Zurich's swanky restaurants are dormant, but many upscale restauranteurs are shifting towards exclusive take-out options. finews.com compiles 15 suggestions.
The Swiss government has shut down restaurant dining until at least the end of February, but Zurich’s bankers still have to eat. With many diners still willing to shell out, some luxury restaurants are converting their upscale eateries into take-outs – or offering sleep-in options.
finews.com looks at the area’s most popular options for thousands of Swiss bankers stuck working from home – and hungry for more than pizza or junk food.
1. Park Hyatt, Zurich: Banker Central
Zurich’s favored hotels for bankers illustrate the vagaries of pandemic life: the Savoy shined with a fondue «balcon privé» before Christmas, but has now shut its doors until the end of January; the Ascot, as well as the Swissôtel in Oerlikon, are closed for good.
Meanwhile, the Hyatt is still going with takeout from the regular Lobby Lounge (pictured above) menu, which includes a 36 Swiss franc ($40.50) club sandwich or a 24 franc soy, berry, almond smoothie. No delivery – but the kitchen crew will bundle it into a taxi (at your expense).
2. Bacchus, Hildisrieden: Worth The Drive
Discerning palates make the 45-minute drive to rural Lucerne, where Werner Tobler’s (pictured above) Bacchus Bistro sells upscale versions of classics to take out: veal meatballs (Tobler’s signature dish) as well as other a weekly rotation of delicacies like foie gras with salad of apples and Jerusalem artichokes with hazelnuts, and a surprising orange à l’orientale with lime mousse which stands up to restaurant quality. A stellar collection of quiches and cakes rounds out Tobler’s excellent offering, available for pickup Friday and Saturday.
3. Weisses Roessli, Zurich: Luxury Packages
A favorite of Credit Suisse’s Uetlihof bankers, Weisses Roessli offers a gourmet menu to heat up at home. Featuring inventive starters like lardo-encrusted oxtail- and sweetbread terrine, the menu changes weekly. The Roessli’s Instagram provides preparation instructions. Pre-booking for pickup Thursday, Friday, or Saturday is a must; delivery is free within five kilometers.
4. Krone, Sihlbrugg: Idiot-Proof Instructions
The boutique hotel between Zurich and Zug launched an «at home» concept available seven days per week: the Krone offers a portion of their menu such as meatloaf with Périgord truffles (38 francs) on the basis of «call and take home immediately».
Other dishes like a kingfish ceviche starter (29 francs) or veal in a morel-foie gras sauce (46 francs) require ordering by 7:30 a.m. for same-day pick-up. Hosts Monika Jans and Thomas Huber set themselves apart with detailed, foolproof preparation instructions as well as homemade pralines or local farm butter.
5. Baur au Lac, Zurich: Bar Overshadows Food
The luxurious Zurich hotel offers classics like Philipponnat «Royal Réserve» brut champagne with caviar, blinis, and sour cream for 159 francs or sepia linguine with lobster and datterini tomatoes for 49 francs, via Smood. The extensive beverage offering – from a Dom Pérignon for 225 francs to a more affordable 35 franc prosecco – far outweighs the number of dishes.
6. Cafi Holzofe, Wollerau: Countryside Cooking
With working-from-home still de rigueur for big firms, Swiss bankers living in tax-friendly outposts like Schwyz are scouring the countryside for food options. The lunch delivery service offered by Cafi Holzofe in Wollerau, with sweeping views of Lake Zurich, is a hidden gem: three daily menus are heavy on the Swiss classics like pork brats and onion sauce, or the 1970s dinner party favorite, Riz Casimir. Available Monday to Friday, by telephone only (insider tip: the bakery also delivers between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.).
7. Josef, Zurich: Hipster Meal By Bike
Wednesday to Saturday four-course menu to make you look like a pro at home: this week’s starts with crispy potatoes and sour cream with trout roe, grilled lamb racks as the main, and an apple Tarte Tatin with rosemary pudding for 76 francs. Order by 10 a.m. for same-day pickup (delivery by bike courier in Zurich for 22 francs extra).
8. Eder’s Eichmuehle, Waedenswil: Van Life
The gourmet restaurant outside of Zurich, where Swiss bank CEO Oswald Gruebel has been spotted, offers four courses as a take-out meal (lunch or dinner) Wednesday to Saturday. For those of «van life,» campers are welcome to park and eat at the «Eichmuehle» overlooking Lake Zurich. Order at least an hour ahead for same-day pick-up.
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