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After years in the doldrums, the coffee scene in Z\u00fcrich has in recent years exploded in multiple directions. The range of venues to drink coffee is diverse and punches above its weight for this relatively small city. It makes for a surprising mix of spots, whether you\u2019re after the choicest cup, best atmosphere, or somewhere to make your Instagram feed pop.<\/p>\n
The traditional coffee in Z\u00fcrich is called a caf\u00e9 cr\u00e8me. It\u2019s a medium-sized drink, Italian-style espresso with around 50% hot water. It\u2019s served with a basket of gipfli<\/em> (small croissants) available on the table, alongside a small chocolate and a tumbler of tap water.<\/p>\n But tradition is only half of the story in Z\u00fcrich. Like elsewhere around the world, there\u2019s been a new wave of shops in recent years. Here the emphasis is on quality ingredients, knowledgeable staff, and well-designed interiors. Think wooden boards for plates, handmade cups, and industrial style. Because of the hot summers, and despite long winters, Z\u00fcrchers love to sit outside. So most cafes will offer al fresco drinking, often with a sheepskin rug for comfort, and a box of blankets to choose from for warmth.<\/p>\n The selection of shops below takes quality coffee as a starting point, but I\u2019ve chosen some spots as much for their ambience or distinctiveness in the scene. Speaking with many of the owners, they highlighted a small but passionate nascent coffee scene and optimism for what it held for the future.<\/p>\n \ufeff<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Photos courtesy of Luca Franzoni.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n ACID<\/strong> Z\u00fcrich\u2019s Langstrasse is the heart of the city\u2019s nightlife, a melting pot where some of the most exciting restaurants and bars are. Making a bid for the award for most photogenic coffee shop is ACID<\/a>. With its pink walls, homemade furniture, rotating art, and neon, people looking to capture a perfect coffee moment here are spoiled for choice. Deeply supportive of the local artistic community, co-owner Yann Gurtner wants ACID to be a \u201cconstant changing piece of art.\u201d On a warm day you can take in the ever-changing, colorful scene on the street outside and Helvetiaplatz across the road.<\/p>\n Coffee comes from micro-roastery Mir\u00f3<\/a>, located just around the corner. They make a special roast of their Melbourne-inspired beans for ACID, from Honduras Santa Rosa Copan Arabica beans. From this you can get an indulgently syrupy mixture of tropical fruits and milk chocolate. These are crafted on a La Marzocco Linea PB<\/a>, and served on a wooden plate with a homemade jasmine tea palate cleanser.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Photo courtesy of Pascal Grob.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n MAME<\/strong><\/p>\n Quite rightly, this shop is proud of its World Brewers Cup champion barista Emi Fukahori. The trophy on the shelves of the Seefeld branch is proudly displayed. But even more striking are the Goat Story Gina<\/a> machines used for filter coffees and teas. These are delicately tended to with a wooden paddle by the baristas\u2014the most knowledgeable in the city.<\/p>\n Fukahori founded MAME<\/a> with her partner, two-time World Barista Championship Finalist Mathieu Theis, after they met (appropriately) at a barista championship in 2015. The pair \u201cdreamed of having a cafe where we can celebrate such coffees.\u201d And so they founded MAME together in 2016, opening a branch on Josefstrasse (near both ACID and Miro). MAME means beans in Japanese, a nod to Fukahori\u2019s heritage.<\/p>\n The Seefeld branch followed in 2018, here you can sit at the communal table or browse the selection of high-end bikes; yes, this shop doubles as a cycle store. The cups are handmade works of art, by French ceramicists Jars, and are available to buy too.<\/p>\n As you\u2019d expect from the barista pedigree behind the shop, taste is all-important. Three roast choices are available to customers, helpfully plotted on a flavor wheel on the wall. This is a great spot to try coffee from local roasters Vertical Coffee<\/a>, founded by a team of Swiss climbers.<\/p>\n For a real adventure, try a flight of coffee, espresso or filter trio. Oh, and you must try their “crazy blend” if you want to have an interesting morning\u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bros Beans & Beats<\/strong><\/p>\n The coffee in BBB<\/a> is as smooth as the music. While the tunes have a distinctly hip-hop flavor, the espressos are a fine balance between fruitiness, acidity, and bitterness. And, dropping in like a guest MC, there\u2019s a rotating line-up of seasonal roasts available too.<\/p>\n With backgrounds in the luxury hotel industry, co-founders Andreas Di Sario and Sezer Oezenir place emphasis on great service. There\u2019s no doubt the waiters here are more attentive than elsewhere in the city, when your presence can feel like an inconvenience. \u201cThe coffee scene in Z\u00fcrich is quite young, as it takes a while til hypes and new trends arrive here in Switzerland,\u201d Di Sario says. These two are bringing some of that hype themselves\u2014their shop logo is a silhouette of their likenesses complete with beards and baseball caps.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a lot of space in this shop, yet it retains a homely feel. The warmth is enhanced by the Acme<\/a> tableware, and what could be more welcoming than the sight of a Victoria Arduino Black Eagle<\/a> dominating the bar? The team works with local roaster Henauer<\/a>\u00a0to keep things on point.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Photo courtesy of Christian Forrer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n ViCafe<\/strong><\/p>\n Until recently, takeaway coffee was just not “a thing” in Z\u00fcrich. Perhaps due to the genteel nature of life, or the Italian influence, people tended to sit for their coffees, and take their time. But alongside a handful of hole-in-the wall hatches around town, ViCafe<\/a> has emerged as a success story.<\/p>\n The ViCafe journey started on the vineyard-lined riverbank village of Eglisau near the Swiss border with Germany. The company originally revived the vintage “Vivi Kola” cola brand, which is itself another success story. From this venture, a microroaster emerged, and soon grew to take over the old Eglisau railway station. Now expanded to nearby Z\u00fcrich, there are six takeaway locations around town.<\/p>\n At the prominent Bellevue spot in the heart of the city, the queue is a permanent fixture. There\u2019s no shame in ordering an iced latte from here: take it with you on a stroll down the lake, with a view of the alps towering above, and you\u2019ll feel like a king.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Piazza<\/strong><\/p>\n Representing Z\u00fcrich cafe heritage is Piazza<\/a>. With tables spreading into idyllic Idaplatz, this is one of those places to while away the hours. There\u2019s nothing unique about the coffees here, but they are about as “Z\u00fcrich” as you can get: a caf\u00e9 cr\u00e8me is served with a small dark chocolate on the side.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the perfect accompaniment to watch the locals playing petanque<\/em>, kids zooming around on their scooters, or just gaze up at the trees\u2014which boast spectacular cherry blossoms in the spring. It\u2019s one of those places where time stands still and all is right with the world. Located in a residential area, it\u2019s hidden from tourists and is something of a neighborhood hangout.<\/p>\n The interior is a mishmash of retro design, with examples of the mid-century furniture found in the city\u2019s myriad vintage shops. The black-and-white bar is something of a signature, as are the multicolored tables and chairs that catch the morning sun. In the adjoining shop you can buy olive oils and balsamic vinegars, migrate onto an ice cream from Gelateria Bi Berna<\/a>, or something alcoholic from neighbor Le Calvados<\/a>. This is the kind of cafe where great days begin.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Photo courtesy of Samuel Zeller.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Monocle Cafe<\/strong><\/p>\n When Monocle magazine<\/a> decided to make Z\u00fcrich its permanent base, the company wanted to make a statement. Monocle is the magazine of choice for the jet-setting bachelor, with a Swiss lifestyle of ski weekends, outrageously expensive watches, and modest style. Naturally, the cafe fits perfectly with this demographic.<\/p>\n For the design-conscious visitor to Z\u00fcrich this is something of a pilgrimage. Their space is everything you\u2019d expect: sophisticated and stylish. It\u2019s a perfect spot to sit and read (or buy from) their array of magazines, and if you\u2019re so inclined, browse their range of clothes and dream that you could afford them.<\/p>\n Monocle\u2019s editor Tyler Brule is often present, as behind a mysterious sliding door are the offices of the magazine, and the spot where they record their podcasts.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sihl Records<\/strong><\/p>\n This is another shop where the tunes are as important as the coffee. Sihl Records<\/a> is a local haunt for Z\u00fcrich\u2019s thriving tech-house scene, which includes mega clubs Supermarket<\/a> and Hive<\/a>, as well as shop\u2019s neighbor Freida\u2019s B\u00fcxe<\/a> (arguably one of the world\u2019s finest nightclubs). Z\u00fcrich also hosts Europe\u2019s largest techno festival, the annual “Street Parade<\/a>,” so there\u2019s a constant stream of world-class DJs passing through town. You\u2019d wager most of them drop by here for an espresso. They\u2019ll also be able to shop the store\u2019s discerning selection of house and techno vinyl, previewing it on the store\u2019s pair of Technics turntables. In-store sessions of visiting DJ\u2019s are recorded and streamed on YouTube.<\/p>\n Tucked down an unassuming side-street, this shop demonstrates the wide range of coffee experiences to be found in Z\u00fcrich.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Photo courtesy of Yoichi Iwamoto.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Miro<\/b><\/p>\n Some of the pioneers of the Z\u00fcrich coffee scene, Miro<\/a>\u2019s founders dared to roast speciality coffee five years ago, when (almost) no one else was. Customers first found their seasonal roasts through their coffee truck, which toured the city.<\/p>\n Miro sources through a variety of importers, offering around 15 different seasonal coffees annually, with four or five on at any given time.<\/p>\n The team here is serious about coffee, so you\u2019ll find drinks like cortados, cold brew available on tap, and coffee-inspired cocktails. In-house barista Ivan Pepe Marin developed the cocktails himself, and they make a trip to the city\u2019s lively Kreis 4 area worthwhile alone.<\/p>\n The space itself is industrial and minimal; the machinery and drinks speak for themselves. As well as functioning as a cafe, you can watch roasters in action and participate in workshops\u2014this really is a serious coffee lover\u2019s destination.<\/p>\n Co-founder Daniel Sanchez is buoyant about Z\u00fcrich\u2019s ability to compete among the big boys in the coffee world, \u201cWe tend to be humble in Z\u00fcrich and look up what bigger cities like Berlin, Copenhagen, and London are doing. But I don\u2019t think we have to hide.\u201d<\/p>\n Luc Benyon is a freelance journalist based in Z\u00fcrich. This is Luc Benyon’s first feature for Sprudge.<\/em><\/p>\n Top photo by Giuseppe Bognanni.<\/em><\/p>\n The post The Sprudge Coffee Guide To Z\u00fcrich<\/a> appeared first on Sprudge<\/a>.<\/p>\n Source: Coffee News<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" After years in the doldrums, the coffee scene in Z\u00fcrich has in recent years exploded in multiple directions. The range of venues to drink coffee is diverse and punches above…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[26],"tags":[63,27,65,33,61,32,59,31,30],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecurbkaimuki.com\/rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2081"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecurbkaimuki.com\/rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecurbkaimuki.com\/rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecurbkaimuki.com\/rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecurbkaimuki.com\/rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2081"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thecurbkaimuki.com\/rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2081\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecurbkaimuki.com\/rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2081"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecurbkaimuki.com\/rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2081"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecurbkaimuki.com\/rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2081"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"zurich](\"https:\/\/sprudge.com\/file\/2019\/03\/zurich_ACID_int_photo_Luca_Franzoni-1170x765.jpg\")
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\n<\/a><\/p>\nACID is located at\u00a0Langstrasse 67, 8004 Z\u00fcrich<\/a>. Visit their official website<\/a> and follow them on Facebook<\/a>.<\/div>\n![\"zurich](\"https:\/\/sprudge.com\/file\/2019\/03\/Zurich_MAME_int_Pascal_Grob-1170x658.jpg\")
<\/p>\nMAME has multiple locations in Z\u00fcrich. Visit their official website<\/a> and follow them on Facebook<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/div>\n![\"zurich](\"https:\/\/sprudge.com\/file\/2019\/03\/zurich_BBB_interior-1170x780.jpg\")
<\/strong><\/p>\nBros Beans & Beats is located at\u00a0Gartenhofstrasse 24, 8004 Z\u00fcrich<\/a>. Visit their official website<\/a> and follow them on Facebook<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/div>\n![\"zurich](\"https:\/\/sprudge.com\/file\/2019\/03\/zurich_vicafe_christian_forrer_2-1168x780.jpg\")
<\/p>\nViCafe has multiple locations in Z\u00fcrich. Visit their official website<\/a> and follow them on Facebook<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/div>\n![\"zurich](\"https:\/\/sprudge.com\/file\/2019\/03\/piazza_0905_063-1170x780.jpg\")
<\/p>\nPiazza is located at\u00a0Idapl. 2, 8003 Z\u00fcrich<\/a>. Visit their official website<\/a> and follow them on Facebook<\/a>.<\/div>\n![\"zurich](\"https:\/\/sprudge.com\/file\/2019\/03\/zurich_Monocle_Samuel_Zeller_bar-1040x780.jpg\")
<\/p>\nMonocle Cafe is located at\u00a0Dufourstrasse 90, 8008 Z\u00fcrich<\/a>. Visit their official website<\/a>.<\/div>\n![\"zurich](\"https:\/\/sprudge.com\/file\/2019\/03\/zurich_sihl_int_luc_benyon-1109x780.jpg\")
<\/strong><\/p>\nSihl Records is located at\u00a0Martastrasse 114, 8003 Z\u00fcrich<\/a>. Visit their official website<\/a> and follow them on Facebook<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sprudge.com\/file\/2019\/03\/zurich_miro_cafe_Yoichi_Iwamoto_4.jpg\")
<\/p>\nMiro is located at\u00a0Brauerstrasse 58, 8004 Z\u00fcrich<\/a>. Visit their official website<\/a> and follow them on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/div>\n