My Guide to Zürich
It’s weird to think about, but I’ve been living in Zürich for almost the same amount of time I lived in San Francisco. At this point in San Francisco living, I was proudly giving away my restaurant expertise to anyone that would listen. Moving to a new city abroad has included a few more challenges than finding the best restaurants to go to, thus I’ve been a little slower to build my repertoire of where to eat and what to do. Finally, at my 2.5-year-mark, I feel like I have a complete (enough) guide to Zürich that I can share. For my memory and your enjoyment, I will update this page as I find new favorites. In the meantime, hopefully, these recommendations from a self-proclaimed foodie will be helpful.
Where to grab a coffee, meal, get some work done, or people watch:
There are many cute cafes in this city, but the noticeable ones aren’t necessarily my favorites. I like a homey, comfy, cozy feel as opposed to the modern style they seem to love here. Some of my favorite cafes are Babu’s Bakery, Bebek, Café Peclard, Café des Amis, Hin & Weg, sphères, Tibits, and Zum Guten Glück
Where to eat this weekend:
After two years, I’m still appalled but finally getting used to the prices in restaurants. Nevertheless, I’ve found a few that I enjoy, where the quality of food matches the pricing, relative to this area at least. These include Chiang Mai Thai, Le Dezaley, Eisenhof, Iroquois, Hiltl, Josef, Kiosk, Le Cedre, Lily’s, Miracle, Oepfelchammer, Rosaly’s, Sternen Grill, Yooji’s, and Zeughauskeller.
Where to shop:
In Konstanz, Germany. Just kidding! Kind of. I can’t say I do much clothes shopping here, but I’ve found some places I like to peek in every once in a while. Like Changemaker, the main Brockenhaus, and just popping into shops along the Niederdorf area.
Where to curb the sweet tooth:
I highly recommend satisfying the sweet tooth with chocolate, seeing as you are in Switzerland. My favorite chocolate shops are Honold, Aeschbach, Läderach, Teuscher, and Sprüngli. The best hot chocolate you may ever drink is at Café Schober (with Honold at a close second). Other sweet treats can be found at Babu’s Bakery and the Cupcake Affair, but I still have yet to find a good chocolate chip cookie. Don’t forget an ice cream at Mövenpick, or a vegan “nice” cream at Vegelateria.
Where to get your drink on:
I can’t say much for the clubbin’ night life, but if you fancy a good drink, I like D’Vino, Jules Verne, Old Crow, Widder Bar, and the all-you-can-drink prosecco at Mövenpick on Friday nights.
Where to find the groceries you’ve been searching for:
I’ve been to almost every brand of grocery store here in search of ingredients I know and love and can’t find in the main grocery stores. There is no one-stop-shop like I’m used to, but you can find Mexican groceries at El Maiz, Asian groceries at New Asia Market, fancy groceries at Globus or Jelmoli, and health food at the Müller Reformhaus (Rennweg location is the biggest). Also, the Coop Megastore at Sihlcity has a much better selection than most Coop’s.
Must-do-at-least-once seasonal events:
This city has some interesting traditions that are definitely worth checking out. Like the burning of the Böögg, the float/swim down the Limmat river, the summer outdoor cinema, the wine boats, the whiskey boats, street parade, and the street food festival.
Any I should add? Let me know! I always love a good recommendation.
