A Flying Visit to Zurich

My recent visit to Zurich was so brief that I had to choose between a boat trip on Lake Zurich and a train ride up the Uetliberg mountain. My son and his partner had, before my arrival, made a trip to Lake Lucerne and Mount Pilatus, so they insisted I make the choice. Although I have always been a lover of land rather than a lover of water, I picked the trip on the lake. It may have had something to do with the heat and the idea that the air might be fresher on the water, but I certainly didn't regret my decision.

Lake Zurich extends thirty-nine kilometres from the city of Zurich, which is at its northernmost point. From there it is drained by the River Limmat. The lake covers an area of about eighty-eight square kilometres. Its waters are surprisingly clean and are purified before being used in the city's water system.

The Zurichsee Schiffahrt company runs boat trips of various durations on Lake Zurich. As time was limited, we chose a trip that lasted just one hour at a cost of ten Swiss Francs each (about £6.50). We paid by debit card and had the choice of paying in sterling or local currency. This particular trip set off at ten minutes past noon, and you could sit inside and have lunch if you wanted to for an extra cost. The weather was beautiful and we wanted to admire the views, so we decided to sit outside on the front deck. It wasn't particularly crowded and we were able to move around easily and take photographs; towards the end of the trip passengers who had finished lunch did wander out on deck and fill up most of the seats. Even though the temperature was just over 30 degrees Celsius, the breeze on the lake made the sun quite bearable.

What did surprise me was how built up the shoreline areas that we saw were, although I understand there are stretches further south that are more rural. When I thought about it, though, I should have expected it to be well populated as it is so picturesque and obviously a very desirable part of the world to live in. As well as residential housing we saw vineyards, a park, the Lindt and Sprungli chocolate factory and areas for bathing. To the south there are layer upon layer of mountains. The view of Zurich as we returned was a striking one with the twin towers of the Grossmunster (cathedral) as always dominating the skyline.

Had time not been so restricted, it would have been possible to take a trip to Rapperswil, the 'town of roses' on the eastern side of the lake. This could be a day trip, or we might have made an overnight stay. There are also evening boat trips lasting several hours with musical entertainment. What I would find most enticing, however, would be a trip to the island of Ufnau where there is a church and a chapel that each warrant a visit as well as a restaurant. Ufnau is, however, a protected area so bathing is prohibited. There is another island in Lake Zurich called Lutzelau, but this is smaller than Ufnau and I am not sure whether it is possible to land there.

If you are visiting Zurich in fine weather, I would say that a trip of some description on Lake Zurich should be high on your agenda. It is a chance to relax and rest your feet if you have been walking round the cobbled streets of the old town. The views may not have been quite as spectacular as those from the summit of the Uetliberg mountain, but they were still memorable. If I'm lucky enough to go back to Zurich one day, I'll hope to have enough time for the lake and the mountain.

Having planned a short trip to Zurich, I scanned the shelves of my small local library for guide books and found just one on Switzerland. I decided to see if Amazon had any specifically for Zurich and again found only one: Cityspots Zurich. It hadn't yet been rated but seemed worth ordering.

The book is divided into five main sections, Introducing Zurich, Making the Most of Zurich, The City of Zurich, Out of Town and Practical Information. There is an index at the end, but maps are interspersed at appropriate places. Plenty of colour illustrations give a feel for the place even if some of them are quite small.

I didn't read much of the introduction, although I was interested to find out that the Dada movement had originated in Zurich. The section also gives a brief history of the city, an overview of its lifestyle and culture, and a useful month-by-month summary of annual events in Zurich.

The section on Making the Most of Zurich looks first at shopping, then at eating and drinking, followed by entertainment and nightlife. These are all rather generalised, but the next sub-section on sport and relaxation lists a fair number of activities. Then comes accommodation, which suggests nineteen hotels in three price categories. My comment here has to be that for the Helmhaus Hotel where I stayed, the book says 'Ask for a room overlooking the river'; the hotel is close to the river, admittedly, but the rooms do not overlook it.

The section continues with a brief look at Zurich's top ten attractions. I was able to see five of them in twenty-four hours, namely Lake Zurich, the Bahnhofstrasse, the Fraumunster, the Grossmunster and Niederdorf. I would gladly have swapped the Bahnhofstrasse for a visit to the Uetli Mountain had time permitted, but the sights I did see were certainly worthy of a top ten list. The section also gives ideas for activities that are free of charge and things to do when it rains – I was lucky to have sun. Practical information on transport concludes the section; I was glad to discover here that it was easy to take a train from the airport to the city centre.

The section on the City of Zurich focuses on three distinct areas: central Zurich, Niederdorf and beyond, and Zurich West. Each sub-section gives a little information on the main attractions of the area as well as shops and restaurants, with an indication of how expensive they are. We didn't have time to visit Zurich West at all, but it was in Cityspots Zurich that we found out about the Lindenhof and its wonderful views, as well as the Zeughauskeller, considered to be Zurich's top beer hall.

Out of Town was not relevant to me as my time was so limited, but my son and his partner were able to make a day trip to Lake Lucerne and Mount Pilatus, having been inspired by the information and pictures in this section of Cityspots Zurich. The book also suggests Rapperswil on the eastern shore of Lake Zurich as a worthwhile place to make a trip to. Details of accommodation in Lucerne and Rapperswil will be useful for anyone wanting an overnight stay.

Practical Information is a fairly short but important section that concludes the book. A few details are given on how to travel to Zurich, currency, opening hours and so on. Advice is given on suitability of the city for children as well as facilities for disabled travellers. Practical Information also includes emergency telephone numbers, locations of a pharmacy, hospital and dental clinic, and a list of embassies and consulates for English-speaking countries.

Cityspots Zurich is a small format and with just 144 pages is not heavy to carry. A few useful phrases in German with a pronunciation guide are given on the inside front and back covers; we found that almost everyone spoke English, but it is still worth making the effort to respond now and again in German. I didn't honestly find that the maps in the book were detailed enough, but I was able to print one from the Internet that showed the way from the railway station to our hotel, and once in Zurich it was easy to get hold of a large map free of charge.
If you are making a visit solely to Zurich I would definitely recommend this guide. If, however, you are travelling to other destinations in Switzerland it would be preferable to have a guide for the country as a whole. I don't regret buying Cityspots Zurich in the least, although I needed larger maps. The photographs did make me feel that I had chosen the right destination, and I still enjoy looking at them even though I took many of my own during my visit.

Cityspots Zurich
Written by Teresa Fisher
Updated by Marc Krebs
Thomas Cook Publishing, 2009
Paperback
ISBN 978-1-84848-062-9
Price £6.99 (Amazon £4.19)

My first experience of the city of Zurich was the central railway station, or Hauptbahnhof, and it did not endear me to it. I arrived on a train from the airport at an underground platform and was to meet my son and his partner somewhere on the station, but I didn't know where. I decided to follow the signs for those who wanted to catch a bus or a tram, but ended up in a street to one side. Going back inside the station, I was surprised how crowded it was; it was just after 5pm, but apparently it's always packed with people. I headed for the main entrance past an open market. I thought I'd better ring my son to see where they were waiting, but there was a man playing an accordion and I didn't think I would be able to hear. Making my way just outside the entrance, I quickly made the phone call and just managed to hear my son telling me they were beside the 'information bubble' when a police car came past, sirens blaring. Back inside I went, unable to spot the so-called bubble. Phoning once again, I said I would wait underneath the main departure board. A couple of minutes later, we found each other. I wondered what madness had brought me to such a noisy, crowded place, but fortunately my first impression of Zurich was not a lasting one.

From the railway station, the famous Bahnhofstrasse runs right down to the Burkli Platz, a square by the shore of Lake Zurich. On this street you can shop, do your banking, or take a break at the Sprungli Cafe. I merely stood at the doorway of a shop where chocolate was actually being made and was hit by the aroma; it was no good buying anything there as it would immediately have melted in the heat. The traffic on this bustling street is not as heavy as I would have expected for such a city, but there are trams as well. I couldn't quite fathom why there was often a zebra crossing on one side of the road but not the other, but crossing over was much easier than, for example, in a city such as Bristol.

Unless you are a shopaholic, I would recommend leaving the Bahnhofstrasse behind in favour of some of the narrower streets. It is easy to spot the spire of St Peter's Church, below which is the largest clock face in Europe. The interior of the church with its central pulpit is worth having a look at; I was surprised to see white net curtains at the upper windows. I believe the church is often used for concerts of classical music.

Many of Zurich's streets are cobbled, so a good pair of walking shoes will make sense if you want to enjoy the old town. Not far from St Peter's Church, up a rather steep winding way, is the Lindenhof. This is a kind of park that is popular with both locals and tourists. It's so high up that there are wonderful views of the River Limmat and the Niederdorf district on the east of the river, above which the twin towers of the Grossmunster or cathedral are ever dominant. The Lindenhof's trees offer welcome shade on hot, sunny days; people come to relax on a seat or the outer wall, and local men play chess and boules here. It is worth the climb up.

Heading back south, the Fraumunster or Church of Our Lady is the outstanding building to take a look at. Its spire is a distinctive green, and like St Peter's Church, it has a sizeable clock face. The cloister is now an open area with modern frescoes by Paul Bodmer – I made the most of the fact that photography is allowed in this area as it is prohibited inside both the Fraumunster and the Grossmunster. The modern windows by Marc Chagall inside the church are a joy to behold in their rich colours.

Equally impressive are Giacometti's windows in the Grossmunster or cathedral on the east bank of the River Limmat. I also loved the organ, which is decorated with golden angels. The smaller windows of plain glass were in the process of being replaced with more colourful ones at the time of our visit. It is worth going down the stone steps to the crypt, although the atmosphere is extremely musty and I wouldn't have wanted to stay down there for long. The frescoes are very faded, but there is a heavy fifteenth-century statue of Charlemagne with his gold crown. I wasn't able to climb the stairs in the towers that dominate Zurich's skyline, but if you can do so you will be rewarded with wonderful views of the city.

Zurich offers a huge choice of eateries, from oriental to traditional Swiss to other types of European cuisine; I even saw an advertisement for a Mongolian barbecue. The vegetarian buffet of the Hiltl had been recommended to me; we decided however on the Zeughauskeller, a busy and reasonably priced beer hall specialising in sausages and rosti but offering many other choices too. The following day we had a salad lunch at Cafe Wuhre, right beside the River Limmat. There are of course many higher-priced establishments than these, such as the Zunfthaus zur Waag on Munsterhof.

In the Niederdorf on the east bank of the River Limmat, there is again an enormous number of cafes and restaurants. My son and his partner had enjoyed Swiss sausages and cheese fondu one evening at Swiss Cuchi before my arrival. I can recommend the coffee at Cafe Henrici, where we sat outside in the morning sun. Had anyone shown me the rickety old metal chair I was to sit on there before I travelled, I would have avoided the place like the plague, but when we did sit down it didn't seem to matter. Henrici certainly seemed to be a popular place, and the interior was very stylish in comparison. I went down to the ladies in the basement and noticed a door with several dates on it, the earliest of which was from the fourteenth century. Henrici is actually a hotel but I cannot comment on it as we stated at the Helmhaus, just south of the Grossmunster. It was pricey but I would wholeheartedly recommend it.

By four o'clock in the afternoon we were sweltering and delighted to find that Cafe Kantorei in Neumarkt offered bottles of apple juice that were considerably more generous than the 200 ml servings of fruit juice that most restaurants seemed to offer. Kantorei has quite extensive outdoor seating, and our waiter there was British. He chatted about how expensive Zurich was but assured us that salaries were relatively high too.

My visit only lasted twenty-four hours, but I was able to fit in a boat trip on Lake Zurich. You could choose whether to have lunch on the boat or to sit outside, admire the view and take photographs which is what we did. The cost was ten Swiss Francs for a trip that lasted an hour. If you have more time you could, for example, take a boat to Rapperswil on the eastern shore and spend some time there.

A great part of Zurich's attraction for me is that it has something of everything: a lake, a river, a mountain, wonderful old buildings, museums, eateries, shops: the list goes on and on. Admittedly I was very lucky with the weather, but even if I hadn't been, I could have visited one or two museums or gone on a bus tour of the city rather than walking round. I was struck by the fact that it seemed perfectly acceptable for single people, women included, to go on a boat trip or have a meal out on their own. The city is very clean and we were surprised that there was relatively little traffic. Cycling is definitely encouraged. Although it is expensive in some ways, plenty of things are free, and there are a few places to stay that don't cost the earth. I would gladly go back for a longer stay.

Helmhaus Swiss Q Hotel is one of the hotels in Zurich offered by Expedia in their flight plus hotel deals, and this is how we discovered it. Whilst not the cheapest option, its central location meant we could save both time and money travelling to and from the city. What's more, breakfast is included in the price. I booked a single room for one night only. I cannot comment on how easy it is to book the hotel directly, as our reservations were made through Expedia.

The hotel reception has two armchairs and a coffee table with a bowl of sweets. The desk is manned twenty-four hours a day. I followed my son and his partner into the hotel, as they had been there for two nights and just needed to ask for their key. None of us speaks German, but almost everyone in Zurich speaks English. I greeted the receptionist, stating my name and the fact that I had a reservation for that evening. Her reply was that the hotel was fully booked. Somewhat taken aback, I repeated that I had a reservation. She asked for my name again and ascertained that I was correct. I then had to show my passport and complete a form with my address and signature. I was handed a traditional key for my room on the third floor. A lift is available, but I used the stairs the first time. They are carpeted in plain black, and there are tall vases and floral displays on the windowsills of each floor.

My first impression of my room was definitely a favourable one. There was just the right amount of space, even though the queen-sized bed would easily have been big enough for two. All the rooms at Helmhaus have dark wooden floors, but an extra bathmat is provided under the bedside drawer so that you can use it to put your feet on as you get out of bed. The walls were white with a woven texture, the wooden doors were painted white, and all bed linen was white. To break the monotony, the curtains and upholstery of the armchair and the seat of the upright chair were soft green. A Phillips flat screen television was positioned above the minibar in one corner. Satellite channels are listed in a brochure. The mini bar was well stocked with as well as a bar of Toblerone and a small packet of nuts. Helmhaus trusts its guests to tell them what they have consumed when checking out. On top of the mini bar was a tray with one small and one standard bottle of wine, two glasses and a small packet of breadsticks. Prices for the wine were indicated. I was rather dismayed at the lack of a kettle, but on studying the brochure, I found that a kettle and tea set would be brought up on request.

A tall standard lamp was the main source of lighting for the bedroom, and there were halogen spots on either side of the bed as well as in the ceiling of the entrance hall. A drawer beside the bed contained a sealed pair of white velour slippers. On top of the drawer was a telephone, a list of international dialling codes, a small notepad and a well-sharpened pencil. In one corner of the room was a small folding trestle for a suitcase. A small round coffee table was placed beside the armchair. The desk was actually an extension of the windowsill, but it would easily accommodate a laptop. A WLAN connection is provided. The window looks out onto a narrow road for pedestrians and bicycles; the tall building opposite consists of small shops and offices. In the window box was a row of four leafy plants, miniature versions of those standing outside the hotel. Decoration inside the room is provided by original contemporary drawings that are beautifully framed.

The wardrobe has half a dozen wooden hangers on a rail to the right and a set of shelves on the left. A safe is provided at the bottom of the wardrobe with instructions for its use. Between the wardrobe and the door to the room there were three double brass hooks for coats.

Opposite the wardrobe was a full length mirror next to the bathroom. The bathroom was completely tiled in grey except for a mirror that ran the length of the wall above the washbasin and toilet. The bath was a very good size, and there was a shower over it with of course a white shower curtain. Next to the bath a bath towel, hand towel, face cloth and bath mat, all white, were folded over a towel rail. A hair dryer was fixed to the wall and there was a portable shaving mirror. Shampoo was in a wall bracket above the bath, as was liquid soap beside the washbasin. Both were roughly half full. I had to use the tiny bar soap when having a bath as the liquid soap was out of reach. Hot water was plentiful; although I didn't use it, my son assured me that the shower was very good. On the shelf above the washbasin was a small box containing a tiny sewing kit, some emery boards, a shower cap and a pack of cotton buds and cotton pads. On the soap dish were two small bottles of body lotion. Other than part of the plug chain looking a little rusty and slight discolouration of a few areas of grouting, everything was spotless.

After I'd unpacked we went out for dinner and a stroll, returning to the hotel around 9pm. The same lady was at the reception desk, and she seemed to want to make up for the fact that she had earlier told me the hotel was fully booked. She offered me a welcome drink, so I asked if there was anything non-alcoholic. Opening the mini-bar behind her, she produced a bottle of rose syrup. I'm not usually one for syrupy drinks, but I thought I'd give it a go. It was surprisingly delicious. My son and his partner both asked for coffee which she soon made and handed to them on a tray.

The bed was certainly a comfortable one, with a firm mattress and soft square pillows, one of which was adequate for me. I never sleep well these days, and when I woke after a couple of hours I was surprised how quiet it was considering we were in the heart of a large city.

Breakfast is served in a room on the first floor, between 7am and 10am Mondays to Saturdays, and from 8am until 11am on Sundays. There is a wonderful buffet to which you may return as often as you like. We all had orange juice, but there was also pink grapefruit juice and precious stone water, something I'd never seen before and really should have enquired about. Three different types of cereals are offered, but we went for the fresh fruit salad and added yoghurt to it. A large bread basket is filled with croissants, sugar-topped buns and granary rolls. In addition there were two or three large loaves which had been sliced, a sliced panettone (definitely recommended), and some packets of crackers and French toast. You can then choose from a selection of cheeses, cold cuts, jams, honey, butter and Flora. We decided the home-made jam was the best to try. My son had also enthused over the honey, and when I tasted it I could see why. A young man whom we realised later was the manager asked if we would like tea or coffee. My son chose Darjeeling tea, which was served in a delightful little brown oriental pot. His partner and I prefered coffee, which is served on a small porcelain tray that has room for the jug of milk.

Next to the breakfast room is a small lounge area with comfortable chairs as well as a small table with upright chairs. Newspapers and brochures about the city are provided here.

Check-out is by 12 noon. City taxes are levied at 2.50 Swiss Francs (about £1.50) per person per day, and this was all we had still to pay. When we explained that we didn't have to be at the airport until 5.30pm, the receptionist told us that we could leave our luggage at the hotel and pick it up later, for which we were very grateful.

Current prices are given on the hotel's website in Swiss Francs. It obviously is not a cheap option, but considering location, the breakfast, the high standards of comfort and cleanliness, I feel it was well worth it. Helmhaus may not be a hotel for those who want a swimming pool, spa treatments or entertainment. If, however, you are looking for comfort in a quiet atmosphere and a central location, I would not hesitate to recommend it.

Situated on the west bank of the River Limmat in Zurich with tables outside, Cafe Wuhre is an ideal place to have lunch on a warm sunny day such as it was at the time of my visit. It was around 1.30pm and notices on the tables advertised lunch from 11am to 2pm only, so we thought we had better check that it was not too late. We asked a middle-aged waitress inside the cafe if she spoke English, but she indicated to us to wait and beckoned a younger waitress. When the younger one came over she told us that we were indeed in time for lunch. We went outside again and found that a table right beside the river had just been vacated, so we sat ourselves down right away. The tables are actually small round ones in rows of three, so one of these remained empty but anyone else arriving would have been free to sit there. We were glad that there were parasols as the temperature that day reached 31 degrees Celsius.

The waitress brought menus, and we all thought salad would be the best thing on a hot day. I chose a tuna salad while my son and his partner both decided on the chicken curry salad. When they asked for a light beer each, the waitress claimed that she would bring the very best Swiss beer. I ordered an orange juice which came in an attractively shaped glass. I do, however, lament the fact that fruit juice in Switzerland almost always comes in a 2 dl (200 ml) serving, which does not go very far in hot weather. A basket of four slices of granary bread was brought at the same time as the drinks.

It wasn't long before the waitress came out with our salads, which were served in round white bowls. My tuna was dressed with herbs and oil, and the accompanying salad consisted of lettuce, cucumber, tomato and onion rings. It was very good, but the memory of the wonderful tuna salad I had had at the Tenth Hole Tearoom was still very vivid, and there was really no comparison. My son and his partner enjoyed their chicken curry salads, which they said resembled coronation chicken and were served with rice and lettuce. I asked if their Cardinal beer was the best they had had in Switzerland, to which they replied that whilst good, they had had a slightly better one the previous day.

Desserts at Cafe Wuhre seemed to revolve mainly around ice cream and cream, and we decided not to let ourselves be tempted.

The location of Cafe Wuhre is perfect in fine weather if you are lucky enough to get a table from which you have a view of the river and the buildings on the eastern side of Zurich, notable the Grossmunster (cathedral) with its two towers. The interior of the cafe looked very comfortable with easy chairs, and original contemporary works of art added to the stylish feel.

There was just one ladies' toilet at the cafe and it was clean enough.

Our bill came to 85 Swiss Francs altogether – about £50. A service charge is added automatically, so there is no need to leave a tip. We were able to pay by debit card.

Cafe Wuhre is in an ideal location, has excellent service and a high standard of cleanliness. I would recommend it, and it is of course a place where you could just stop and relax over a drink if you did not want a full meal.

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.