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City Guide - Zurich - Food and Drink | ||
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Food and Drink Traditional food in Zurich is heavy and hearty, although trendier restaurants combine lighter elements of nouvelle cuisine and other international flavours. A particularly Swiss sensibility is obvious in the amount of cheese on the menu, notably in raclette - melted cheese served with potato and smoked mountain ham. Better known is fondue, the delicious concoction of Appenzeller and Gruyère, with white wine and a sprinkling of Tilsiter, Emmental and Friburger Vacherin cheeses thrown in for extra flavour. It is really worth searching out some of the harder mountain cheeses - although expensive, the taste is exquisite. Züri-Geschnätzeltes (pan-fried veal slices in cream sauce), Rösti (shredded fried potatoes) and Läbere-Schpiessli (spit-roasted calf liver) are all Zürcher specialities, often served in traditional restaurants and cellars, which vary from kitsch to authentic. In fact, Zurich has no shortage of restaurants - there are some 1300 of them in the city - and many bars and cafés serve up excellent meals as well. The best place to find alfresco dining is in the pedestrianised Old Town. An unforgettable dining experience can be enjoyed at one of the hilltop restaurants. There are good Swiss wines and lagers, and spirits of the schnapps type - Kirsch, Marc, Pflümli and Williams - are popular. A compulsory service charge of 15% is included in the price of all restaurant meals and drinks. Typical dining hours are 1800-2100. Restaurants Exposed beams and rustic furnishings complement the Swiss specialities of the Walliser Keller, Zähringerstrasse 21 (tel: (01) 269 4444). This is a good place for raclette and cheese or meat fondues, with prices ranging from SFr8.5-40. Another traditional restaurant is the Zeughauskeller at Bahnhofstrasse 28a, near the Paradeplatz (tel: (01) 211 2690). Its central location and garden terrace ensure its popularity with tourists. Main dishes are in the SFr15-25 range. Nearby Kropf is more refined and a favourite with locals. Located at In Gasse 16 (tel: (01) 221 1805), its gorgeously decorated interior provides the best backdrop for good, regional home-cooking. A main course costs SFr25-35. Le Dézaley offers a typical French-Swiss atmosphere with dishes like fondue and Züri Geschnätzeltes with Rösti. It is a trendy place popular with French-speakers, located near the Grossmünster at Römergasse 7-9 (tel: (01) 251 6129). Provençal cuisine is just a block away at Mère Catherine, Nägelihof 3 (tel: (01) 250 5940). In summer, tables are set up in the square, and both restaurants charge about SFr15-35 for a main course. Good-quality Italian food - approximately SFr32 for a main course - is served up at Commercio near Stadelhofen rail station at Mühlebachstrasse 2 (tel: (01) 261 3877). One unique feature is the attached cinema. This intimate space has room for about 30 movie-lovers on comfortable leather seats. For over a century, Hiltl at Sihlstrasse 28 (tel: (01) 227 7000), has been a popular choice for vegetarians; it offers a popular Indian buffet. The lunch menu costs SFr16-18, and in the evenings, meals are purchased by weight (SFr4.60 per 100gr/3.5oz) or all you can eat for SFr38. To experience the final polishing of high-quality Swiss service, a visit to Belvoirpark, the restaurant of the Zurich School of Hotel Management, is in order. This luxurious restaurant offers French and Swiss specialities at prices most students cannot afford (the three-course menu is SFr56-76). Specialities include Magret de canard rôti with sauce aux truffes d'été. It lies just outside of Zurich at Seestrasse 125 (tel: (01) 286 8844). The romantic Schützenhaus Albisgüetli is difficult to miss, marked as it is by a fanciful tower. This historic venue, at Üetlibergstrasse 341 (tel: (01) 462 0522), can seat up to 1000 for catered affairs, and has two public restaurants and a garden. A typical Zurich dish of Kalbsgeschnätzeltes and Rösti costs SFr28 and a two-course business lunch is SFr26. Its hilltop location on the Uetliberg offers incredible views over the city. Cafés Zurich's charming Old Town streets and river and lake frontage are perfect for pavement cafés. Kafi Schoffel, near the Grossmünster at Schoffelgasse 7, has a courtyard garden and serves light meals in addition to coffees and alcoholic beverages. Those with a sweet tooth will appreciate the desserts at the tiny Café Schober at Napfgasse 4. This narrow building is almost overwhelmed by the phenomenal variety of chocolates on display, but there is always the courtyard in which to seek escape. Confiserie Sprüngli, at Bahnhofstrasse 21 (or in Paradeplatz), is a Zurich institution - for over a century they have been making chocolate confections. The café is located above the shop and, despite its size, is always crowded. In addition to afternoon Kaffee und Kuchen, the Sprüngli café is also well known for its brunches - the Birchermüesli is excellent. |