7 of the best gourmet dining spots in Switzerland’s biggest city:

Eating out at Zurich’s (casual) fine-dining restaurants is not a new thing for me, quite the opposite. I have been doing this on a regular basis for years – see my posts about it. Yet there are still lots of great (casual) gourmet (Michelin) restaurants in Zurich that are either new in town or I have not dined at so far. So it is time for an update as to Zurich’s flourishing culinary scene. I have visited all the places I am going to write about in the years of 2023 and 2024, and this usually for the first time. In addition, it is exclusively about restaurants geared to fine dining. And it does not matter whether they feature a casual ambiance or a sophisticated one. Plus, almost all of them are listed in the Michelin and the Gault Millau Guides.

Find below short descriptions of seven of Zurich’s best gourmet restaurants. They fall into two categories: casual fine dining and fancy fine dining. In a post to come, I will also go into such dining spots in Zurich’s surroundings. I start with the ones offering a relaxed setting however serving high-quality food nevertheless.

4 of the best casual fine-dining restaurants in Zurich

The first one on this list is the dining spot longest in business, the last one being the newest in town.

1. Restaurant Maison Manesse (district 3)

UPDATE: Maison Manesse closes its door at this location end of 2024

highly creative & surprising Michelin-starred cuisine in a perfectly relaxed setting

Maison Manesse, a pioneer in the field of casual fine dining in Zurich, opened its door in 2013. And this at a location a bit away from the center. At the time, chef Fabian Spiquel and host Miguel Ledesma were in the lead. In the meantime, chef Benjamin Plsek and host Raymond Fuerer have taken over. They brought in some new blood yet otherwise pursued the combination of experimental cuisine in an informal setting, although in a weakened form. A surprise menu is on offer at this unpretentious former neighborhood restaurant. It is available in a vegetarian, plant based or “everything” version. You can order either four courses (125 SFR/US$ without meat and fish, 135 SFR/US$ for “everything”) or six (165 SFR/US$ without meat and fish, 175 SFR/US$ for “everything”).

Alternatively to the menu, you can choose from an à la carte menu. Mains cost between 34 and 42 SFR/US$, cheese in two sizes (18 or 24 SFR/US$). Desserts range from 10 (sweet bites) to 21 SFR/US$.

When it comes to awards, Maison Manesse got a Michelin star in the second year of business, which it holds to this day. Gault Millau gives 16 points. As to the food, inspirations for the refined and well-balanced creations come from all over the world. The chef knows how to do subtle and unusual combinations of flavors and textures. As far as ingredients are concerned, the dining spot stays local. In terms of wines, Raymond Fuerer is very proficient in this field. The interiors are young and funky. And in summer, you can dine in the pleasant outdoor area too!

2. Restaurant Gül (district 4)

Turkish comfort food, sometimes also with creative touches, in an informal, vibrant setting

At Gül Restoran it is about Turkish cuisine, although with dishes not copied “one to one” from the originals. Rather, Elif Oskan, the woman behind Gül, brings in her own philosophy at this fun place. She is Turkish, brought up in Zurich, and partners up here with boyfriend Markus Stöckle (Rosi) and culinary entrepreneur Valentin Diem (Brasserie Süd). At the center of Gül is an open kitchen. The most important equipment items here are a charcoal grill and a wood oven. From those come the grilled Alpstein chicken or the home made bread just as the Pide or the Lahmacun. The oriental dessert classic of Baklava comes with almond frangipani and ice cream.

The atmosphere at this spacious restaurant (90 seats) is relaxed and lively.

In addition, there is a nice outdoor area as well.

When Gül is fully booked, the staff – who is otherwise friendly and accommodative – might be struggling with the demands of the guests. The calming force in here – when things are a bit hectic – is Elif Oskan’s father, “Baba”. On our two visits, my family opted for the Gülty Menü Sürpriz, the surprise menu for 80/85 SFR/US$ reflects the best what the kitchen has to offer. And it was both times a good choice! If you like champagne, it makes a perfect combination – and they have some excellent ones on the wine list.

You can also order from a comprehensive à la carte menu: snacks from 3 to 8 SFR/US$, cold starters between 6.50 and 16.50 SFR/US$, items from the wood oven from 2 to 18.50 SFR/US$, warm starters between 6 and 18.50 SFR/US$, grilled mains at 38 and 39.50 SFR/US$ as well as desserts at 12.50 and 22 SFR/US$. The latter is the mentioned Baklava and serves (at least) two persons. When it comes to how the food is, I am no expert in Turkish cuisine. From some online comments I read, it does not seem to be authentic all the time. Yet Elif Oskan does not pretend to be. I for one liked what we got, which was often hearty yet sometimes also imaginative! Gül, opened in 2019, has a Michelin Bib Gourmand and 15 Gault Millau points.

3. Restaurant Kle (district 3)

refined Michelin-starred vegan cuisine at Zurich’s female culinary shooting star

Kle is one of the hottest dining spots in town! The vegan restaurant, opened in 2020, took the hearts of many foodies from near and far by storm.

And among them are lots of “carnivores” too. Zineb “Zizi” Hattab, the woman behind the restaurant, has made an amazing career. Actually, she is a software engineer from Spain with Moroccan roots. Yet she developed a flair for cooking and worked for several known names in the business (for instance Andreas Caminada). And now she has become Switzerland’s vegan queen with her inventive and elaborate dishes!

Is is difficult to get a table at Kle, despite their offering two dinner seatings. The restaurant, a former neighborhood dining spot, is rather small.

In case you are not successful at securing a reservation here, give Zizi Hattab’s second restaurant, Dar,

a try. It is bigger, more down to earth and family style (see my post). Or go for drinks and snacks to the wine bar Cor,

her third spot. And her latest project was it to move her Kle during five weeks to Saint Moritz to the prestigious Hotel Badrutt’s Palace! She really keeps herself busy.

Busy is a good key word when it comes to dining at Kle. It is a well organized affair, yet sometimes you feel as guest like being in a steady assembly line operation. And the pleasant staff seems to be overwhelmed at times. If you happen to be in the first shift, people already queue for the second one long before the designated time. And this might make you – and the servers – a bit jumpy, especially in case you are seated outside. But the most important thing, a high food quality, was still granted on my visit on a hot Saturday evening. Dining at Zurich’s top shot chef is really worth it. There is a surprise menu only, either in five or six courses (120/134 SFR/US$).

Kle has a Michelin star and 15 Gault Millau points.

4. Restaurant Chicería Cantina (district 4)

hearty Peruvian food at Restaurant Barranco’s little sister

Cantina is the smaller sister of Restaurant Barranco (see my post).

And this is literally meant. Everything is a bit simpler and more down to earth than at the much beloved Barranco. The leader crew is the same, Christina Tobler Orbegoso, a half Peruvian, as manager and chef José Severino. You get hearty Peruvian food home-cooking style at this former neighborhood restaurant.

As to the food offerings, they serve two kinds of ceviche – of course –

and other rather rustic dishes, yet sometimes with a twist. On my visit not long after the opening in late 2022, it was a traditional starter-main-dessert structure. Now the food is meant for sharing as it is the case at its sister property. Whereas the selection of hot items was a bit underwhelming at the time, this obviously has changed in the meantime. There seem to be more intriguing options on the menu lately. Specifically, there are ten plates to share between 12 and 36 SFR/US$. Plus, you find three side dishes from 4 to 10 SFR/US$ and two desserts at 16 and 17 SFR/US$.

As to how it is at Cantina, the setting is nice albeit the tables are tightly packed. I liked the decor with lots of multi-colored South American cushions and doilies.

Food was fine, especially the ceviches and the desserts. The hot dishes were good yet not really exciting. The staff was friendly enough yet a bit taciturn – probably due to lacking language skills. Overall, going through my dinner at the Cantina in early 2023, I thought they still needed to step up their game a bit.

After these four restaurants with ambitious cuisine yet a rather relaxed ambiance, now to three more conventional fine dining establishments.

3 of the best fancy fine-dining restaurants in Zurich

The first dining spot I am going into is not exactly a new discovery in Zurich. Yet I have not dined here for quite some time – and have not mentioned it on my blog so far. Plus, it is quite a unique place in Zurich. So, I thought that I should it include here. The other two however are newly (re-)opened restaurants. And I am sure we will hear a lot more about them in the time to come.

1. Restaurant Bianchi (district 1)

for sure the freshest and probably the best fish restaurant in town

Bianchi is a local fixture.

The restaurant is a joint venture between the most known Swiss fish dealer Bianchi and Bindella. The latter is a family owned company in the wine and gastronomy business. It goes almost without saying, you get fish and seafood at Bianchi, and the possibly best in town. It is about classics here. Many of the dishes have been on the menu since the beginnings in 2008. Think of freshly caught pikeperch, sea bass or tuna, prepared in various ways. And imagine, fish is delivered twice daily!

When dining at Bianchi, you look in vain for meat dishes on the menu. Instead you can make your choice out of several starters (from 18 to 44 SFR/US$), pasta and risotto (29 to 68 SFR/US$), freshwater fish (54 and 56 SFR/US$) and sea fish (49 to 68 SFR/US$). In addition, there is a variety of grilled fish and seafood. King prawns, scallops and king scampis cost per unit (8.50 to 12.50 SFR/US$). A seafood selection from the grill amounts to 78 SFR/US$.

As you might have noticed, dining at Bianchi is no inexpensive affair. Yet the portions are generous and the kitchen helmed by Lucio Paiano, knows how to prepare the delicate fish and seafood. From what I read, there are exclusively Italian chefs at work at Bianchi. This is evident in the desserts with lots of Italian options (from 12 to 16 SFR/US$). Service under the lead of Paulo Alexandre, a born Portuguese, is old school, polite and efficient. The restaurant, set on the water (Limmat river), is elegant and very close to the main train station. As to awards, Bianchi is Michelin listed and has 14 Gault Millau points.

2. Restaurant Orsini by Mandarin Oriental (district 1)

refined high-end Italian cuisine at one of Zurich’s chicest restaurants

Restaurant Orsini used to be one of Zurich’s fine-dining fixtures (see my post). And now it has reopened under a new management, hosted by Mandarin Oriental Savoy, end of 2023. And this hotel group has big plans with its flagship restaurant in Zurich. The “old” Orsini was a high-end Italian restaurant and the same is true for the “new”. But there is a difference, now it is about modern Italian cuisine, while in the past there was an emphasis on a traditional one.

When entering the premises, you soon notice that not one stone is left on another. Said that, the entrance gate remained, however the art nouveau lamps lining the entrance area had to give way to more contemporary ones.

I liked the modern interior design, kept in light beige tones and with striped columns, wooden floors and panelings.

And the staff led by Anaïs Boutin suited the chic space. It was professional, obliging and smooth. But of course, my husband and I together with good friends came first of all for the substance, not for the style. And that is of course the food (four-/six-course menu 155/175 SFR/US$, à la carte from 20 to 95 SFR/US$).

What can I say? I was delighted by what they had in store for us. The dining experience at the new Orsini restaurant was nothing short of fantastic, both in terms of appearance and taste. The six-course tasting menu was a series of highlights.

Among others it featured a fabulous lukewarm mackerel with almond almond milk, two best-of pasta dishes or a succulent blue lobster.

And the sweet dishes were out-of-this-world amazing! Here, the highly talented Andy Vorbusch – Restaurant Memories (see my post) – is at work. As to the chef, it is about Dario Moresco. He was appointed by two-star Michelin chef Antonio Guida (Mandarin Oriental Milan), who also acts as a supervisor at the new Orsini. I am sure the first Michelin star will be awarded soon! There is just one downer, the wine list with overpriced wines too young to drink.

3. Restaurant AN Fine Dining (District 1)

UPDATE: Oscar de Matos leaves end of June 2024

new worlds of taste at stylish restaurant headed by brilliant chef who learned his craft at El Bulli

And yet another highly talented chef pitches his tent in Zurich! It is about Oscar de Matos who took over the fine dining restaurant at Restaurant AN as from February 2024. He does this in cooperation with Marcus G. Lindner, a top shot in Switzerland’s culinary scene. The whole thing takes place at Restaurant AN, which was opened end of 2023 just a short walk from the main train station. In a first step, only the casual dining spot on the ground floor started the business. Here you get Chinese-European cuisine with a special focus on dumplings.

The thing with the dumplings is not just a coincidence. Behind AN is Yifei Li Ledermann, a Chinese-born ex-model. Since some time, she has been working in the hospitality industry and now established AN – her nickname, it means calm – together with her husband, entrepreneur Marc Ledermann. It was her dream to create a place where East and West meet in a culinary experience. And this in a cozy, refined atmosphere. While this involves a cool, chic place in red and black on the ground floor, it is about an intimate one on the upper floor. AN Fine Dining caters for a maximum of 22 guests only and is kept in subtle rose and blue hues.

Whereas chef Oscar de Matos – known as Lucerne’s culinary star at Restaurant Maihöfli where he earned a Michelin star – works in the kitchen, his partner Nadine Baumgartner is responsible for the front of the house. And she does this in an amiable, competent way. Yet also the chef was very visible on the evening my family and I dined at AN, which was not busy (Sechseläuten-weekend). He placed all the plates of the five-course meal (185 SFR/US$) – can be expanded by three more courses – in front of us and explained them.

And the food, it was a culinary revelation! The chef really has a knack for fermentation! He creates dishes that are unparalleled in terms of taste. It is mind blowing what he does with supposedly ordinary ingredients that he combines with unusual ones from foreign cuisines just as the Japanese or the Mexican ones. While I loved everything I ate here, I was absolutely blown away by the first course “Kohlrabi”, paired with salted caramel chipotle, buttermilk vinaigrette and chili oil.

What an intense taste sensation! Michelin stars are just a matter of time …

Outlook on what is to come as to fine-dining restaurants in Switzerland

As announced earlier, this is not all I have to offer when it comes to (casual) fine dining in Zurich.

There is more outside of town. It is about three Michelin (starred) restaurants to reach from Zurich city in less than half an hour, either by car or train. Later on, I will also blog on three gourmet dining-spots in Basel that I visited in 2023 and 2024 for the first time.

Date of visits: March 2023 – April 2024

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