I know a cool place in Zürich

24/03/2019

Cool hidden gems have been in short supply in Zurich as of late, or at least that’s my excuse for not posting in a while...

However Coffee Shack on Müllerstrasse warranted an end to my hiatus and a return to publishing gratuitous commentary on Zurich’s food scene. As the name implies, this establishment offers caffeinated beverages for a discerning palate minus the pretentious baristas. The biggest surprise however comes from the small kitchen at the back. Between the delectable brunch menu and their insta-worthy cakes it boggles the mind how this place isn’t packed on a Sunday morning. Food and drink prices are average but the desserts will cost you a pretty penny.

I’m hoping the Harley Davidson aficionados across the road keep turning petrol into noise, thus turning off enough customers to guarantee me a table on any given Sunday.

08/04/2018

Eat my balls...is the name of the game at The Yard Zürich in Bäckerstrasse 62. They've got every kind of ball a girl would ever want but I do wish they grew a pair and took advantage of all the puntastic possibilities on their menu.

Would highly recommend ordering the Superballs to get a taste everything from meat balls to veggie ones. We were having too much of a ball to take a photo so instead, I've nabbed a shot off the proprietor's Instagram account to illustrate how our meal went. Favourite item was the Bolas de Bacalhau served with garlic aioli. It's worth keeping some room for the tiramisu and pana cotta by the way!

Prices are average, service was good (the staff were also refreshingly honest about their c**ktail making skills when we tried to order complicated classics). There's also a DJ onsite during the dinner service who surprisingly had a pretty good set list and seems to have perfected the volume levels for an optimal vibe to conversation ratio. Overall great choice for a meal out with friends with a strong potential for dinner dates. Ball’s in your court.

24/09/2017

By now, half the town is clucking about Yardbird Southern Fried Chicken...

The new restaurant hatched by the same people that brought us The Bite and Brisket are sure to ruffle some feathers with their take on posh fried chicken. Yes, make no mistake that what Chef Dan Shu is serving is a cut above the £3.99 chicken boxes you'd get from any of London's fowl establishments. Situated in Westrasse 146, all traces of the former Chinese restaurant are gone. Replaced with the usual hipster aesthetics and finished off a with giant c**k on the wall.

The adventurous can opt to have their delectable pieces of poultry doused in soy or covered in hot sauce. Although a couple of the chicks in my crew went for the classic chicken and waffles which went down a treat.

Service is nice although understandably the team are still finding their feet having just opened a few days ago (that or the stress of serving 8 hangry women got to them). However be assured that this place is everything it's cracked up to be and more. Whether you're just peckish or famished, pop into Yardbird and make any day a Fry-day.

07/05/2017

If you thought this was a sad corner booth seen at Little Chef you would be dead wrong. Fitted with resplendent teal tabletops and plush carpet on the walls, the 3rd Helvti branch at Bellevue pays an unironic homage to 50s diners and roadside restaurants...

Despite this judgemental foodie's love-hate relationship with Helvti's burgers and the sheer desperation borne out of waiting until 10 pm on a Saturday night to make brunch reservations, we decided to give this spot a chance. The place nearly gave me a heart attack if only because the plate of bacon, eggs, English muffins and hash browns which was brought over by a bespectacled hipster cost less than 20 francs! Turns out, they make up for any lost earnings by charging exorbitantly for a glass of OJ.

Between the non-greasy food, pleasant servers and portion sizes designed with normal people in mind, the Helvti Diner at Bellevue is a well executed pastiche that leans heavily on Wes Anderson's design sensibilities. It's definitely a welcome addition to Zurich's brunch scene and even more so when the chef finally realises that eggs Benedict should only come topped with hollandaise sauce instead of the cheese gloop they serve today.

If you're the kind of person who has the audacity to walk into a coffee bar and order a decaf because "it's basically the same" then go ahead and enjoy your eggs Benedict. The rest of us whose self-preservation instincts are slightly more evolved will order something else from the menu next time.

19/02/2017

Once upon a time there was a brilliant little Korean food joint tucked away in Schützengasse. It was a sad day when they closed up shop but as with any short lived love affair...we all learn to move on.

The guys at Palette have since turned this weird L-shaped unit into a cool little cafe/bar. Plush chairs, soft mood lighting, cozy atmosphere and brilliant c**ktails make this a perfect spot for whiling away the rest of winter without fear of being called a shut in. On a scale of one to Tinder, this is the place where you'd want your new significant other to meet your friends. Guaranteed, it'll make everyone look rather more civilised than they actually are and put a sheen of class on an otherwise awkward binge drinking affair.

Lucky for you lot, the bartenders (photo stolen off their page) are rather attentive and friendly so the chances of ever having an empty glass is minimal. Prices are standard for Zurich bars. Felix the Duke is pretty tasty and so is the apple-pie-sailor-jerry concoction.

Check it out but please don't tell any of your friends. No one likes a busy bar where you have to wait 20 mins for a drink just because the 'cool' kids finally found it.

05/02/2017

Juicery 21: Hipster hype or health hero? I'll leave that one for you to ponder...however the one thing I can definitely say is that the lovely people at this establishment will pack as many vitamins as possible into your instagram post. An apple a day may keep the doctor away but a quinoa bowl will keep likes coming your way. Just don't forget the obligatory hashtag: . If you're a hipster-foodie-blogger, haul your ass over to the Juicery now before they get too mainstream.

We tried the peanut butter, banana and date smoothie as well as the apple, cinnamon, ginger and lemon pressed juice. Definitely tasty. Obviously expensive. These guys serve up smoothies, juices, quinoa bowls, bagels, acai bowls and coffee. Menu looks more like a grocery list but at least you know what you're getting.

The purported health benefits of said beverages did make me feel better about wolfing down a massive English breakfast earlier though. So all in all, it was worth it.

11/09/2016

Grand Café Lochergut is a fairly new addition to Kreis 4. Its oriental inspired cuisine, bow-tied wait staff and stripe-y interior is further proof of the area's gentrification. There was a time when it would have been easier to get a 3-headed strap-on from the 'specialty' stores on Badenerstrasse than it was to get a decent cup of coffee. But thanks to the Internet and next day delivery, the neighbourhood is well on its way to becoming Zurich's gastro haven.

This place is perfect for people who hate making brunch reservations weeks in advance and loathe overpriced buffet brunches. Full disclosure: I had an amazing Shakshuka but only remembered to take a photo after I'd demolished about half of the dish. So you're stuck with a photo of my cappuccino instead...

Given a choice between Cafe Bebek up the road and Grand Cafe Lochergut, GCL would win hands-down especially if you're a fan of Eggs Benedict.

If only I hadn't stuffed myself with so much homemade bread, I could have had one of the tasty looking desserts too...but thankfully, I live to eat another day.

28/07/2016

Cancel your dinner plans! It's a glorious day for al fresco dining so head on out to the Street Food Festival. It's on until this weekend but why wait?

We're determined to try as much nosh as we can so wish us luck! But just in case we don't make it through all the stands, post photos of your favourites so we don't feel like we've missed out.

06/12/2015

So here's a confession, I love Italian food but I find pizza and pasta to be just....MEH. It seems rather stupid to distill an entire culture's cuisine into just two forms of carbohydrates and then just leave it at that.

Anyway, imagine my surprise when we ended up at TIMES Ristorante and the menu featured more than just your standard pizza and pasta fare. Being a middle-class millennial, I like to indulge in a certain level of risk-taking in my life. I remember the adrenalin pumping through my veins the first time I watched Big Brother, with the sound barely audible, after my mom had explicitly banned us from watching it. I get a similar rush these days whenever I use my washing machine on a Sunday...

So when I saw an option on Times' menu that said Chef's Choice, I just couldn't resist. Having the chef Giovanni Melis promise to serve 10 dishes of wonderful antipasti, fish and meat for a mere Fr.55 was just the perfect way to spice up an evening in Zurich. As you can deduce dear reader, I like to fly in the face of danger.

If there are thrill-seekers among you then grab your bravest friends, order a couple of bottles of wine and brace yourself for an evening of amazing Italian food. Not enough risk for you? Then go on, walk in there on a Friday night and ask for a table for 6...when you haven't made a reservation.

Photos: Shamelessly stolen from http://times-zurich.com/

29/10/2015

What's there to do on a depressingly dull Thursday evening in Zurich? Might I suggest the Food Market this evening...

Reasons that might persuade you:
1. It's indoors
2. Amazing food stalls
3. A ping pong carousel (whatever that is...)

Von Vietnam-Banh-Mi zu Trüffelrisotto all'Alba, von Venezuelan-Arepas zu Berlin-Raclette! 10 fein ausgewählte Foodstalls machen zwischen Oktober und Dezember in den ehrwürdigen Hallen des EWZ Selnau Halt. Dabei kocht jeder Foodstand nur eine Spezialität, dieses aber mit viel Herzblut! Eine exquisite…

28/08/2015

So what's a girl to do with fried chicken cravings on a Thursday night in Zurich?

Friends, Romans, countrymen...lend me your ears! Last night over at Badenestrasse 540, we found Freihof. I'm not going to lie, it didn't look cool...upon entering said premises, one was gripped by utmost uncertainty. However, the old(er) clientele, tired furniture and rather bland decor was merely a facade.

So when you get there, fight every urge you have of walking back out. Instead, sit your ass down in one of the booths and order some fried chicken, country cut fries and coleslaw. For 20 bucks you get 3 pieces of chicken and a side...absolute bargain in Zurich.

The proprietors of this unassuming establishment boldly claim to make 'KFC' style chicken... The gentleman manning the deep fryer certainly gives the colonel a run for his money. Folks, I have to announce that Fork and Bottle ain't the only fried chicken game in town anymore.

People of Zurich, time to lock up your children lest they discover the gloriously deep fried secrets to America's obesity epidemic. As it stands, this is a public service announcement. The more you stay away from this place, the healthier you'll be. (And the more fried chicken there'll be, for the likes of me!)