The city offers the best of north Europe, in its manicured, picture-perfect precision
5 pm
Snap out of the afternoon lethargy with a walk up to Lindenhof, a lovely, shaded little hill that overlooks the Limmat. It is a gentle uphill climb to burn the last vestiges of the lunch, and you get great views of both banks of the river, and a view of the University of Zurich, which is where Albert Einstein received his PhD. Such reflections and the view will put you in the mood for cocktail hour. That means the east bank with numerous cafés and wine bars dotting the little streets. Like many European cities, the two banks of the Limmat have different characters: The east bank is decidedly livelier.
7 pm
Now you have two choices. You can make your way to a slightly different part of the town, if you are done with the pretty lake and river and manicured streets, to taste a dish that is truly exotic, local and one of a kind: Pizza! Now, before you roll your eyes, the Rosso Pizzeria is always packed with local patrons for a reason. The pizzas are awesome —thin crust, with all the goodness of fresh European produce, and an energetic vibe set in a minimalist decor. It is located in a restored industrial-chic former warehouse, on the other side of the tracks, off the Main Station. I have not ventured past the prosciutto and rocket pizza washed down with Zurich’s finest beers, but I am sure the rest of the menu won’t disappoint.
If you want to really class it up and splurge, dress up for a cocktail and dinner at Kronenhalle, close to the Opera House off Lake Zurich. It is not often that you will dine amidst original Chagalls, Mirós, Picassos, and find out what the fuss has been for close to 100 years. You could be in any age with the wood panelling décor and the white-jacketed waiters.
Finally, do stop by at their bar for a drink. James Joyce wrote a fair bit of his novel Ulysses at a corner table, and maybe you can whip out a notebook and write down your musings from the day, in a stream of consciousness like one of Kronenhalle’s earlier, more famous patrons.
In this new series, we give you a tasting tour of some of the most exciting cities of the world.
(This story appears in the Sep-Oct 2016 issue of ForbesLife India. To visit our Archives, click here.)