Uncover the best restaurants in Zurich

You’ll likely eat a lot of cheese and chocolate in Zurich. The city’s local delicacies are a must. But when you’re ready for a proper feast, there’s a fair share of nice restaurants to choose from too.

For Michelin star meals and casual street food. Swiss cuisine and international eateries. And as the city’s top aparthotel (honest, check out our reviews), we’ve tried a fair few. Here’s where we consider the best restaurants in Zurich.

Michelin star restaurants

elmira fine dining, Limmatstrasse

Best for: a relaxed date night where you won’t have to worry about who gets the bill.

You wouldn’t normally pay for an entire meal in advance. But at elmira, the unique concept makes complete sense. Once you pay, you become their guest. Order another glass of wine, keep the bottle or have a second plate of your favourite course. Once you’re at the table, you’re a friend of elmira’s.

So, what to expect? There’s two set menus, for five or seven ‘acts’. Plus an exciting list of organic wines and homemade juices. The food itself is seasonal with dishes including wagyu tartare, leek and black garlic, and brown buttered artichoke ice cream.

Restaurant Weisses Rössli, Bederstrasse

Best for: seasonal flavours served in a romantic outdoor oasis.

The flavours of Italy, France and Switzerland join forces at this Michelin starred eatery where French chef, Mathieu Bacon, brings his native cuisine to Zurich. As well as 14 Gault Millau points, which in layman’s terms means he’s a top notch cook.

Weisses Rössli is a cosy, welcoming local restaurant that creates frill-free dishes from seasonal produce. There’s fine wines, home baked bread and an intimate courtyard terrace for alfresco dining in summer. Choose from between two to five courses.

Zurich’s best Indian restaurants

You might not expect to get a good vindaloo in Switzerland. But in reality, some of Zurich’s best restaurants come from different corners of the world. Here’s where to get a good Indian.

Tamarind Hill Indian Restaurant, Schaffhauserstrasse

Best for: contemporary curries that will blow your socks off.

Tamarind Hill is what happens when local Swiss ingredients, homegrown herbs and traditional flavours come together. The modern Indian restaurant serves up a vibrant menu of expected and unexpected dishes from Duck Madras to Chicken Chettinad. Each crafted to perfection with their own spice mixes.

Book a table for an authentic dining experience - the owners pride themselves on celebrating the rich heritage of India in ways more than food. Or get your feast delivered to Locke Am Platz and tuck in at your new home.

Tadka Indian Restaurant, Quellenstrasse Is changing address

Best for: spicing up the night with a butter chicken and naan for dipping.

This local curry house is a true hidden gem. Warm hospitality, hot curries and cool interiors attract neighbours every night of the week. And Tadka’s family recipes are the main reason why.

There’s plenty of freshly-cooked meat, fish and veggie options, with a few seasonal specials to tempt you away from your go-to curry. Make sure to book in advance - even on a Monday, Tadka’s tables can be hard to come by. Or come along at lunchtime for an Indian buffet you can pig out on.

The best Chinese restaurants in Zurich

Chopsticks at the ready, there’s a bunch of great Asian restaurants in Zurich to try.

Red Lion Kloten, Schaffhauserstrasse

Best for: sharing super fresh sushi before your flight home.

If you want sushi in Zurich, you go to Red Lion. The Asian restaurant in Kloten is moments from the airport, the perfect spot for filling up before you leave the city.

As well as great service, you can expect a lengthy menu to choose from. There’s Kung Pao Chicken, duck and orange sauce, and spicy Thai curries. But the sushi menu is not one to miss. Order seafood poke bowls, sashimi platters and all the uramaki you can eat in-house or to takeaway.

Restaurant Nihao, Oerlikonerstrasse

Best for: an all-you-can-eat Asian buffet you can get stuffed on.

Sometimes the best food comes from no-frills restaurants. And that’s the case at Restaurant Nihao. This Asian eatery might not be super trendy but the food and service is first-rate.

Help yourself to unlimited Chinese dishes, freshly served from the kitchen. There’s Peking Duck, chicken noodles and plenty of fragrant rich dishes. Plus a chocolate fountain you can smother sweet bits in.

Some of our favourite places to eat

As local residents, we’ve tried a fair few of Zurich’s most popular and lesser known restaurants. From Old Town to the Enge district, here’s where you’ll find us eating out in the city.

Choupette, Locke am Platz, Tessinerplatz

Best for: when you want to go to that hot new place everyone’s talking about.

We promise we’re not exaggerating when we say our very own French brasserie is the new favourite place to eat in town - just ask the locals.

Chef Jaco Redlinghuys is behind the creative concept. With nods to Nordic cuisine and Japanese techniques from pickling to fermenting. So you can expect a vibrant mix of authentic flavours. Come for breakfast, stay for lunch and pop back again for dinner. There’s good coffee and natural wines to quench your thirst.

La Fonte, Duebendorfstrasse

Best for: a calzone pizza that’s bigger than your head.

Step into La Fonte and you can expect a warm Italian welcome. Hosts Rosa and Giovanni are full of passion and the food more than shows it.

The menu’s pretty much what you’d expect from an authentic Italian restaurant. There’s homemade pasta and gnocchi, fresh antipasti and a seriously long pizza list topped with local ingredients and Swiss meat. But the star of the show is the giant calzone. Tackle it alone or share with your neighbour. Just make sure to leave room for tiramisu.

Iberia Tapas, Albisriederstrasse

Best for: ordering just one more round of patatas bravas over Spanish wine.

Nothing gets friends talking like tapas. Spain’s beloved sharing dishes are made for social occasions. So if you’re feeling chatty, make sure to head to Iberia Tapas.

There’s all the classic dishes you love and know: patatas bravas, crispy calamari and Spanish omelette. But the chefs have also had fun in the kitchen making their own. Try Galician style octopus with cheese, red wine chorizo and blood pudding croquettes.

Alpenrose, Fabrikstrasse

Best for: the best meatloaf in Zurich… among other Swiss specialities.

You can’t come to Zurich without trying meatloaf. And you can’t try meatloaf without having Rosie’s veal meatloaf at Alpenrose. When we say it’s the best in the city, we mean it. But if veal isn’t your cup of tea, you won’t be short of other things to sample. There’s plenty more hearty Swiss food to get your hands on.

Alpenrose is more than a restaurant. It’s also part of a social project that helps those with mental health disabilities to enter, or re-enter, the workforce. So you can feel even better whilst you tuck into your mountain cheeseboard.

SIGN Gastro World, Bahnhofstrasse

Best for: showing off your grill skills on a DIY BBQ.

SIGN Gastro World really is a world of its own. With a party kitchen club, hidden cigar lounge, private chef’s table and various menus to indulge in, this is one of the more fun restaurants in Zurich.

There’s signature Alpine dishes of veal shoulder roast and beef goulash, as well as an international menu with the likes of tiger shrimp and ‘choose your bun’ burgers. But the bit we love is GRILL. Described as ‘smokeless BBQ fun’, diners can sizzle surf, turf and veggies on a tabletop grill before smothering them in homemade dips.

Your space to sleep and live at Locke am Platz

You’ve eaten your way across Zurich. Now it’s time to make yourself at home.

Our boutique aparthotel in Zurich is yours to retreat to. There’s spacious rooms, velvet-lined corners and a cosy cafe to co-work in. Plus our all-day restaurant and bar for when you get the munchies.

Head out or order in. Live how you like at Locke am Platz.