Zurich restaurants

There is a list of restaurants in Zurich that are worth of visit (and that I visited at least once). They range from sophisticated ones, where a table should be booked weeks in advance, to simple ones full of students and teenagers.

Regular ones:

• Holy Cow is one of my favourite places. There are several restaurants across Switzerland, I was in two in Zurich and one in Fribourg. All of them served perfect burgers. They are very big and tasty, cooked according to your wishes – medium or well-done. As a side you can get fries – big salty ones, and to them mustard/ketchup/mayo as much as you want. Pay attention to the menu vs. separate burger – in a menu you get burgers, fries and a non-alcoholic beverage.
• La Taquería is a Mexican restaurant. The menu is huge as well as the portions. I really liked there Quesadillas with cheese and Changuitas. It is quite loud there, but very friendly and informal. You might want to book a table shortly in advance – in the evenings it is very full.
• Hiltl is a must during your visit to Zurich. It is the oldest vegetarian restaurant in Switzerland (was founded in the end of 19 century). But do not be scared, even non-vegetarians will find their food delicious (especially dessert part). All food in their multiple locations across Zurich is offered in a buffet style, where you can choose whatever and how much you want and pay by weight. There are special offers like brunch or breakfast, they offer an extended menu with eggs, pancakes, croissants and other “morning” food. Hiltl also has a night club, that is known to support no-fur movement, and sometimes in the news you can read that someone was asked to leave because of the real fur on their jacket. As for the restaurants, so far I have not seen anyone who was not allowed inside because of a fur coat/hat.
• Tibits is similar to Hiltl, but exists also in other Swiss cities. They also have a buffet, they offer brunches and are a nice place to spend couple of hours with friends.
• Samurai II has simply the best sushi in Zurich. They offer nice lunch boxes as well as sushi, soups (ramen) and other traditional Japanese food. The restaurant is small, and it is a good idea to book a bit in advance a table (especially for lunch).
• IKOO restaurant serves wonderful ramen. You can find in their menu some other dishes as well (very good ones, without doubts), but people come here to eat ramen. For evenings you must book in advance, this restaurant is tiny, and there are always people wishing to get fresh ramen.
• Mythos restaurant offers traditional Greek food. A Greek friend of mine brought me here first time, and since then I come here regularly. You can get a take-away here as well, sometimes during lunch it is the best solution, as there are so many people inside. All food is freshly made, and the portions are big (even the ones that are called “small ones”). The only downside of this place is that they can be sometimes slow, so it is not a place for a quick 30 minutes lunch.

Upper-scale ones:

• Marcellino is s small jewel of the district. It is cozy, friendly and quickly gets full, so book in advance. Those who enjoy good seafood would definitely find something tasty here. Apart from that, risotto as a side dish and trofie as a main course both deserve an honorable mention.
• [closed] Gustav Restaurant & Bar provides an unforgettable experience guided by their star chef Antonio Colaianni. This restaurant is one of the best in Zurich, it has 16 Gault Millau points. All courses are alternated with different little snacks, so although we ordered 3-course meal, in the end we had about 6 different changes including chef’s compliments and Parma ham between main dishes and sweets afterwards. The interior is very relaxing and calming, tables are not crowded so that all guests have enough space for their conversations. You might need follow some basic dresscode rules.
• Differente restaurant is very nice, cozy and cooks in my opinion the best Züri Gschnätzlets . They serve more classic and “home-styled” cuisine as Gustav, offering some special dishes depending on the season: for example, in autumn their menu includes game (especially venison). It is a great place to try popular Swiss recipes made with high quality.
• Da Angela has 14 Gault Millau points and creates wonderful Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. Especially I want to praise their home-made ravioli and Nüsslisalat with egg und croûtons. The restaurant is almost always fully booked, so it is a good idea to book in advance.