Beyond banks and watches: Zurich coffee scene

Zurich: the modern city of bankers and business people; expensive, cold, busy and made of glass and steel, right? Wrong! In fact, the stunning old town and the chilled-out area around the lake are where the city is at its most vibrant and busy. 

Desperate for a caffeine fix and armed with recommendations from a local, Elena Minekova (@409roomies), I ventured out to explore what Zurich has on offer in the coffee and cafes department.

Breakfast at Grande

Apart from the cheese and chocolates, bread is my favourite Swiss food product: the creativity and the use of nuts and seeds in their loafs makes the rolls and pretzels an absolute delight. It is no wonder that the display of sandwiches at Grande put a smile on my face. The crust, so hard that it almost hurts your teeth, the inside, soft but crunchy from the nuts and the filling of vegetables and Swiss cheese made this a very special breakfast roll. Not forgetting that it was accompanied by a rich and intense macchiato and eaten outside in the early morning sunshine...I decided I liked Zurich and my day only got better later on.

Colours and good vibes at Cafe Henrici

The best thing about having a great cup of coffee in the new city is the satisfaction after having the second one. We had less that 6 hours in Zurich and wanted to make the most out of it without losing the opportunity to soak up the strong early September sunshine. After finding Henrici and locating a friendly bench in the square just outside of it we ventured in to explore the premises. To my delight, the first thing you see is a giant colourful painting and then the food counter. I loved the space and could see myself spending hours there listening to the great music selection and indulging in way too many cups of the house blend.

Sadly, Benzin und Koffein don't open on Mondays so our third stop had to be postponed but I'm sure that there will be many more visits as, now that I discovered Zurich, I will be back soon!