ZURICH - In Your Pocket

40 ZURICH NORD
The part of the city behind the two hills Käferberg and
Zürichberg is commonly referred to as Zurich Nord. The
districts 7, 11 and 12 used to be independent villages
and merged with the city in 1934. Close to the airport they
nowadays host many international companies, the trade
fair, some hotels and more and more restaurants and
bars. You definitely don’t have to go to the city centre (even
though it’s close) to have a good night out. Check out our
favourites below:
Restaurants
NEW
Asian Place (Renaissance Zürich Hotel)
Thurgauerstrasse 101, 8Glattpark, tel. +41 44 874
5721, www.asianplace.ch. The umbrella-like lamps on the
ceiling and the wood-cladded walls make for an agreeable
Asian atmosphere here - not to forget the all-Asian and
attentive staff. But the pan-Asian food is more than plain
agreeable: the taster menu we took was bursting with
flavours. Be it the seabrass with the hot chilli and Thai-basil
sauce or the beef with ginger and green onions - it was all
excellent. So as a fan of Asian cuisine, the extra travel to
get here is well worth it (tram N°10 or 11 to Glattpark). It’s
closer than Asia. Q Open 11:30 - 14:00, 18:00 - 22:00, Sat
18:00 - 22:00, Sun closed. A
Kai N-1, Ellen-Widmann-Weg 2, 8Bahnhof Oerlikon,
tel. +41 43 538 42 47, www.kaibar.ch. Situated close
to the Oerlikon train station, the Kai is a classic sushi bar
with a modern and stylish decor complete with conveyor
belt: sit at the counter and grab one of the maki, nigiri or
uramaki running by. Or simply ask the chef on the other side
to make your favourite creation. There are tables as well and
The very best of
Chinese, Japanese
and Thai cuisines.
SPECIALS
Thursdays Asian rea u et
Saturdays Sushi Sashii u et
Renaissance Zurich Hotel
Thurgauerstrasse 101
1 richa par
Tra Stop a par 10, 11 1
www.asianplace.ch
eserva ons 1 1
a lot more than just sushi: menu deals, fried noodles, meat...
Saturday night there is all you can eat sushi for 59Sfr - book
seats in advance. QOpen 11:30 - 14:00, 17:30 - 23:00,
Sat 18:00 - 23:00. Closed Sun. Kitchen open until 22:00
(22 - 34Sfr). AB
Le Muh (Swissôtel) O-2, Schulstrasse 44, 8Bahnhof
Oerlikon, tel. +41 44 317 33 91, www.lemuh.ch. Since
the complete make over in 2011 the setting here is modern
and really enjoyable, somewhere between business and
casual - but definitely a far cry from the cowshed atmosphere
the name might imply. The cuisine matches the interior: a
modern take on Swiss and international dishes. The menu
changes daily and most ingredients are sourced locally.
Neither the prime burger nor the tartar gave us any reason
whatsoever to complain. There are also vegetarian and even
vegan options. Q Open 06:00 - 24:00, breakfast: 06:30 -
10:30. (28 - 52Sfr). AB
Rolli’s Steakhouse O-2, Schaffhauserstrasse
352, 8Sternen Oerlikon, tel. +41 44 311 28 80,
www.rollis-steakhouse.ch. A very popular steak house: if you
are a meat lover, this is the place to go - beef pork, lamb, they
have it all. But don’t forget to book a place in advance. All steaks
are served on a hot stone - making you the grill chef yourself.
Which also means there is no one else to blame if your steak
is overdone. Steaks come with fries and three homemade
sauces. The menu features pasta as well - but come on, who
needs pasta if there’s meat? QOpen 09:00 - 23:30. Closed
Sun. Kitchen open 11:00 - 22:00. (30 - 55Sfr). AB
Ziegelhütte Hüttenkopfstrasse 70, tel. +41 44 322
40 03, www.wirtschaft-ziegelhuette.ch. At the forest’s
edge in Schwamendingen lies the Ziegelhütte, a real country
inn within the city limits. On the menu you’ll find - surprise
surprise - good, rustic dishes like älplermagronen (maccaroni
and potatoes with cream and ham), schnitzel and risotto.
Apart from the restaurant there is a huge beer garden (with
meat from the barbecue) and lots of atmosphere, which
makes it popular with hikers, day trippers, regulars and
urbanistas alike. You can feel that they like what they do here.
Take tram N°7 (direction Stettbach) to Schwamendingerplatz,
from there it’s an easy 8-minute walk. Or hike there through
the forest in little more than 30 minutes, starting at the zoo.
Q Open 09:30 - 23:00, Fri & Sat 09:30 - 24:00, Mon closed.
Occasional concerts in the hall.
Nightlife
Jaime El Barco N-1, Otto-Schütz-Weg 5, 8Bahnhof
Oerlikon, tel. +41 44 310 21 70, www.jaime.ch. The
Jaime is a bar with a South American touch in Zurich
Nord, just next to the Courtyard Marriott. Hot panini
for a snack, a frozen daiquiri or a margarita from the
cocktail menu or a beer will cheer you up after a hard
day of walking or working. There is table football and
darts - quite some entertainment in this part of the city.
QOpen 09:00 - 14:00, 16:00 - 24:00, Sat 16:00 - 24:00.
Closed Sun.
Oxa O-1, Andreasstrasse 70, 8Bahnhof Oerlikon /
Leutschenbach, tel. +41 44 311 60 33, www.oxa.com.
The Oxa has been up for more than 20 years now. And,
it’s still one of the city’s finest locations for house, trance
and minimal. Fans of this music travel a long way to
come here. And they can stay long: the Oxa is well known
for after-hour parties, closing usually only on Sunday
towards midday. Q Sat 23:00 - 10:00, occasionally Fri.
Zurich In Your Pocket zurich.inyourpocket.com
Zurich’s largely intact mediaeval town on the one hand
and its natural setting on the other are the city’s charms.
It also has an excellent range of museums and galleries
showing international art. Admission to many places is
free, if it does cost we indicate the full price followed by
reduced price, usually the children’s price, e.g. 10/5Sfr.
Museums are usually closed on Mondays.
Main sights
If you ask someone from Zurich which of the city’s sights
represents Zurich best, they’ll probably point to the
Grossmünster, its unmistakable double towers making it
the closest Zurich has to a landmark. Wasserkirche and
Fraumünster complete the trinity of famous churches.
Lindenhof is where Zurich started off and is a lovely
spot today, while the central police station is another
unlikely lovely spot - unless maybe you’re escorted there.
Its entrance hall is splendidly decorated with work by
Giacometti. But two of Zurich’s major attractions are not
man-made at all: the lake and the Uetliberg peak.
Fraumünster E-4, Stadthausquai 19, 8Helmhaus.
Today most people come to Fraumünster to see the
magnificent stained glass windows in the choir created
by French artist Marc Chagall or the windows by Augusto
Giacometti. But in days gone by this Gothic abbey dating
from the 9th century was more than just pretty. Fraumünster,
which literally means women’s abbey, belonged to the
Benedictine convent whose abbess had wide powers in
Zurich. Women came on harder times in the 16th century. The
little archway on the outer corner of Fraumünster was used
to limit decadence and elaborate clothing, and women’s wide
hoop skirts had to fit through here, or else a fine was due.
No visiting during Sunday services. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00.
St. Peter’s church, when the patron saint is being friendly.
www.juanrubiano.com
Giacometti murals E-3, Polizeiwache, Bahnhofquai 3,
8Bahnhofquai/HB. In the entrance hall to the city’s police
headquarters, Augusto Giacometti’s magnificent murals
(1923 - 1925) adorn the vaulted ceiling and the walls. Opening
hours are quite short.QOpen 9:00 - 11:00, 14:00 - 16:00.
Admission free, ID required.
Grossmünster F-4, Grossmünsterplatz, 8Helmhaus.
The two towers of the originally Romanesque Grossmünster
are Zurich’s landmark and they also offer a great view
over Zurich, if you make it up the 187 narrow steps
(4/2Sfr admission for the tower, open 10:00 - 17:00,
zurich.inyourpocket.com
WHAT TO SEE
Sun 12:30 - 17:00, closing time Nov - Feb 16:30). According
to legend, Felix and Regula, Zurich’s patron saints, were
beheaded at the site of the Wasserkirche and then walked
up to where the Grossmünster stands, taking their heads
with them. Centuries later the emperor Charlemagne was
passing through Zurich and decided to found a church in
honour of the martyrs - after a hint from his horse. Since the
Reformation the church has a barren feel, alleviated only by
the windows. Recently deceased German artist Sigmar Polke
finished 12 simply beautiful windows in 2009, some made
of semi-precious stones. Crypt and cloister with museum on
the Reformation are also accessible.QOpen 10:00 - 18:00
(Nov - Feb 10:00 - 17:00).
Lake Zurich
The lake is certainly one of the city’s highlights and a walk
along the shores is a must if you’re in Zurich, whatever the
season. Start for example at Bellevue and walk along
the promenade towards Zürichhorn. After a few hundred
metres a park with trees and a lawn fills the expanse
between the lake and the street. The huge Blatterwiese,
also known as Chinawiese because the Chinese garden is
just next to it, is popular for relaxing, sunbathing or playing
sports. There is also a playground for kids. Continuing
you get to Zürichhorn, a small delta with some lakeside
restaurants and a small casino and later still to the railway
station Tiefenbrunnen where you can hop on a tram (or
train) back to Bellevue. The western shore of the lake is
a bit less popular though just as nice for a walk. Start at
the Arboretum and walk along the shore passing Enge
port, the cactuses of the Sukkulentensammlung, and the
Mythenquai until you reach the Landiwiese, a large field
where many cultural events take place. If you go just a
little further, you can enjoy a beer in the restaurant of the
offstream cultural centre Rote Fabrik, red factory, marked
by the red brick factory chimney.
Lake Zurich Cruises (Lake Zurich Navigation
Company ZSG) E-5, Bürkliplatz, 8Bürkliplatz,
tel. +41 44 487 13 33, www.zsg.ch. The Lake Zurich
Navigation Company operates ships on Lake Zurich and
the River Limmat. If you just want ten minutes of captains’
uniforms and brass foghorns, the routes Bürkliplatz-
Wollishofen and Bürkliplatz-Zürichhorn are included in
any public transport ticket covering zone ten. If that’s not
enough for you, go the whole hog with a roundtrip. Until
October 21 there are four different ones: the longest
lasts four hours taking you all the way to Rapperswil at
the other end of the lake and back, the shortest is 90
minutes. They all start from the port at Bürkliplatz close
to Bellevue several times a day. After October 21 there are
fewer cruises a day. Tickets and timetables are available at
the port.QTickets for roundtrips 8.20 - 24Sfr, children half
the price, discount with Zurich public transport day cards.
www.juanrubiano.com
October - November 2012
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