Fine dining yet in a relaxed, informal setting in Zurich city:

After outpointing some of the best fancy Michelin restaurants in Zurich, now the same for casual fine dining. And note well that the most prominent thing that distinguishes the more informal places from the fancy ones, is the setting. The standards concerning used products, their preparation and partly also their arrangement are more or less the same. It may be that casual fine dining is a bit more on the modern side. You are likely to encounter contemporary concepts just as family style dining (shared plates) and dining spots only offering vegetarian or even vegan food. Also it is often about world food. And in some cases, you will find that prices are a bit lower than at the more formal places. This may also be related to the fact that they are often in areas which are not considered as particularly posh.

Now that you know what to expect when heading for casual fine dining (Michelin) in Zurich, here are some of the most desirable hip spots in town. In case you should be interested in fine dining in Zurich’s surroundings as well, my next post will go into this topic.

1. Restaurant Josef (district 5)

urban hip restaurant with modern European cuisine, served as shared plates in small portions

My son and I enjoyed a delicious lunch at this trendy restaurant at the end of the previous year. From what I read on their website, they stopped offering lunch as from May 2022. But I am confident that their dinner will persuade as well! When doing so, you can make your choice out of a menu of about ten savory (21 to 24 SFR/US$) and three sweet dishes (12 to 14 FR/US$) plus cheese (16.50 FR/US$) and ice cream (7 FR/US$ per scoop). They are all shared plates in small portions and with no recognizable difference between starters and mains.

While I cannot judge about the individual dishes, they all sound exciting. David Heimer, a young Swedish, has been in charge here since spring 2020. For him it was a return to his former place of work as he already had been sous chef at Josef some years ago. On offer at this eatery is modern European food (Michelin listed, 15 points Gault Millau).

As to the ambiance at this dining spot, it has an urban hip vibe. One wall is full of black-and-white portrait photos, another one is wood–paneled in black plus decorated with mirrored tiles, alternating with colored ones. This is quite a sight.

The restaurant is rather large, there are about 100 seats at tightly packed tables. Service on our visit was friendly and attentive.

2. Restaurant Pueente (district 5)

cool eatery with contemporary Peruvian food, yet a bit too loud and smelly (Grill!)

Already when climbing the steps to this modern, vibrant eatery you smell the coal heated grill.

And your first gaze falls on the open kitchen where the husband-and-wife team is at work.

Before coming to Zurich, Paulo Timoteo und Lorena Olmo were at the famous three-star Michelin restaurant DiverXO in Madrid. Since summer 2020, you can enjoy their exciting Peruvian food at this informal restaurant not far from the city’s main train station.

While the menu is designed that the dishes are shared, you do not have to. And so our party of four decided on a starter and a main with a side dish each. For dessert we shared one among two persons. The ideal dish to begin your meal is one of the ceviches (18 to 23 SFR/US$), which were great.

Yet the other appetizers sound good too (19 SFR/US$). One of our party had Dim Sum and raved about it. To continue your meal (32 to 36 SFR/US$), good choices are either the grilled half chicken or the grilled octopus. Add rice or bread, and you are all set! When it comes to desserts, there is only one, Pai de Lucuma, a fruit that is native to South America, paired with meringue.

Overall, we enjoyed our dinner at Pueente, which offered an exotic mix of sights, flavors, sounds and smells. Although the latter two were a bit overpowering. Staff was pretty good yet did not really leave a lasting impression.

3. Restaurant Dar (district 5)

flavorful Moroccan comfort food in relaxed ambiance

Restaurant Dar is the second restaurant of Zineb “Zizi” Hattab. The first one is Kle, serving upscale vegan cuisine inspired by the Moroccan roots of the former software engineer and the Mexican cuisine. Although it was only opened at the beginning of 2020, she did not shy away from another project. After all, Kle became one of the city’s most desirable addresses for foodies (Michelin one star, 15 points Gault Millau). And so, she opened Dar in late summer 2021 (Michelin Bib Gourmand, 13 points Gault Millau). Here she celebrates the cuisine of her Moroccan parents, simple comfort food and again vegan only.

When I saw the the place, I was astonished to see how large it is. The restaurant already used to be a Moroccan one (Maison Blunt) before Zizi Hattab has taken over, and it definitely has something of a riad. Yet there is also the vibe of a neighborhood restaurant with its simple wooden tables and artfully mismatched chairs.

And the outdoor area, where we had reserved a table, is a green oasis!

The pleasant and helpful staff explained the eatery’s dining concept to us. We got to knew that the menu was created with the purpose of sharing. You can compose your meal out of a range of starters (from 12 to 18 SFR/US$), mains (18 to 32 SFR/US$, sides (4 to 6 SFR/US$) and desserts (12 to 16 SFR/US$). Or you may opt for the chef’s choice, costing 68 SFR/US$ per person, what we did. And this was a full success! You get to know a good cross section from what the cuisine has to offer, food that is bursting with flavor, zing and spices!

4. Restaurant Rosi (district 4)

refined Bavarian inspired cuisine that surprises at every turn

When getting here from the nearby tram station, I was taken aback a bit. Of course I had known about Zurich’s forth district, the nightlife quarter. Yet I found the Rosi’s immediate neighborhood a bit on the more undesirable side. However, this impression does not hold true for the restaurant itself. It occupies a block’s corner house and features a nice outdoor area, where our party of four had a table.

On our visit on a hot Sunday summer evening, it was not overly busy so that only a part of the surface was set for dining. Precisely, we were planned in for one of the long wooden benches with backrest on one side only. Luckily, my husband and I were here with our son and his girlfriend so that they sacrificed themselves for the “bad” side. By the way, the interiors look nice (and a bit more comfortable).

Hence, we came here not for a short meal but for a tasting menu. We wanted to try out the refined Bavarian inspired cuisine of chef Markus Stoeckle, a Bavarian himself (Michelin listed, 16 points Gault Millau). Yet do not expect plain Weisswurst sausages or so. After all, the chef had been working several years for Heston Blumenthal in London. Our party went for the middle menu. It consists of eight courses (140 SFR/US$).

The small one is the classic version with rather traditional dishes (seven courses for 75 SFR/US$). The big one has ten courses (180 SFR/US$). Both, the small and the big one feature more sophisticated creations. Alternatively, you may opt for à la carte. Here you get starters from 8 to 26 SFR/US$, mains from 38.50 to 64.50 SFR/US$ and desserts from 14.50 to 18.50 SFR/US$.

Dining at Rosi is an out of the box experience. The chef has some really crazy ideas! For example there are the Magic Mushrooms which are fluorescent when illuminated (torches are provided).

Or I also think of the Stamperl in Latex, a balloon with helium and schnapps (you swallow it bit by bit, and of course your voice becomes like the one of Donald Duck). It is a fun affair yet the food quality and preparation persuade too. And the young service is hospitable and informative.

5. Restaurant Barranco (district 4)

amazing Peruvian food in unpretentious place with colorful South-American graffiti

This is supposed to be Zurich’s best Peruvian restaurant! Barranco is quite a small eatery with a neighborhood feeling. Its location is nice, just by a traffic restricted square (Bullingerplatz), where it occupies a block’s corner house.

Thanks to its colorful graffiti – done by the Peruvian street artist Entes – its interiors have received a South-American touch.

And the outdoor area is presentable too! The dining spot is a project of the half Peruvian Christina Tobler Orbegoso, launched in fall 2018. For this purpose she teamed up with the Peruvian chef José Severino. He prepares delightful modern Peruvian food inspired by this country’s street food (Michelin Bib Gourmand, 15 points Gault Millau).

The menu is small, divided into four sections: from the coast, the mountains, the city and also sweet things. You can choose among two to four dishes in each category. Of course, you find here ceviche, yet also lots of other Peruvian specialties. Prices range from 15/16 SFR/US$ (desserts) to 28 SFR/US$ (seafood/meat). They recommend ordering six to seven plates (without dessert) for two persons to share. On our visit (there were the three of us), we sampled all the dishes on the menu.

And it was a greatest-hits album indeed! All the nine plates were amazing, we savored each and every bite! Not only were the products of good quality but everything was masterly done and presented. Plus the food was also inventive, what I had not necessarily expected!

As to the atmosphere at Barranco, it is laid-back with tables that are rather tightly packed. Staff is young, gracious and informative. And I think that everyone has a Latin background. I would gladly return here as soon as possible! After dining here, I do understand why this Peruvian eatery is one of the hottest reservations in town!

Date of visits: November 2021 – October 2022

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