Italian

La Fonte is a cosy little Italian restaurant in the suburbs - it's located a 20-minute-drive northeast of the city centre - but it's worth the trip. The pizzas and pasta dishes are delicious and served with a smile. Even more, it offers excellent value for money. 

Address: , Dubendorfstrasse 223, Zurich, 8051
Telephone: +41 44 321 91 51.
Website: http://la-fonte.ch

Restaurant Hiltl

Cuisine: Vegetarian

According to the Guinness Book of Records, this is the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world, dating back to 1898. Now run by the fourth generation of the Hiltl family, it has still manages to appeal to a young and vibrant crowd. It is especially popular for its lunch menu, which always includes 50 salads (to eat in or take away) and its Indian and Thai buffet of around 30 different dishes in the evening, all priced by weight. At night it transforms itself into a bar and club.

Address: Sihl, Sihlstrasse 28, Zurich, 8001
Telephone: +41 44 227 7000.
Website: http://www.hiltl.ch

Restaurant.Bar 8001

Cuisine: Swiss

This sleek yet unpretentious restaurant serves an all-day menu with classics such as burgers and Caesar salad but also modern interpretations of Swiss dishes. Visitors can relax in the afternoons over a cup of coffee and a piece of Wähe, a typical Swiss cake. Reservations are essential for the regular dinner concerts - see the website for details.

Address: University, Leonhardstrasse 1, Zurich, 8001
Telephone: +41 44 261 4055.
Website: http://www.restaurant-8001.ch/de/restaurant-bar-8001/

Thach

Cuisine: Asian

Located in the heart of Zurich’s district 4, Thach is a restaurant that offers menu options, a lunch and dinner buffet and a take away service for those on the go. From delicious curries and fresh rice dishes to tasty desserts, Thach has it all.

Address: , Militärstrasse 84, Zurich, 8004
Telephone: +41 43 243 3727
Website: http://www.thach.ch/
A digital image at https://illuminoto.com

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Central Plaza Hotel

Built in 1883 with an impressive period facade, the Central Plaza has 105 air-conditioned rooms and suites, all fully soundproofed against traffic noise; many have views of the River Limmat and all have modem points. Highlights include a piano bar-cafe and the King's Cave restaurant. A terrace garden with illuminated waterfalls is open in summer. It's also said that the piano bar of this Zurich hotel was a favourite meeting place for Cold War spies.

The Dolder Grand

The location of this luxury residence couldn't be any better: The Dolder Grand offers its guests great panoramic views over the Lake Zürich, the city and over the mountains. It features all amenities you might expect from such an award-winning 5-star-hotel with a long history: rooms and suites with selectable butler service, spas, a pool called Aqua Zone, saunas, a fitness centre, state-of-the-art business facilities, meeting rooms, several lounges, two restaurants (one of which has earned two Michelin stars), a bar and a lobby, a ballroom and a car park.

Leoneck Swiss Hotel

Just a five-minute walk from the city centre, the Leoneck Swiss Hotel is an official Swiss Alpine Club SAC partner with over 80 air-conditioned rooms, a restaurant, free Wi-Fi and a free smartphone in every room. For just CHF 20, guests can have breakfast at the hotel buffet which includes a range of egg dishes, coffee and fresh croissants and fruits.

Walhalla Hotel

The Walhalla Hotel is located directly at Zürich's main railway station. All its 48 modern and comfortable rooms are equipped with a tablet and have complimentary WiFi access. The hotel features six conference rooms which can accomodate up to 50 people, business facilities in its Business Corner and a breakfast buffet.

Lady's First

Conceived in 1994 when eight women decided to create a female-exclusive hotel in what was formerly a finishing school for country girls, Lady's First is a boutique design hotel housed in an elegant 19th-century building. This Zurich hotel is no longer, however, exclusively for women - men are welcome too. A good-natured atmosphere characterises this establishment, which also offers its guests free Wi-Fi, a wellness centre and a roof terrace. There are 28 rooms.

Widder Hotel

Composed of eight adjoining medieval houses, the Widder Hotel is named after a 13th-century Augustinian monastery that used to exist here. The 35 individually decorated rooms and 14 suites (four with private roof terraces) all combine the old and new, with features including 17th-century frescoes and old wooden floors. The Widder Bar has long been an important jazz venue - its 'Library of Spirits' offers several hundred single-malt whiskies.