My favourite 8 coffee shops in Zurich

Despite having been to Zurich now a number of times, I confess it is not a city I know well from a cultural or touristy perspective. In fact, I go there for work and sadly never manage to spend enough time to sight see.

What I do manage to do, is search for the best coffee houses in town so that I can at least treat myself before heading into my work day which is usually pretty busy!

Below is a selection of my favourite coffee shops in the centre of Zurich to go for a quick breakfast and a good cup of coffee. From the photos you can tell I don’t even bring my camera with me, and only use the phone for mainly social sharing.

Have you been to any of them? Can you recommend any other for my next visit? Do let me know in the comments!

Miro Manufactura de cafe

This was the first independent roasters I visited, back on December in a grey, cold morning. Not far from my hotel nor the office, it is located just off Lagerstrasse, a strange road where there is a mix of old fashioned red light district aura and trendy bars.

Miró imports good guality green coffee and strives to serve an outstanding cup of coffee. Besides improving the living conditions of its coffee producers, Miró always bears in mind that true change happens in small steps. 2/3 of their coffee is organic. They started out as coffee cart, before moving to brick and mortar.

The shop is bright, airy, spacious and was quiet early in the morning; I am guessing it might get busy at weekends. A mid size roaster is towards the back of the cafe. They serve pastries with breakfast. The coffee is smooth and pleasant as a flat white.

miró manufactura de cafe
Brauerstrasse 58
8004 Zürich

Just coffee

This take away only specialty coffee is conveniently located between the two main office buildings I visit when in town. I love their brand, and their coffee is just as good, probably my favourite of all in fact. For their espresso-based drinks, they use a 100% Arabica blend which is roasted by The Roasting Party in Winchester, UK.

A selection of pastries and cakes is available to go, as well as coffee beans to buy. The founder began his love affair with coffee in London in the 90s when Monmouth coffee kicked off the local independent coffee trend.

Just Coffee is definitely worth stopping by!

Just Coffee
Hornergasse 15
Zürich

Moudi Bar & Restaurant

When a colleague suggested to meet at a cafe right underneath their office building, I was expecting something along the lines of what we have in our building in London, a coffee shop run by omnipresent, run of the mill Benugo.

I needn’t have worried, as Moudi is far from it. It’s a really nice spot indeed, with a large outdoor terrace area overlooking one of the canals, pretty good coffee and does food and drinks in the evening too. During my June visit, when the city was bathed in sunshine and reached 30c, it was the perfect place.

Moudi
Brandschenkestrasse 5
8001 Zürich

Babu’s Bakery & Coffee House

Babu‘s is also between the offices but does have a pretty large dining room and outdoor seating too. It’s more traditional than the rest of the places I visited but it’s really lovely inside, with a wide choice of breakfast items, pastries, cakes and savoury food too.

I loved their bircher muesli and their coffee is good too, even if not of the specialty kind.

Babu’s Bakery & Coffeehouse
Löwenstrasse 1
CH-8001 Zürich

Auer & Co

Auer & Co are a little out of the perimeter of offices I visit so I came by for an afternoon coffee once done for the day. It’s on Silquai near the river, and in an area, as I understand it, of regeneration.

In fact, I had been nearby the night before for a pizza (at NA081, pretty good), and I had forgotten my sweater so having picked it up I made my way up a little further to see Auer & Co, a coffee shop with co-working, right on the third wave type trend.

An event space, restaurant and bar as well Auer & Co is a large warehouse building with some outdoor space too, high ceiling, cakes and pastries and no decaff coffee.

I had a caffeinated flat white after 5pm which for me is a no-no but I did want to try their coffee; it was good but wouldn’t say it was as memorable as others (a cold brew might have been a better option), yet the building is interesting, the vibe cool and overall worth a look.

Auer & Co
Sihlquai 131
8005 Zürich

Kraftwerk Coffee

Probably Kraftwerk is the favourite venue amongst the places I tried; it’s seriously impressive, located inside a former power station right by the river. From the outside is a little industrial and anonymous, but inside the cavernous yet bright space is a delight.

At the back stacked up shipping containers host co-working and meeting rooms while on the ground floor is the coffee shop and restaurant. Here again as per Auer & Co the shabby chic style prevails but the raised platforms and alcoves make the interior quirky and asymmetrical; the mis-matched furniture and sofas make it cosy and comfortable.

It was quietly busy when I visited; I had a freshly prepared chocolate, pear granola with greek yogurt and a rounded flat white. I sat in one of the side table to enjoy the view to the bar and the space itself, before making the 10m walk back to the office.

Kraftwerk
Selnaustrasse 25,
8001 Zürich

Cincona Bar, 25Hours Hotel

This is technically not a cafe per se, but the bar at the hotel where I stay with work which is the art/ boutique 25Hours on Langstrasse (near the main station). Back in december, the weather was so awful on my last day that my plans to have breakfast at independent roasters Mame were scuppered in favour of an in house session.

While I waited ages for my bircher muesli, I did really enjoy a large bowl of fruity, juicy bircher full of fresh fruit too, with a really good flat white. The cafe’ is on the ground floor of the hotel and while at night it’s a bar with plently of people enjoying a drink or two with residents djs and live music, in the morning is a pleasant venue with views over Langstrasse and comfy sofas.

Bar Cincona
25hours Hotel
Langstrasse 150
8004 Zurich

Beckeria

Beckeria could look like an average fast food type eaterie, yet it’s not. Right across my main office building, it’s an all day cafe with a great selection for breakfast, from yogurt, muesli, cakes to pastries and breads, all well displayed behind the tills.

The coffee is good and closer to an Italian style coffee and the prices are reasonable. Useful location due to its proximity to the main station.

Beckeria
Lagerstrasse 33,
8004 Zürich

The hotel

I do really like the 25Hours hotel; there are two in Zurich and the one I stay at is Langstrasse branch. It’s not cheap then nothing in Zurich is, in fact my very first visit 3 years ago I stayed at a Marriot which was dull and way more expensive.

25Hours has a young, eccentric vibe, art installations indoor and outdoor, a small (tiny) gym with sauna and roof terrace, a decent middle eastern style restaurant and a lively bar as quoted above.

Freitag bags are available to borrow in the rooms and so are bycicles downstairs; the floor to ceiling windows mostly overlook the huge railtrack area behind and it’s a constant whirr of trains in and out of the station. This doesn’t actually affect sleep; what I found a little annoying was the very bright mornings in the summer as the black out blinds don’t really black anything out.

Beds are comfy; towels are fluffy; toiletries are eco friendly.

It’s a fun and stylish hotel and only 15m walk from the station. I would recommend it. The area itself has a lot of boutiques and eco conscious stores, gyms, restaurants and offers enough to the business (solo) traveller.