Altstadt Hotel Restaurant - Zürich

This was our nightcap bar at the weekend in Zurich, we stumbled it by chance on the way back to our hotel in the first night. Cosy little space and seats were always guaranteed. It was nice to cool for half an hour or so with a coffee or glass of wine before retiring for the evening.

Since it was more than a year since my last visit, it was a good excuse for a quick visit. This small café has a beautiful, relaxed atmosphere. I had to calm down for a hot tea (5.80CHF) as they do not yet carry milk substitute products on the menu. As part of the Hotel Altstadt, this small café opens every day early. They offer breads, snacks, hot/cold drinks, a bar and more. I thought the ladies on the staff on my first visit were much more friendly than the gentleman worked this time when he seemed to pretend to do his own thing, so the lower rating this time. The place offers daily newspapers/magazines, secure Wi-Fi and immaculate toilets.

The Old Town Bar is a small, compact and cozy small bar, which belongs to the Hotel Altstadt. The place serves as a reception for the hotel as well as a complete service bar, although I do not understand the restaurant name. You have a few tables on the Cobblestone walkways, while inside there are about seven drawers and about five stools at the bar. The place offers a variety of light snacks, breads, pastries and desserts. I had a cold beer from the tap. They have newspapers, magazines and free Wi-Fi. The ladies who worked on my visit were very friendly and simply great. The place is very modern as they have automatic doors and elevators. Very recommended.

It is easy to overlook the Bar of this Boutique Hotel: Being the Ultimate Pedestrian I am dependent on strategically located watering holes in the towns I choose to stay for a prolonged amount of time. The Bar of the Altstadt Hotel is one of a couple of places I always return to when in Zurich. The reasons for this are manyfold: the directive charm of the Hotel Staff the central location walking distance to everything I need the atmosphere which allows for a truly diverse crowd to frequent the Bar and feel equally welcome the choice of snacks and drinks which is focusing on thre relevant and not loosing itself in fancy american style pseudo choices. (though here I would like to make a suggestion to the hotel management: pls add cider or as it is known in Switzerland Suure Moscht to your menue, this would add a local touch to the place)

When my friends and I walked the narrow grey stone streets of the old town towards Grossmunster, we came across some small tables that were placed on the edge of a narrow, historic street. They stood in front of the restaurant of the Hotel Altstadt. It looked like a great place for coffee. Are we going to order? I asked a friend who lived in Zurich for several years. He replied, "If we put ourselves, someone will come and take our order. Sure, someone did it. We all ordered coffee, and it came Swiss style, with a small chocolate, packed in colored foil, next to the cup on the saucer. Eat your chocolate before it melts, our friend explains. We were happy. The road was so tight, and the seats so close to the part of it for cars that some of us sat behind the tables (on the hotel side) and two others sat at the ends. In this way, the two always had to lean towards the hotel when the cars came by slowly to not be brushed by their mirrors. It was a wonderful experience that made for a wonderful memory of our time in Zurich.