Why Zurich's surprising food and drink scene is on the money

National Geographic

2 days ago

This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
The saying goes that it's always happy hour somewhere, which perhaps explains why Marc Landolt is casually uncorking a bottle just after 10am as we hike through a vineyard overlooking the silvery-blue of Lake Zurich's eastern shore. 'My heart beats for the grape, no matter the time of day,' says the sixtysomething winemaker with a smile, pausing to pour a white Stadtzürcher Kerner Burghalde made using grapes from the very groves we're standing in. Smartly dressed and wearing designer glasses, the vintner swirls his steel mug, studying the resulting whirlpool as if reading a book. 'Colour and texture are what matters,' he says, pouring a second one for me. Below us in the distance, in the middle of the lake, I can make out a boat with a fisherman landing a catch. In Zurich, the city of Swiss banks and insurance, it's always a pleasure to be reminded how natural life can still be.
Centuries of winemaking converge at the Burghalde vineyard, south east of the city's heart — though it's admittedly an unlikely place for a walk. The winery's protected 10-acre plot is in the midst of one of Zurich's most expensive residential areas, though it feels older — wilder, earthier — than the urban setting in which it stands. Bees bumble between wild strawberries, grass snakes shimmy among the vines, and a family of foxes snoozes in their den. To one side, the grounds meet a former psychiatric hospital. To another, the grapes nudge against a stone wall, behind which is an upmarket villa that once housed the city's first brothel. It wouldn't rival the vineyards of Napa Valley for glamour, but it's a terrific setting for a wine hike, which the vineyard organises every weekend. 'Zurich appreciates having these wild green spaces so close, I think, even if locals are usually surprised by what they see,' says Marc. 'We need to create imaginative new ideas, not just new wines. Otherwise, it's so boring — and Zurich is never boring.' Langstrasse is a long street of late-night bars and clubs in the heart of the red-light district. Resistant to change, it's the city at its most unbuttoned.
Much of what's best about Zurich often goes unseen at first. In this city of grandiose architecture and Swiss efficiency, where rivers and lakes meet, its dozen distinct districts tell surprising stories of creativity. In the lidos along the Limmat River, off the cobbled Old Town, bathers don swimwear produced from upcycled plastic found in the city's waterways. In alternative Zurich-West, designers make messenger bags from recycled car seatbelts and truck tarps. And amid Langstrasse's liberal red-light district at the city's core, clubbers party until dawn. It's not, as many think, a city merely for stiff-lipped financiers, with its Old Town shaped like a roulette wheel. The more you learn about Zurich, the more you realise it's forever changing and evolving.
(How to spend a perfect day in Zurich, Switzerland's financial capital.)
This was Switzerland's original city of revolution, after all. In 1519, Martin Luther-like figurehead and firebrand pastor Ulrich Zwingli led the Reformation in this region, which saw many places retreat from the Catholic Church and embrace the beginnings of Protestantism. Eventually, this lured religious refugees and traders, and the city became the most important marketplace on the road between Munich and Milan. While Zwingli's Zurich was populated with figures who fought for religious freedom, including pastors, theologians and armed mercenaries, modern-day Zurich is full of ravers, vegans and Gen Zers who live in one of the freest societies on the planet — you're as likely to hear banging electro from an LGBTQ+ pride parade as you are church bells pealing. Swiss water is among the purest in the world. Around 40% of the water supply for Zurich and the surrounding region comes from its eponymous lake, and there are around 1,200 drinking fountains across the city in all, many decorated with ornate sculptures.
Marc and I spend a few more moments emptying our mugs and watching the fishing boat, before I say goodbye and retreat to Bürkliplatz, the nub of Lake Zurich's promenade. After taking the afternoon ferry from Wollishofen pier to the lake's western shore, it's a short walk to my next stop through the boat-crowded marina. Fischer's Fritz is where locals spend their weekends in airstream trailers or in safari tents beside the freshwater beach. It's an unlikely holiday camp in a city more often defined by its five-star hotels. And I'm here for something even more unexpected: Lake Zurich sushi, made with fish caught daily in a boat just offshore.
'The sushi was an innovation that, surprisingly, no one here had tried before,' says restaurateur Florian Weber when I sit down to join in him on Fischer's Fritz's sunny restaurant verandah. Here, a bank of white parasols gives way to lawns that roll straight into the harbour — the venue for unloading each morning's catch. 'The lake makes all the difference for us,' he continues, his shirt unbuttoned, his hair tousled. 'The water quality is superb here, plus the view to the Alps — well, that's unbeatable.' In front of us, the lake shimmers softly in the bright afternoon light, calm and smooth as glass. No salt, no pepper, no spice, no processed products, no artificial additives, no exceptions; everything on the menu here is born, raised, picked, harvested, brewed, fermented and ground from farms in the surrounding landscape. The crispy sushi rolls that are placed before me are as good as any I've tasted in Tokyo.
Most locals know they can't get perch, pike or char as fresh anywhere else. The crispy sushi rolls that are placed before me are as good as any I've tasted in Tokyo. One is layered with flaking pike, the others with salmon and shrimp, landed in Switzerland from sustainable farms not far away in Winterthur and Lostallo. 'Our mindset isn't the sort that would lean into importing fish from 2,000 miles away,' says Florian. 'Ethical local delicacies are more our thing.'
Soon it's time to leave, the sushi a warm-up act for a dinner reservation in the Old Town's cobblestoned maze to the north, where the lake flows into the Limmat River that divides the city in two. If you draw a triangle on a map, Zurich's loveliest nooks can arguably be found here in between three of its churches: the twin-spired Grossmünster, the witch's hat Fraumünster and St Peter's, which keeps the ever-punctual Swiss on time thanks to having Europe's largest church clock face.
Rechberg 1837 sits on the eastern side of the Limmat, amid the historic maze of streets that makes up the Old Town's Niederdorf district. Composer Richard Wagner and poet Gottfried Keller made the city their home in the 1800s and they might recognise the type of food served in this restaurant, which only uses produce available in the 19th century. By the time my meal is over, terrace bars are filling up. Inevitably, wine is being drunk.
It's one thing to eat a traditional dish like Zürcher geschnetzeltes, a silky veal and mushroom ragu with rösti. It's quite another to eat an entire meal with no salt, no pepper, no spice, no processed products, no artificial additives, no exceptions; everything on the menu here is born, raised, picked, harvested, brewed, fermented and ground from farms in the surrounding landscape.
'This restriction is so inspiring because it shifts our focus from trendy menu planning to working with the ingredients that are available to us,' Raphael Guggenbühl, the restaurant's co-owner, tells me. 'For example, we have so many different varieties of carrots. But also cooked carrot powder, raw carrot powder, boiled carrot powder, grilled carrot powder. We dry and mill all our food waste, so we can then create our own in-house 'spices'.'
I opt for white beans with fennel, polenta with mushrooms, and beef shank with knödel (boiled dumplings). Pickled wild garlic buds provide sour and spicy notes to the first course; whey-fermented asparagus sauce adds a cheesy, fresh twist to the braised meat.
With this approach, even the cattle bones are put to use. Raphael's team also sells the carcasses to artists and ceramicists, who burn them to make ash-black pigment and pottery glaze. Their hope is if this single restaurant can make a difference by such small actions, it can go on to shape a whole community.
By the time my meal is over, the light has gone out of the day, and I return through the Old Town to the lakeside. It's late, but people are still swimming in the lidos. Terrace bars are filling up. Inevitably, wine is being drunk.
It's certainly been an illuminating day. As you might expect in Switzerland, the trams keep running, the rivers keep flowing, the clocks keep ticking. But just out of the picture, in the hazy margins, there are far more interesting things going on than I could ever have imagined. One thing's for sure: Zurich is never boring. Getting there & around:
British Airways, EasyJet, Edelweiss Air and Swiss fly to Zurich from UK airports including Edinburgh, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, Manchester and Stansted. The fastest train route from London St Pancras International to Zurich takes 6hr55m, involving a change of stations in Paris.
Average flight time: 1h45m.
It's easy to explore Zurich's attractions on foot or by using the efficient, safe and clean public transport system. You can get a tram, train, bus or ferry at most times of day with ease. A 24-hour travelcard for use in central Zurich costs CHF9.20 (£8.30). Trams and buses run from 6am to 1am.
When to go:
Zurich is worth visiting year-round. Winter and early spring see cold days with snow-daubed hills and ice skating — with average temperatures around 4-6C — while summer ushers in averages of 25-28C, which means open lidos and the bulk of the city's festivals. Autumn, cooler at around 15C, is for the Zurich Wine Festival, held every October with tastings, masterclasses and networking sessions.
Where to stay:
25hrs Hotel Langstrasse. Doubles from CHF152 (£140).
La Réserve Eden au Lac Zurich. Doubles from CHF540 (£490).
More info:
zuerich.com
Lonely Planet Switzerland. £16.99
How to do it:
Switzerland Travel Centre offers two nights in Zurich in a three-star hotel, including a 72-hour Zurich Card for transport and discounts, from £230 per person, B&B. Excludes flights.
This story was created with the support of Zurich Tourism. Published in the July/August 2025 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
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