12 romantic restaurants in Zurich for the best date night
Zurich is one of Europe’s true fine-dining capitals. With rich culture around elegant restaurants, some boasting amazing views of the old city, or beautiful Lake Zurich, there are many amazing options for putting together the perfect date night. If you’re hoping to get a table at the best romantic restaurants in Zurich, you’ll need to do a bit of planning. First, research where you want to take your date. While it’s often associated with upscale restaurants, Zurich offers a wide variety of dining
Planning your logistics is also key, especially if you’re just arriving from Zurich Airport. If you’re dining in the Old Town area (Altstadt), you can plan a scenic walk before and after dinner. If you still have your luggage, luckily, there are plenty of options for luggage storage in Zurich. However you plan on impressing your date, just make sure the night is fun and the food is delicious. Luckily, the restaurants in Zurich are amazing.
Here are the best romantic restaurants in Zurich:
Chianalea
There’s nothing more romantic than dinner at an Italian restaurant. Fortunately for all the hungry lovebirds visiting Zurich, this city has a plethora of superb Italian trattorias that are perfect for date night. Chianalea showcases the cuisine of southern Italy, especially pizza and delicious seasonal pasta.
Everything is perfect for sharing, and while there are some curious regional delicacies on the menu, everything is very accessible. Don’t worry about ordering too much food because Chianalea’s pizza keeps remarkably well.
Our recommendation:
While it provides the perfect romantic atmosphere, Chianalea is a fairly casual dining experience. Reservations are always helpful, but you won’t need to book months in advance to secure a table at this charming restaurant.
Location:
Brauerstrasse 87, 8004 Zürich, Switzerland
Price level:
$$
Clouds
One of the most romantic restaurants in Zurich is located on the 35th floor of Prime Tower. Clouds is a Spanish restaurant serving Catalonian and vegetarian-friendly specialties. While the famous sweeping views of Zurich are the main draw, and one of the most Instagrammed corners in the city, you can’t overlook the amazing cocktails from their beverage program.
Our recommendation:
Making a reservation near the window is absolutely imperative to enjoy the restaurant’s stunning panoramic views. While the atmosphere is amazing and the food is incredible, the best way to take this date into the stratosphere is to plan ahead. Also, the clientele at Clouds is upscale; while it’s an approachable place, it’s best to dress for the occasion.
Location:
Maagpl. 5, 8005 Zürich, Switzerland
Price level:
$$$
Dar
North-African cuisine has always been a go-to for BYOB dinners and street food. But one of Zurich’s best romantic restaurants brings these vibrant flavors to a relaxing and intimate setting. Everything is served family-style as well, so portions and dishes are meant to be shared and discussed. Dar is especially great for vegetarians, as most of their best dishes are meatless. The romantic atmosphere and dim lighting make it perfect for date night. Just remember to take it easy on the spice.
Reservations are recommended, but on weeknights, it’s undoubtedly doable to walk in and get a table.
Our recommendation:
Dar is part restaurant, part wine bar. Their incredible list of labels from around the world is one of the best wine menus in Zurich. Their expert staff is well-suited to helping couples navigate the menu to find the perfect bottle. And with extended opening hours, you can keep date night going into the wee hours while you sample through their excellent wine selection.
Location:
Gasometerstrasse 5, 8005 Zürich, Switzerland
Price level:
$$
Hotel Helvetia
While this is hardly the only brasserie located in a five-star hotel, Helvetia is probably the most stylish and is known as a go-to hangout for Zurich sophisticates. While its location in the city center is accessible, Hotel Helvetia has an air of exclusivity. Luckily, they don’t only serve hotel guests because this is one of the most romantic restaurants in Zurich. The fine-dining approach has the right amount of trendy aesthetics, so this is a great place for young couples looking to celebrate a special occasion.
The menu combines traditional Alpine cuisine with the right amount of modern flair. The cocktail menu should not be overlooked as well, your taste buds will thank you.
Our recommendation:
With a spectacular view of the river, Hotel Helvetia’s outdoor terrace is one of the most sought-after pieces of dining real estate in Zurich. Making a reservation is an absolute must because this garden-like patio is the absolutely perfect setting for a date.
Location:
Stauffacherquai, 1 Zurich 8004
Price level:
$$$
Kindli Restaurant
Located in the Hotel Kindli, this historic European bistro is one of the most sophisticated restaurants in Zurich. Repurposed from a space that Hotel Kindli used as a salon, this stylish bistro is ultra-popular with Zurich’s fancier crowd. Kindli Restaurant, like the hotel, gets all the small details right. Handbag stools at every table, classic wooden furniture, immaculate facilities, and irreproachable service are all things that set this restaurant apart from the rest. While most of the clientele is there to see and be seen, Kindli is great for romantic activities as well.
Our recommendation:
All of these details are fantastic for a business lunch, but what makes Kindli among Zurich’s most romantic restaurants is the food. Kindli specializes in dishes inspired by traditional European cuisine that is presented in elegant ways. They strike the perfect balance between hearty portions (you’re in the Alps, after all) with a modern style that’s hard to come by. The menu rotates, but rest assured, everything will be delicious. If you’re celebrating a special occasion, Kindli Restaurant is a good place to break out the bubbly.
Location:
Strehlgasse 24, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland
Price level:
$$$
Kle
Vegetarian restaurants have become one of the most prominent features in Zurich’s restaurant scene, and one of the best of these for a romantic evening is Kle. Translated to “plant” in German, Kle is aptly named. Their approach is simple, sourcing the highest quality produce and then preparing and presenting them in fantastic dishes that will appeal to anyone. Freshness is also key, with ingredients plucked from the garden to make seasonal favorites.
With limited opening hours and a smaller patio, making a reservation well in advance is highly recommended if you want to sit outside. Your vegetarian date will certainly appreciate the thought.
Our recommendation:
Kle’s dining experience is geared toward small plates, so picking four or five dishes to share is the best way to explore the menu. The menu rotates, but if you’re lucky enough to have the option, order the fried mushrooms! Also, don’t ignore their stellar spirits and cocktail lists.
Location:
Zweierstrasse 114, 8003 Zürich, Switzerland
Price level:
$$$
Maison Manesse
Cultivating a stylish atmosphere while maintaining an approachable, comfortable experience is one of the toughest tasks for a restauranteur, but the best romantic restaurants pull it off. Maison Manesse, with its effortlessly elegant dining room and pleasant ambiance, pulls the romantic things off perfectly.
It’s a charming but small brasserie that’s more geared towards longer, more intimate dinners than churning and burning tables. As such, reservations are all but required in order to eat at Maison Manesse.
Our recommendation:
This brasserie’s simple European food has the perfect blend of modern presentation and traditional ingredients and dishes. Everything they serve is both hearty and sophisticated, much like their generously-portioned house cocktails like their gin and tonic.
Location:
Hopfenstrasse 2, 8045 Zürich, Switzerland
Price level:
$$$$
Mesa Madrid
For many chefs, French and Italian food are their love languages. And rightfully so. Not only is this cuisine as flavorful as any, but there’s also something about sharing elegant dishes prepared well, drinking superb wine, and indulging in a delicious pastry at the end of the night. That’s exactly what Antonio Colaianni has done at Mesa. The food menu is versatile, with great options for vegetarians along with traditional European entrees with a modern presentation. Their ingredients are top-notch, with produce seemingly picked from the garden the same day and incredibly fresh seafood.
The ambiance is superb, with an attractive dining room with classic wooden floors, white tablecloths, and a well-appointed layout. Mesa is perfect for a relaxing night out with friends, a business lunch, or a romantic evening.
Our recommendation:
The wine menu is one of the best in Zurich. With food inspired by both French, Italian, and Spanish cuisine, their servers and bartenders will help you find a vintage to pair with the food you’re eating. So don’t be shy in asking for help finding the perfect bottle to celebrate a romantic day in Zurich.
Location:
Weinbergstrasse 75, 8006 Zürich, Switzerland
Price:
$$$$
Restaurant Le Chef
Seasoned travelers and veteran foodies are generally wary of restaurants owned and run by TV personalities, and for good reason. The worst examples are watered-down outposts at the airport. The best examples are quirky spaces reflecting the personas of these chefs, with superb food.
Restaurant Le Chef, from Meta Hiltebrand is one of the most romantic restaurants in Zurich, with a truly peculiar dining room that’s designed to be a conversation starter. The walls are painted purple and festooned with photographs of famous people with mustaches.
Our recommendation:
Make a reservation, because this restaurant is extremely busy because of Meta Hiltebrand’s popularity.
Location:
Rte de l'Aéroport 13/3ème étage, 1215 Geneva, Switzerland
Price level:
$$$$
Rosso Arancio Suisse AG
While this might not be the only place you’ll eat for your date, this is the perfect place to end the night. With a notable Italian population in Switzerland, it makes sense that Zurich will have plenty of superb gelaterias to complement its superb Italian restaurants. One of the best places to get this sweet treat is Rosso Arancio. It’s a tiny little spot along Stauffacherstrasse, but it’s perfect for grabbing a cup of gelato and walking through Old Town after a more traditionally romantic dining experience.
Our recommendation:
Proper gelaterias will have a wide variety of options, many of which are rotating specials. Rosso Arancio pulls out the classics like pistachio, coffee, vanilla, and strawberry, but grabbing a seasonal creation is a fun way to experience gelato.
Location:
Stauffacherstrasse 37, 8004 Zürich, Switzerland
Price level:
$
Tales Bar
If you’re looking for an intimate experience that’s less formal than a traditional fine dining setting, Tales Bar is the perfect place to bring your date. This dimly lit lounge is a cozy but cool (we’re talking really cool) bar specializing in cocktails and small plates. The seating and layout are perfect for couples, and the clientele is hip, but the place is never overrun or too lively that it gets in the way of dates.
Because it’s a cocktail bar, reservations aren’t necessary, but they also won’t hurt for celebrating special occasions.
Our recommendation:
The small plates are excellent, but Tales Bar is all about impressive mixology. Their rotating menu of excellent signature cocktails is one of the best in Zurich. Regardless of your romantic aims, cocktail enthusiasts will want to pay this bar a visit.
Location:
Selnaustrasse 29, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland
Price level:
$$$
Zunfthaus zur Waag
This iconic place is one of the most authentically Swiss romantic restaurants in Zurich, and you can tell just from the 17th-century building. Classic Alpine fare is presented in unique ways at this white tablecloth restaurant. Travelers celebrating a special occasion here will also check the box for an authentic Swiss meal. It’s situated along a cobbled square, and the picturesque dining room is idyllic for romantic evenings.
Unfortunately, Authentic Swiss and Alpine cuisine are not particularly vegetarian-friendly, but carnivores absolutely love this place. While it may seem overly traditional, Zunfthaus zur Waag is surprisingly creative when it comes to aspects of its menu. All of their desserts have an interesting angle to their tarts and puddings, and you’ll find unique flavor combinations.
Our recommendation:
Opt for traditional Swiss food when dining at this classic establishment. The headliner on this menu is kalbsgeschnetzeltes, which is a hearty dish of veal in a creamy mushroom sauce.
Location:
Münsterhof 8, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland
Price level:
$$$
Conclusion
If you’re planning this the day of your date and missed out on a reservation for that upscale restaurant overlooking Lake Zurich, don’t worry. Zurich itself is a romantic city with plenty of fun street food options and rooftop bars. There are so many romantic restaurants in Zurich for celebrating a special occasion. Hopefully, this list has helped you find the perfect place to woo that special someone.
