I thought, why not ask locals to share their favorite food places in the city and put them together into a list? And so here they are – tasty restaurants in Zürich, organized by area, and tested by locals or by me.  This is one to bookmark 🙂

KREIS 1

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• Hiltl 
  Oldest vegetarian restaurant in Europe, highly recommended by everyone.
  https://www.hiltl.ch/en/
  My note: I tried the buffet – yep, it’s delicious and the amount of choice is insane. It’s amazing what talented chefs can do with just vegetables. The buffet is self-service and you can sit both indoors and outdoors. Upstairs there is an a la carte restaurant. Little tip for the buffet – you will be super tempted to try 10 different things, but I would recommend choosing maximum 3-4 that go well together, otherwise, you feel like you tried a bit of everything but didn’t really get a full meal. 

• Sprüngli
  Swiss confectionery founded in 1836, known for its macarons called “Luxemburgerli”.
  https://www.spruengli.ch/cms/en/
  My note: I haven’t been to the cafe, it’s on my list, but I’ve tried a lot of chocolate cakes from the confiserie and ohh.. you just can’t go wrong. I mean, I don’t think I need to sell anyone on Swiss chocolate anyway. This place is top notch.

• Milchbar
  Cafe with inner courtyard
  http://www.milchbar.ch/
  My note: I was there on a cold spring day and the little indoor space is super cosy, the baristas are friendly and the coffee was great. I’d love to come back to sit in the courtyard. This place is right near Paradeplatz, but it’s so well tucked in that it takes a while to find. 

• Vorderer Sternen/Sternen Grill
  Near Bellevue
  http://www.sternengrill.ch/

• Sushi bar at Globus Bellevue
  https://www.globus.ch/filialsuche/store/105

• Positano
  For gluten free Italian options
  http://positano.ch/

• Santa Lucia
  Italian restaurant in Niederdorf
  http://www.bindella.ch/de/santa-lucia-niederdorf.html

• Terrace
  High-ceilinged space & huge outdoor terrace, serving upscale Italian veal ravioli, steak & linguine.

  http://www.bindella.ch/de/terrasse-restaurant.html

• Rooftop restaurant
  https://www.zuerich.com/en/visit/restaurants/rooftop-restaurant
  My note: less for food, more for drinks, but if you get a table you need to order at least some appetizers and they are tasty. But really, who are we kidding, this place is all about the view.

KREIS 2

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• Ona Poke
  http://onapoke.com/
  It’s like a superbowl of goodness
  My note: Went here for lunch with the corporate crowd, got the salmon and black rice with avocado and mango… probably one of the healthiest lunches I’ve ever had. Tip: you think you’ll eat the big bowl.. but the small one is big enough 🙂

KREIS 3

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• WirtschaftimFranz
  Local and seasonal produce
  https://www.wirtschaftimfranz.ch/

• Kafi Dihei
  Brunch spot not far from Idaplatz
  https://www.kafidihei.ch/https://www.kafidihei.ch/
  My note: Adorable little patio tucked away on a cute street in Kreis 3 (inside it also looked cute). We went on a Saturday morning and ordered omelets, müsli, tea – everything was delicious. It’s a perfect place for brunch and it’s a 100% local spot.

KREIS 4

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• L’Osteria Mamma Leone
  Italian restaurant
  http://www.losteriamammaleone.ch/
  My note: We got lucky one Friday night strolling through Kreis 4 and scored an outdoor table at 8pm. This place has a great atmoshphere. The staff are friendly and smiley, joking with each other in Italian, but they are also very helpful and polite. The portions are quite big and the prices are ok by Zürich standards. We liked it for the overall experience of food + ambiance. 

• BEBEK
  Middle Eastern food
  http://www.bebek.ch/
  My note: yesssss, I’d wanted to go to this place forever and we finally tried it several weeks ago. Great quality food, fresh and super tasty, and I loved sitting outside under the lights. 

• Le Cèdre
  Traditional meze & grilled meats in lively eatery, with Arabian ‘starry sky’ mural & belly dancing.
  http://www.libanesisch.ch/en/

• Tenz
  Tibetan momo and bar
  http://www.tenz.ch/

• La Baracca
  One of the many Italian restaurants in this area, more on the upscale end
  http://www.ristorante-labaracca.ch/
  My note: I still haven’t been there though I’ve walked by a ton times. To be honest, reviews are mixed on this place. Some say it’s incredible, others say it’s meh, but I can tell you it’s always packed. So they must be doing something right.

KREIS 5

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• Brisket
  From their page: Southern BBQ & Bar
  https://www.brisket.ch/

• CLOUDS
  From their page: Panoramic city views from slick European restaurant in a tower, plus informal bistro & cocktail bar.
  http://clouds.ch/en/

• Maison Blunt
  From their page: Moroccan couscous & tagine dishes served in a laid-back venue with a leafy terrace & ornate tearoom.
  http://www.maison-blunt.ch/

• Mame Coffee
  https://mame-coffee.com/
  Apparently, it’s run by Swiss barista champions https://europeancoffeetrip.com/two-new-cafes-in-zurich-run-by-three-swiss-barista-champions/

• JOSEF
  Photo-covered, wood-paneled dining room, serving small plates of creative Med/European dishes.
  http://www.josef.ch/

• Lily’s
  Asian restaurant
  https://lilys.ch/

• Wesley’s Kitchen
  Chinese restaurant
  https://www.wesleys-kitchen.ch/

KREIS 8

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• Tibits
  Bright, airy venue with a pay-by-weight buffet for hot & cold vegetarian & vegan dishes, & takeaway.
  http://www.tibits.ch/

OUTSIDE ZURICH CORE

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• Restaurant Die Waid
  Swiss- & Asian-inspired fare with wok-fried dishes & big windows & terrace for city/mountain views.
  http://diewaid.ch/?lang=en

• Maison Manesse
  Has a Michelin star
  http://www.maisonmanesse.ch/

• Seerose restaurant
  From their page: Locally reared meat & a healthy menu served at a huge lakeside terrace & wood-floored dining room.
  http://seerose.dinning.ch/en/home.html

• Daizy restaurant
  If you google for the pictures of interior and food, it looks stunning and delicious
  http://daizy.ch/

• Bürgli
  Looks like it’s in a historical house on top of a hill with some stunning lake views.
  http://www.restaurantbuergli.ch/

• Fischer’s Fritz
  Based on Instagram photos, a very popular local summer place (I personally keep waiting for a free hot day to bike out there)
  http://www.fischers-fritz.ch/en/restaurant/impressions/

 

Thanks to everyone who shared their favorites with me! This is by no means an exhaustive list, it’s maybe like a popular 1%. I just thought it would be useful for other newbies to the city to have a local’s list as a starting point 🙂 And please feel free to submit more great spots, I will add them here.

Also, for reviews and more background story on different restaurants, my favorite local resources are @visitzurich and @harrysding 🙂

Guete!