CityHEAT.ch

If you are new in Zurich or want to discover the places that you have to see but don't have much time, you need to download this free mobile app called "CityHEAT"!
It's a free city guide of Zurich where you can find a simplified map of Zurich and useful information such as where you can go shopping, where you can find deli-restaurants, clubs and bars, or some information around the lake - where is the best spot for swimming, where can you get an ice-cream or a cool beer in summer...
CityHEAT has currently 6 main topics:
CITY HEAT, LAKE HEAT, SHOP HEAT, TOWN HEAT, RICH HEAT and FOTO HEAT.
Under CITY HEAT, you can find a city map and the name of the important spots in the city.
Under LAKE HEAT, you will find information around the lake;
SHOP HEAT, as the name suggests, is all about shopping
and TOWN HEAT about the old town area.
RICH HEAT will lead you to shops with luxury objects, clothes, jewelries and watches - bling bling!
FOTO HEAT is still on construction - it will reveal later the best spots where you can take nice pictures with the perfect scenery in the background!

I really like the color of this page - dark-violet, -red, -blue and black. Very stylish!
Use your bar code scanner of your mobile phone and scan the bar code below or simply type in www.cityheat.ch and enjoy!

via www.cityheat.ch

Fork & Bottle

Yesterday, a friend of ours called and asked if I was up for late lunch but since my sweetie had a light meal just before, we decided to have dinner together instead. We asked google for a non-pricey, good burger or steak restaurant in Zurich and ended up at "Fork & Bottle".

It's an American restaurant with a nice outdoor seating and garden (must be nice in summer) which is run by Americans and located a little out of the way but perfect to avoid the hustle and crowd. The restaurant is also kids-friendly - they have a playroom upstairs and a little pony ranch outside. 

Beer lovers should definitely come here since they have a wide selection of craft beer, brewed in Switzerland and Italy. The dinner menu is on the small side but they are attractive and apparently changing every week or so: this week they had 3 different starters, pork ribs, confit of pork belly, 3 different burgers, fish and chips, chicken & leek pie, 3 different desserts and 3 different kids menu.  The prices are a little lower than Zurich average except if you order special beers - the cheapest they offer is CHF 7.50 for a bottle of 330ml and CHF 30.- for a 750ml bottle! 

When we arrived the restaurant at 6PM we were the first guest but other people arrived gradually and on the second floor there was also a private party going on. Most of the guests were English-speaking; families with little children.

 

As a starter, I had the famous "Spinach and Artichoke dip served with a basked full of Nacho chips" (CHF 14.-). OMG, that was reaaaaallllly delicious!!!! I thought dips have usually a mayo- or yogurt- or cream cheese base but this one was much better than any of them - it was melted cheese with spinach and artichoke - kinda like Cheese Fondue. :)

  

I ordered the "Black Bean Veggie Burger" that came along with hand cut fries for CHF 19.- . The homemade bun was very good but hmmm to be honest, the veggy patty wasn't my favorite... Maybe because of the "Chili jam" sauce which was slightly sweet. I had the same problem with the "Bacon Avocado Burger" at Holy Cow (please refer to my blog entry "Holy Cow! - a good fastfood burger in Zurich") which was served with "red onion jam". The burger itself was good but I didn't like the combination with the sweet sauce...

My sweetie and our friend ordered the "Classic Fork & Bottle Burger" (CHF 22.-).

The service is friendly, very attentive and likes to make jokes. :)

www.forkandbottle.ch/

mike@forkandbottle.ch

Allmendstrasse 20, 8002 Zürich

Tel: 044 201 18 17

Service: ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩                                Value for money:   ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
Food:     ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩                                Atmosphere:          ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

Hero - Rhonda Byrne

From The Secret Daily Teachings:

"Most people only think to ask for health when they don't have it, but you can intend great health at any time. Use the power of your intention every single day and see yourself healthy and well. Intend health for you and intend health for others."
(by Rhonda Byrne)


Great news for all "The Secret"-fans: a new book from Rhonda Byrne is coming out soon!!!!! It's called "Hero" and will be available from 19 November 2013!
I'm soooooo excited!!!!!
If you wann know more about "The Secret" and all the other books from the awesome author Rhonda Byrne please check out this link below and my blog entry "The Secret - it changes your life"! You won't regret it, actually, it will change your life in a very POSITIVE way! ♡ ;)

www.thesecret.tv/hero/

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone! What kind of costume are you gonna wear tomorrow?

Below you can find some cute Halloween costume pics! ♥ ♡

pictures from "girls pic"

pictures from "girls pic plus"

pictures from "i can has cheezburger"

Café & Kleinhotel Weggen

Once a month, my female-colleague organizes a lunch get-together for the ladies on our floor
at work and I always look forward to that day. She knows Zurich very well, actually better than
real "Zürcher" (people originally from Zurich) and she knows so many nice restaurants and cafés!
This time, we went to Café & Kleinhotel Weggen, a small, quaint, cute café located in an alleyway of the old town nearby Limmat river.

When we arrived at around 12:30 there were only 2 ladies sitting at a table who left soon after we arrived.

We were surprised because it was lunch time and all the cafés and restaurants in Zurich are

usually packed but I guess this café is hidden too well and it is a secret place for those who were

lucky to find it...

 

 

 

During lunch time, they serve a bowl of soup (barley with green curry) together with some slices of bread (around CHF 15.00), Bircher Müsli and I think 4 or 5 different set menu with a small salad (CHF 19.00 ~ CHF 24.00). I forgot to take a picture of the lunch menu… but as far as I can remember they had sandwiches, ham-and-cheese-toast, tortellini, steak tartare and Riz Casimir (a yummy Swiss dish with rice and curry with chicken and warm fruits) on it.

Riz Casimir

The paintings hanging on the walls are all on sale. They are all light-colored and makes the light and bright café with the high ceilings and the big mirrors even friendlier.

 

The lady who served us – I assume the owner of the café and hotel - Mrs Renate Strähle – was very friendly, welcoming and attentive.

If you like a quiet, private and personal café that is not too busy and packed, Weggen is the perfect

place. I haven't seen the hotel rooms (the smallest hotel in Zurich) but I assume they have similar characteristics like the café. :)

Service: ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩                                Value for money:   ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩

Food:     ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩                                Atmosphere:          ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

(no homepage ;) )

Café & Kleinhotel Weggen

Weggengasse 4

8001 Zürich

Tel: +41 (0)44 211 66 08

Wings - Airline Bar & Lounge

On Saturday evening, I went out with my sweetie to have a drink in Wings bar.

This place is always packed on weekends but this time we luckily found one empty bar stool and sweetie stood next to me until the next stool vacated. 

The bartenders were very busy and we waited about 15 minutes until we were asked what we wanted.

I ordered a non-alcoholic drink called "Steward", a banana-, strawberry-, orange juice and lemon shake for CHF 12.- and my partner a Corona beer for CHF 8.-.

My drink was served in a huge glass tumbler with a slice of fresh pineapple. :D

               This bar looks like inside a plane. After the devastating SwissAir grounding, some ex-pilots and cabin crews had the idea to open this bar. They even have actual airplane seats you can sit in!

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    They also have tables and outdoor lounge tables and sofas outside.                                                                     

 

    Service: ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩      Value for money:   ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
       Drinks: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★     Atmosphere:          ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

 www.wings-lounge.ch

Limmatquai 54 

8001 Zürich 

                                             +41 (0)43 268 40 55       info@wings-lounge.ch
                 Mon - Thu: 16:00 - 24:00                   Fr: 16:00 - 2:00                Sat: 14:00 - 2:00

Uto Staffel

On Saturday, we had a perfect warm and sunny autumn-weather in Zurich so my sweetie and I went hiking on Üetliberg.
We took the tram number 13 and got off at the end of the line "Albisgütli" and walked up the steep hiking trail.
It was very rampant and exhausting but it was good exercise for our lower legs and we were very motivated since we didn't eat much for breakfast and were excited about our lunch at the restaurant Uto Staffel up the hill! We walked uninterrupted and arrived the destination already about 30 minutes later. We made a reservation at the restaurant at 14:00 and it was still around 12:00 so we walked further to Uto Kulm, a hotel / restaurant located at the highest point of Zurich.

                  

At the observation deck, we enjoyed the sun and the beautiful panorama view to the entire city and the lake of Zurich.

 

 

   

After a while we walked back to Uto Staffel, found a table on the terrace and ordered a "Gordon Bleu" – a Veal Cordon Bleu with Gorgonzola cheese.

Even though all the tables and seats on the terrace were occupied and there were also some guests sitting inside the restaurant, the service was fast and very friendly. We got our Gordon Bleu 10 or 15 minutes later after ordering! It came along with cooked vegetables and fries.

       

                  

The Cordon Bleu looked small on our plate but it was thick and with all the fries and vegetables, you were so stuffed afterwards!

When I cut the cutlet the hot Gorgonzola cheese melted out and it smelled so good… Yummy!

The breadcrumbs crust was soft and a yet a little crusty, the meat was tender, the ham and cheese in between completed the cordon bleu perfectly. The price CHF 43.50 might seem a little too high but for a good veal it is not unusual for Zurich.

 

   

   

 

                    

Service: ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩                                Value for money:   ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩

Food:     ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩                                Atmosphere:          ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩

www.uto-staffel.ch/  

Tue - Sat: 9:00 -

Sun: 9:00 - 18:00

Churrasco Steakhouse & Bar Zurich

Last night we enjoyed the semi-annual company dinner in Churrasco.

A very nice and surprisingly big steakhouse restaurant located in the old town of Zurich. The atmosphere is nice, the food good and the service is very friendly.

I very much liked the lounge nearby the entrance with the huge chandelier, black sofas and low tables:

via zuri.net

There was also another room in the back with a chandelier and cow skins on the wall.

                                              

The round tables with half-round white sofas are perfect for guests up to 4 - 5 people and in summer you can also use the terrace in the middle of the restaurant.
The lights could be alittle brighter inside the restaurant. Dimmed lights are perfect for this kind of location but it was rather dark than dimmed...

                                     

                                     

The food was good too - the portion of the mixed salad was perfect (not too small, not too big), the "Gaucho"-Burger which comes with toasted ciabatta bread, sliced tomatoes, onions and crème fraiche had a very good taste (I liked the the spice they used) and the country fries were thick and also had a nice spice.

I was so stuffed but when the waiter asked us if we would like to have tiramisu or vanilla ice-cream with brandy for dessert (they also offer many other sweets but we had a half fixed 3-course menu since we were a big crowd), I just couldn't say no to tiramisu... Yummmmy...  I hadn't had tiramisu for quite a while, so I was excited and totally forgot to take a picture, haha... :P

www.churrasco.ch
Churrasco Steakhouse & Bar

Glockengasse 9
8001 Zürich
Tel: +41 44 221 11 44
Mon - Sun: 11:00 - 24:00

Service: ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩                                Value for money:   ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
Food:     ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩                                Atmosphere:          ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

Holy Cow! – a good fastfood burger in Zurich

On Saturday, we tried a new burger fastfood restaurant called "Holy Cow!" located in Zurich nearby Central.

The restaurant opened in spring 2013 so it's quite new and I don't think many people know this place because it's located on a quiet side street, parallel to Niederdorf.

For fastfood, the menu there is a lil too pricy and the hamburger patty tastes like 'real', good meat like in restaurants (and not like cheap meat from some big fastfood chains…) but since you can 'eat in' or order 'to go' and the meal is served very fast, it's literally a fastfood place. ;-)

They only use chicken, beef and bread from Switzerland and offer Swiss-made drinks like 'Süssmost', mineral water from the Swiss alps, Swiss ice tea, homemade sirup (which you can even refill for free), beer and even wine - all Swiss-made!

I ordered the "Bacon Avocado Beef"-set menu, a beef burger with smashed avocado, bacon and 'red onion jam'. The menu comes with fried potatoes and a drink; price CHF 19.90 (burger only: CHF 13.90).

The burger was good but personally, I didn't like the sweet onions… They really tasted like some kind of fruit jam with a slight onion taste…

But like already mentioned, the patty was good and the fries were freshly made, thick, still a lil crunchy on the outside, hot and not too salty.

Holy Cow also offer unusual burger toppings like blue cheese (!), chorizo, teriyaki with wasabi & ginger, apple cider chutney, basil mayo,... :) Need to try some next time!

Service: ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩                                Value for money:   ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Food:     ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩                                Atmosphere:          ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

www.holycow.ch

Zähringerstrasse 28, 8001 Zürich

Mon – Tue: 11:00 - 22:00

Wed - Sat: 11:00 - 23:00