169 West

169 West Wine Bar is a gem in the heart of Zurich. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and very helpful. The wine selection changes pretty often but there are always some interesting options to choose from. They also have a beautiful selection of snacks to go along with your wine which are all delicious! I will be coming back here many more times in the future.

Stopped by 169 West for a drink on a beautiful Sunday evening. The waiter offered us a bottle of tap water (nice) and gave a verbal rundown of the menu (not extremely clear). We never received actual menus, so we had to crane our necks to read the one written on a board on the wall. The whole experience was a disappointment—I don’t recommend the place! (read on!) We decided to order a glass of natural Gewürztraminer, but our request was denied for two unbelievable reasons: “Sorry, we don’t have an open bottle of that particular wine, and we won’t open another one.” (Remember, this is a wine bar!) “…And anyway, Gewürztraminer is a very aromatic wine—it would surely be too much for you guys!” (Again, to be told that in a wine bar was weird, to say the least.) This exchange honestly felt more like: “I’m tired, I don’t want to be here, or,...that wine is too good for you, and I’m not opening a new bottle. You probably don’t know anything about wine anyway…” I’m being extremely polite here. We then shifted our hopes to another orange wine. To our surprise, that one—miraculously—could be opened. So, we finally had our wine: just 1dl (100ml) per glass. It felt more like a tasting pour, a particulary pricey one at that, even for Zürich. (The orange wine itself was interesting, as wild wine goes, but extremely rough—very acidic, with little flavor. Probably one of the least palatable wild wines I’ve ever tried. Definitely not a good choice if you’re trying natural wine for the first time). Probably you'd fare far better if you order your wine by the bottle (because we suspect the wine list in their menu is far greater than just a handful they serve by the glass. Minus the Gewurtztraminer :(

Really love this spot, I had a fabulous local orange wine and the staff are so friendly and knowledgeable.

I came here to buy some bread from a short term residency of another baker. Unfortunately I made a mistake and was a week early. Luckily they were open and serving food. The cheese toastie was fantastic. I think next time I go I need to try the kaya toast, but I fancied the chocolate cake instead.

This is my favorite wine bar in town. Warm and uncomplicated service. They not only have an excellent hand picked selection of natural wines but also the best nut tart.

A nice, trendy wine bar with a tasty selection of wine, snacks, and toasts. Very good service.

Can’t believe I’ve been coming here almost weekly for two years and never rated this place! This is THE place for natural wine in Zurich. The wine selection is exceptionally curated and changes regularly, with a variety of choices by the glass and by the bottle. The staff are incredibly knowledgeable and can discuss all the wines in the selection (a feat in itself) to both more experienced wine drinkers and beginners who want a suggestion. Most importantly, everyone is super nice and it’s always a pleasure to see them :) There’s great quality coffee and nibbles as well! The location is very central without being directly on the main nightlife street of the area, which gives a more relaxed vibe. The interior is super cozy.

Quite disappointing if you are not going to get a bottle. They have only one of white, red and orange wine open and it often happens that none of them might be up to your liking. Also, music they play is not matching the whole vibe as it sound Avery alternative and annoying. The staff was very friendly, attentive and accommodating which is why I am giving 3 ⭐️