Time in Zurich, but not in the mood for the same garbage that Tripadvisor and Marco Polo travel guides regurgitate like cows regurgitate yesterday’s grass? We provide the ultimate bucket list of the best places to visit in Zurich in summer.
From Marina Warth
Café Sprüngli
Okay, a little cliché is allowed. And let’s face it: chocolate always works. So ask for the Truffes du Jour at Sprüngli on Paradeplatz and then grab two champagne truffles around the corner at Teuscher. The big tasting then starts on Münsterhofplatz, while stressed bankers hurry past.
Gelateria Di Berna – How Zurich tastes in summer!
Well, the best ice cream in town originally comes from Bern, but apart from the taste, the unbeatable argument is the price. If you queue up outside Gelateria di Berna on Brupbacherplatz, you can pop into the FACES editorial office around the corner later for a chat.
Florist
Photo booths were yesterday, today we draw our flowers from them. At Kalkbreite, pretty bouquets are waiting all year round for new owners, who carry a credit card as well as the odd banknote. The rule here is: only cash is king.
Campo & John Baker
Sitting and watching is nowhere more celebrated than at Helvetiaplatz. Campo has the creamiest Café Freddo in the world – and the best view of the queue forming outside the hipster bakery John Baker. An absolute highlight in Zurich in summer.
Café Nude
Whether it’s a digestive stroll or an exploratory tour: from Platzspitz next to Zurich’s main railway station, it’s all along the Limmat towards Werdinsel, preferably when night replaces day. In between, take a seat at Café Nude and enjoy the Vit Negroni, a cocktail that brings an Indian summer feeling to even the foggiest of fall days.
Palestine Grill
Eggplant, egg, tahini, tomato and cucumber nestle side by side in the Israeli Sabich, and the fact that the guys at the Palestine Grill squeeze a few fries in between makes the sandwich three points better! Pack up, go for a walk and let the effect of the Langstrasse unfold like the feeling of satiety in your stomach.
Polytrack
The view of the city from the terrace of the ETH and university, to which the Polybahn from Central takes you, provides orientation. The joy of having enough money in your pocket to avoid having to live in one of the student shared flats here comes free of charge on top.
Cabaret Voltaire
The Niederdorf is not only buzzing with bears, here the latter dance through the alleyways in packs. A nightcap at the Cabaret Voltaire – or preferably an absinthe – and take in the history of the place where eccentrics founded Dadaism in 1916.
Sternengrill & Sechseläutenplatz
St. Gallen and Zurich are like the devil and holy water. And so the people of Zurich would hardly admit that when it comes to bratwurst, the people of Eastern Switzerland are ahead after all. The Sternengrill on Bellevue therefore rebelliously serves its sausage with spicy horseradish mustard, which still burns in the throat long after you have sat down to people-watch on Sechseläutenplatz in front of the opera.
Mrs. Gerold’s garden
Sitting in the greenery and being dazzled by the reflective façade of the Prime Tower: You can sit in Frau Gerold’s garden after investing your last savings in a piece of Freitag, whose store in the form of a container tower is right next door.
Bahnhofstrasse
Hand on heart: Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse may not be the Champs Elysées, but its centerpiece, the Paradeplatz, is one of the most expensive squares in the world. As you stroll slowly towards the lake and spy the latest collections from Fendi, Balmain and co. through the shop windows of Trois Pommes, it’s easy to calculate how many centimetres you could actually afford here at a price of 10,000 francs per square meter…
Red factory
If you only come to Zurich in high heels, you might as well leave. Strap on your sneakers and walk from Bürkliplatz along the Pfnüselküste to the Rote Fabrik, have a high-proof drink poured for you and dip your feet in the cool water.
Tiefenbrunnen swimming pool
Sometimes the second-place finisher is the number one: the 2-seater streetcar takes you comfortably and casually through the whole of Zurich, from Tiefenbrunnen all the way out of the city into the suburbs. In the old streetcar, be sure to get in at the very back and bang the bell on the floor as soon as the vehicle starts moving.
Restaurant Hiltl
The 100-gram price can make tourists’ eyes water, but the buffet at Haus Hiltl, the oldest veggie restaurant in the world, is well worth letting your wallet go hungry for the rest of the day.
Crown Hall
No chance of a place in the Kronenhalle without a reservation. Never mind, there’s always an empty chair in the bar – and thus a view of Chagall’s or Mirò’s works. First of all: for the price of the cocktails, you can get a whole menu elsewhere, but in return you can also enjoy some very special creations such as the Blood & Stone, the Nightingale or Smoker’s Pleasure, which deserve medals for their names alone.
Bürkliplatz
On a cloudless day, you can see across Lake Zurich to the Alps from Bürkliplatz. Kit alarm! Turn around and take a seat in the pavilion, which normally provides a stage for dancers and lovers.
En Soie
Between Rennweg and Lindenhof, take a quick look at the new items at En Soie and buy a fabric bracelet with a slogan as a souvenir, then grab a flat white at Vicafé (make sure you get the house blend!) and after climbing the stairs, watch the locals play chess.
Hammam bazaar
It can get too much, the alleyways, the stores, the restaurants. Then it’s time to relax in the direction of Seefeld in the Hammam Bazaar, where you will be provided with everything you need for an afternoon of wellness. After a steam bath, mud pack and hot stone, ponder in cozy towels in the relaxation room while sipping fresh date milk.
Bourbon Bar
If you haven’t made a connection in Zurich yet, sit down at the bar of the Hôtel Bourbon, let Jovana, the best bartender in town, tailor a drink to your taste and let the feeling of home spread through your stomach, sip by sip.
Kafi Dihei
Anyone who thinks that Zurich can only do chic is mistaken: at Kafi Dihei, eggs, bacon and co. are served the way good friends would serve them for a hangover breakfast. Particularly good here: the homemade cakes, which can also be taken away and eaten on a picnic blanket in the park of Sihlfeld cemetery.
New to Zurich or just passing through? Here you will find all the information you need for a successful stay.
Zurich has a lot to offer. It starts at the airport and continues seamlessly with the best vegetarian restaurants.
