Zurich
There are a lot of bars in Zurich, but finding good international craft beer was a challenge. Most of the beer bars serve typical German-style lagers. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but this website is dedicated to finding great international craft beer around the world and that's what we want our readers to be able to find. If you're looking for German style lagers, you won't have any problem finding them at most any bar in Zurich. There are less than a handful of micro breweries in Zurich. One of the best options for getting around Zurich is to buy a 'day pass' for around 8 Swiss Francs. This allows you to ride any of the trains, subways, buses and streetcars/trams within a 24-hour period. They go everywhere you need to get. Also one of the nice perks is that there are many small bathrooms in the street at many of the stops, so if you're coming out of a bar and you just need to 'go', there they are.
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I arrived in Zurich late in the evening after a long drive from Villach. With options limited we found a place close to the hotel for beers and burgers. They did not have any craft beer, however, the restaurant did have the most well know Swiss beer, which I do not believe I have ever had before. Feldschlösschen is the largest brewery in Switzerland and is located in Rheinfelden, Switzerland. It was founded in 1876. This famous brewery is in the shape of a castle and the name Feldschlösschen means 'small castle in the fields' in German.
Updated May '15 |
Zurich Side Steet
Feldschlosschen
Dunkel Perle
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Rathaus-Café
We walked around Zurich for some site seeing and a few beers. We discovered The Rathaus, a nice restaurant with a patio overlooking the canal. It had a handful of craft beer. I settled for the wheat. The view of the city and the canal were wonderful.
Location: Limmatquai 61 Nearest metro: Rathaus Station, Multiple Tram Lines Updated May '15 |
Rathaus Cafe
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The International
Great craft beer bar. This is truly a diamond in the rough considering how hard it is to find craft beer in Zurich. The International has 8 taps serving a variety of international beer, including from a Swiss nanobrewery. In addition to the draft beer, they have approximately 75 bottles from different European and Asia breweries, including a very nice selection of sours. Their selection even included some alcohol-free, gluten-free and ciders. Bartenders were very friendly and knowledgeable about craft beer. When in Zurich, this is a must visit bar! Location: Luisenstrasse 7 Nearest metro: Limmatplatz Station, Multiple Tram Lines Updated Feb '16 |
The International
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Bierhalle Wolf
Just a short walk up the street from the Rathaus Cafe, Bierhalle Wolf is one of numerous little small bars and restaurants among the heavy tourist area along the canal and side streets. Like so many of these bars, much of the beer is either brewed in Germany or typical German-style lagers. This place is a combined Oktoberfest themed restaurant with beer hall style seating but with traditional Zurich cuisine. I merely ordered a pretzel with my beer and it was the best beer pretzel I've ever had, including in Germany. It was made fresh after the order was taken and served hot. Location: Limmatquai 132 Nearest metro: Central Station, Every Tram Line Updated Feb '16 |
Eichhofener Helles Lager
@ Bierhalle Wolf
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Steinfels Hausbrauerei
Steinfels was just a short walk from my hotel. Large restaurant/microbrewery with just 4 taps serving very typical beer styles - Weizen, Pils, lager, and Seasonal. The Weizen was good, but the winter beer (Herbstbier) was not. Decent food menu. Location: Heinrichstrasse 267 Nearest metro: Hardbrucke, Multiple Metro Lines, Schiffbau Station, Tram Line 4 or 6 Updated Feb '16
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Steinfels
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Linde Oberstrass
I decided to walk here from the canal area wanting to explore a little. What a mistake. The entire walk was spent walking up steep hills and climbing stairs. I was quite tired by the time I got there, so I was anticipating some good beer from one of the few craft microbreweries in Zurich. Unfortunately, when I got there, a sign was on the door indicating they were closed for some sort of employee event. Needless to say, I took the tram back from the station across the street. Location: Universitätstrasse 91 Nearest metro: Winkelriedstrasse Station, MultipleTram Lines Updated Feb '16
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Linde Oberstrass
Ugh...
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