Zähringer

I initially visited this café with a different purpose in mind—supporting their commitment to the Palestinian cause. They collaborate with organizations like olivenoel-palaestina.ch to help distribute Palestinian olive oil, and I wanted to support their mission. I ordered a tea and simply relaxed, soaking in the calm, low-key vibe. The atmosphere here is refreshingly laid-back and liberal, creating the perfect setting to unwind. The staff were incredibly kind, and I truly appreciated that they focus on more than just serving coffee and pastries—they’re engaged in meaningful causes beyond the café. It’s a place that feels like it has a purpose, which made the experience all the more memorable.

This café in the middle of the city has a cozy vibe and a welcoming atmosphere. They're all about being inclusive for everyone, as you can see in the pictures. The coffee is decent, and the cakes are really tasty. The staff is friendly too. The hygiene is okay, and when I visited, the place was quite busy, so it might not be the best spot for a relaxed work or study session. They prefer payment in cash or card. I liked it a lot and plan to go back soon.

Love this place, very cosy. Generally they have nice dishes and sometimes nice cakes. People are cool and all. But one time we asked the waitress for her recommendation of cake and she oversold their chocolate cake, which was btw not juicy at all! (the opposite of what she said)

Wonderful food with wonderful staff in a lovely little restaurant in Zurich. The beet risotto was to die for!

Friendly, relaxed, welcoming place for coffee, snacks, or mostly light dishes. It’s a cooperative. We ordered the specials of the day (or week?), the 29 CHF BAUERBRATWURST mit BRATKARTOFFELN (apparently bacon-less bratkartoffeln) und SAUERKRAUT and also the 20 CHF BORSCHT mit SOJAHACK KRÄUTERJOGHURT und KNOBLAUCHBROT (see photos). The borscht was very nice, we’ve rarely paid 20 CHF for a bowl of soup, but worth it as it was very good and not something we can easily get back home. Bratwurst was not special, dried out and small, just okay. Typical shockingly high Zürich prices (USA lens), so no problem there. Our very pleasant waiter was more focused on visiting with friends, seated at a nearby table talking at length despite many customers to serve. After ordering and quietly waiting without question about 30 minutes and wondering whether they were flying the borscht in from Russia or something, the nice guy woke up and darted to our table and apologized profusely for not putting our order in, we said no worries we’ll wait. To his credit, without prompting he offered us free olives and bread while we waited which was thoughtful and appreciated. Twice more the nice guy sat down and resumed chatting with his friends but did see to it that our food was finally delivered after 45 minutes. Had we been in a rush that day we might have said how about focusing on your customers but we were trying to be cool and thus one waits 45 minutes for a bowl of soup. We did like our server and this place, but it’s apparently not a good choice if you need to be somewhere at a specific time. 😎 ☮️

We stopped here for an afternoon coffee and were very disappointed. The service was unfriendly, and the coffees we ordered arrived cold. Part of our order never even showed up, yet we were still charged for it. The cakes were average at best. Definitely not coming back.

Fantastic place; very casual, comfortable, friendly. Reasonable prices. Handsome waiter there (distinguishing feature: tall and with earrings). I'm saying this as a lesbian so this means a lot. You're very nice to look at!

Nice outside patio. Great for Aperols and people watching as it's one of the popular streets in the old town.

-always a plus when a long-haired man with wire-rimmed glasses intercepts you at the entrance with a grin and good humor. Such was our experience at Cafe Zähringer this evening. CZ is a collectively-run business where the workers are also the owners and hierarchy is dispensed with. The vibe is relaxed, all seems to run smoothly and pretension is non-existent. The menu is a mix of meat dishes, veggie dishes and vegan fare, all organic. Locally and ethically sourced products, whenever possible, is Cafe Zähringer's way. Of my few visits, I have only ever had flavorful meals attractively presented. I took my family on their first ever visit to CH to CZ for dinner and they very much enjoyed it! Having lived through the Summer of Love in San Fran as young adults, I'd like to say that this place brought 'em back, in a good way. Some of the cuisine we sampled was: Bärlauch pesto over penne, gorgeous creamed broccoli-bell pepper soup, halloumi plate accompanied by different types of salad, and tofu with veggies in a curry broth. The family was satisfied and so was I. On a warm day nothing really beats sitting outside under the trees with birds chirping having, as Ken M. said, righteous 'hippie food' at Cafe Zähringer. Non-smokers sitting out front beware--you will inhale a cig's worth of smoke or more.

The hippie food is incredible. I'm very glad I came back for more substantial fare after my first snack break. The Herbstteller (Autumn Plate) reminded me of Berkeley, but was definitely a European take on fall food --- squash, glazed chestnuts, spätzle, Rotkraut, and some orange garnish. The fancy beverages here still don't do much for me, but a giant pot of red tea works pretty well --- you can get tea by the cup, 1-person pot, or 2-person pot. The aging-hippie (proprietor?) and dreadlocked-hippie waitress were both friendly --- so much so that the older fellow and I spent a while talking about the Le Corbusier house on the lake. The decor includes a many-paneled set of interpretive signs about Socialist resistance to Franco in 1930s Spain. Not your average wall hangings. I haven't been on a music night, but there were lots of posters around --- might be worth a visit.

Having flown into Zurich early in the morning and unable to check-in to our hotel, we were wandering the streets of Old Town. Besides the time of day, a lot of businesses were closed because it was Sunday. We stopped outside Cafe Zaehringer by chance and searched for a place to eat, looked up and went in! There was one person serving everyone, but he was friendly and efficient. We ordered rosti, bacon, and scrambled eggs---simple but good, especially the rosti. I also had a delicious English Breakfast tea brewed loose leaf. The cafe conveniently provides wifi and is relaxed, so there is no rush to leave.

One of my favourites in Niederdorf ! It is at the Zähringer place at the corner. It is very nice down to earth coffee place. It is actually one of the few places in Zurich where you don't feel that you have to belong to social group to go to. The place feels like a living room where everybody can come and read, play board games, just chat, or enjoy a nice beer. The owner (an old Hippie) is a very nice guy. He likes to chat with people. You really have to talk to him. And he is very funny as well. The crowd is really mixed. You might find a lot of erasmus students or foreigners. The desserts are good, but not especially good. I have to admit that I am a bit torn. I had a burger the last time and it was 28 Sfr. What is not very cheap (and doesn't fit the social democratic ambiance of this place). And the burger was really not good. The bun (claimed to be homemade) was way to dry, the meat was overcooked and not juicy at all. And the potatoes were eatable, but still a dissapointement when you only get 7 sliced pieces on your plate. They added a asparagus on the plate, but again not well cooked... Even with the very bad food I give it a 4 star because the place is really nice to hang out. I will go again and try again the food. Maybe later I will give a 5 star :)

The greatest thing about this place is that you get an impression of what the socialist revolution might have been like in Zurich. This is one of the last remains! Owned by the employees, bathroom door plastered with leftist stickers, a bit run-down but charming, an old hippie serving the food - this place would also fit perfectly into downtown Berkeley! The food is average and surprisingly expensive (close to CHF 30 for a burger!).

A nice atmosphere of a casual café with a full lunch menu, which is what I think draws most people here. The food is so-so -- comparable to what you would get at a Swiss mountain hut, but with organic ingredients. The cappuccino is very bad -- for coffee you're better off at one of several good shops in the area. I am not for or against hippies, but I personally don't consider this a "hippie place" just because they are a cooperative and serve food with organic ingredients.