Description: The Zeughauskeller would not normally be my first choice of restaurant, but it didn't seem right to go, say, to an Italian restaurant in Zurich when I can so easily do so at home. It seemed more appropriate to go to a place that had traditional Swiss/German food along with the atmosphere. The Zeughauskeller is a reasonably priced eaterie situated on the famous Bahnhofstrasse, the street that runs from the central railway station down to Lake Zurich.
We arrived around 7pm to find that all the outside tables were already occupied and a queue was rapidly forming at the door. It was difficult to see the menu without disturbing people at a particular table, but we soon found another just in the doorway. Prices seemed within our means, and there was a special summer menu printed in English as well as German. We waited a couple of minutes and then asked if there was a table for three. The waiting staff all understood English, but some seemed reluctant to speak it. That isn't a complaint, as I am unable to speak more than a few words of German.
A couple more minutes passed, and then a waiter asked us to follow him. He indicated three empty seats at a large round table in a corner that was already occupied by four young adults and a toddler. Apparently it is quite normal to share a table, and it was the only available space so we accepted. The people seated at the table did not seem put out at all. They were speaking English, but the Zeughauskeller is so crowded and filled with the buzz of conversation that you don't really pick up much of what anyone is saying, even at the same table. The toddler was very lively and even climbed up on the wide windowsill at one point.
English menus were brought, and we ordered two Goldsprint beers and an orange juice. The menus consist of several pages, beginning with home-made soup and fresh salad starters. We decided to restrict ourselves to a main course as we knew we would be getting a good breakfast at the hotel the following morning. I chose from the cold plates section where I found Borsensalat, a salad of sliced sausages with a 'delicious sauce' (the words of the menu) served with rosti for 20.50 Swiss Francs (about £12). My son picked Wurst-Kase Salat, a salad of sliced sausages, Swiss cheese and tomato cubes, once again with a 'delicious sauce', and garnished with salad and hard-boiled eggs for 19.50 Swiss Francs. His partner was immediately drawn to the page of sausage dishes where he decided on Wiediker, a pair of pan-fried sausages with herbs and spices, served with potato salad for 17.20 Swiss Francs. Other sections on the menu included specialities of the house which featured fish or red meat dishes ranging in price from 24.50 Swiss Francs to 78 Swiss Francs for a dish for two people. There were also sections for pasta, light dishes and 'tender meat-treats'. A vegetarian would have several choices on the menu.
Our drinks were brought after a few minutes. My one gripe is that most Zurich cafes and restaurants (with the exception of Kantorei in Neumarkt Street) offer fruit juice in 2 dl (200 ml) servings. My orange juice at Zeughauskeller cost 3.50 Swiss Francs, which seems quite pricey for a small glass. Added to that, the weather was very warm and 2 dl isn't really enough to quench your thirst. The beers were 3 dl bottles at 4.40 Swiss Francs each.
We were expecting to wait quite a while for our food as the restaurant was chock-a-block and the other people at our table had ordered before us. As it happened, our meals were served just before theirs, perhaps because less cooking was involved. Portions are generous and come on oval-shaped plates. I had particularly wanted to try the rosti potatoes, which were nicely warm, but was glad of a cold accompaniment because of the weather. The sliced sausages were very tender and I did enjoy them, but the 'delicious sauce' was rather like mayonnaise. After a while I found it a little too rich, and although I finished all the rosti I had to leave some of the sausage slices. My son and his partner both enjoyed what they had chosen. My son's salad was admittedly more varied than mine, but I think he too felt that the sauce could have been a little milder or not served so generously.
It was interesting to see that three of the people at the same table had decided to share one very long sausage with a serving of rosti each. I think the sausage was half a metre long, and it was served on a wooden board with an equally long knife beside it, thus stretching right across the table. I wondered quite what would happen when one of them picked this knife up to cut the sausage, but thankfully they used their individual small knives. I didn't really look that closely, but my son and his partner said afterwards that it didn't look like a particularly good quality sausage. I believe Zeughauskeller also do a metre of sausage for four people to share, but I think that one is coiled. It might be a better bet, however, to order smaller, better quality sausages for one person.
Desserts at Zeughauskeller range from semolina pudding for 6.90 Swiss Francs to Vacherin glace – meringue, ice cream, cream, raspberries and raspberry sauce – for 11.80 Swiss Francs. Ice cream is 3.50 Swiss Francs a scoop. We still had next morning's breakfast buffet at Helmhaus Hotel in mind, so we decided to stop after the main course and ask for the bill. In Switzerland, the service charge is automatically added, and our total came to 70.50 Swiss Francs or 47 Euros. We paid in Swiss Francs in cash. At roughly £14 a head, we felt that it was good value for a large west European city, and that is perhaps partly why the Zeughauskeller is so popular.
The service was efficient, and as I said we had no trouble making ourselves understood in English. The waitresses were not over friendly – they were probably too busy – but one kindly pointed out that my raincoat and shoulder bag were trailing on the floor. She spoke in German but I understood from her gestures.
The Zeughauskeller has dark wooden beams as well as dark tables and chairs, although our table top looked like formica rather than real wood. Decoration includes, of course, a model of a cow high up on the wall opposite the entrance. Zeughaus means armoury, and a howitzer is on view above the door. A found it somewhat threatening, but thankfully I had my back to it.
If you are looking for a romantic dinner for two, the Zeughauskeller wouldn't be the place to choose. If, however, you love sausages, rosti and beer and you want a lively atmosphere, this is the ideal restaurant. I understand that some Zurich restaurants charge considerably more in the evening, but we actually paid slightly less at the Zeughauskeller than we did for lunch at a riverside cafe the following day. Make a reservation if you want to be sure of a table.
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