Oxford City Guide

Famous throughout the world for its 800 years old university, Oxford is a centre for learning and research that continues to attract the very best academics from across the globe. The city also draws tourists from all over the world. More than five million people come to the city every year to visit the university colleges and marvel at the beautiful honey gold buildings with their domes and spires. Matthew Arnold called Oxford the city of ‘dreaming spires', and there is indeed something dreamlike about this city on the Thames - or the Isis, as the river is called in Oxford.

It is thought that Oxford has its name from Oxen-ford, an early medieval settlement around a safe crossing place for cattle in the Thames. By the 13th century Oxford had developed into a bustling town, and it was in that century that the first university colleges, University College, Balliol College and Merton College, appeared. Today there are 39 colleges at the university. The newest, Kellogg College, was established in 1990. All colleges are mixed except for St Hilda's, which is for women only.

Oxford has always maintained close links to royalty and government. During the English Civil War (1642-1651) the city became the Royalist capital of England, with Charles I setting up home at Christ Church and his wife Henrietta Maria keeping court at the neighbouring Merton College. Oxford University has educated 25 British Prime Ministers, including Sir Robert Peel (Christ Church), William E Gladstone (Christ Church), Harold Macmillan (Balliol), Margaret Thatcher (Somerville) and Tony Blair (St John's).

Today Oxford is a vibrant cosmopolitan town with a substantial proportion of both students and residents having non-English backgrounds, and a new urbanism has developed with many bars, cafes, restaurants, clubs, ethnic shops and fast food outlets. Also in the field of learning Oxford is moving forward. While it is still rooted in the university's centuries-old traditions of teaching and learning, it is also embracing new knowledge-based industries, and new hi-tech communities are growing up in the science and business parks surrounding the city.

Sightseeing

Matthew Arnold's description of Oxford as the city with the ‘dreaming spires' is apt, and to get a good view of the spire-pointed skyline, it is a good idea to climb to the top of one of the city's buildings, for instance the Carfax tower or the Sheldonian Theatre cupola, which both afford great views of the historic heart of the city. Several of the university buildings, such as the Bodleian Library and the University Church of St Mary the Virgin are obligatory places to visit while in Oxford. Also some of the university colleges, with their impressive buildings and lovely parks and meadows, should be in the itinerary. Christ Church and Magdalen are both stunning. The university museums, such as the Ashmolean, the oldest public museum in the world, and the Pitt Rivers anthropological museum, are very impressive. Oxford Castle, which for centuries has been a place of incarceration not open to the public, has been developed into a modern urban space with a museum and is well worth visiting. For plant lovers a visit to the Botanic Garden is a must. And no visit to Oxford is quite complete without a boating or punting trip on one of the rivers, the Cherwell or the Isis (the Oxford name for the Thames).

Tourist Information

Oxford Information Centre
15-16 Broad Street
Tel: (01865) 726 871.
Website: www.visitoxford.org

The staff at the information centre provides information about Oxford and the surrounding area, helps with booking of accommodation, transport or entertainment tickets. They also take bookings for the official walking tours of the city with qualified Blue Badge Guides.

Passes

The Oxford Visitor Card is valid for three weeks and entitles visitors to special offers and discounts on a wide range of products and services, including theatres, attractions, restaurants and various activities across Oxford. The card can be bought at the Oxford Information Centre

University buildings and colleges
The Bodleian Library is the university's main research library and occupies a complex of historic buildings that includes one of the great masterpieces of English gothic architecture, the Divinity School, completed in 1488 for the teaching of theology, as well as the Duke Humfrey Library, a medieval treasure house of rare books and manuscripts. The Bodleian houses over 7 million volumes, stored on over 180km (110 miles) of shelving. The Sheldonian Theatre, the first major work by Sir Christopher Wren, is used as the university's ceremonial hall and for concerts and public lectures. The University Church of St Mary the Virgin, built in 1280, is believed to be the oldest university building in the world.

In 1555-6 it was the scene of the heresy trials of the bishops Latimer, Ridley and Cranmer who were burnt at the stake in Broad Street (only to be commemorated with a Victorian memorial in St Giles later). Not all of the university colleges are available to the public (e.g. University College), but most are very welcoming. Most of them are open in the afternoons, often free of charge.

Christ Church is Oxford's largest college and home to England's smallest cathedral. The college's Memorial Gardens lead into Christ Church Meadow, which runs down to the rivers Thames to the South and Cherwell to the East. Magdalen College (pronounced ‘Maudlin') has a reputation as one of Oxford's most beautiful colleges, and rightly so. The famous Great Tower stands next to Magdalen Bridge (from where students jump into the river on May Day), and inside the college there are peaceful cloister gardens, riverside walks and a deer park where a herd of fallow deer has been kept for over 300 years. Merton College is one of the oldest colleges (possibly the very oldest) in Oxford. It has the oldest library in the country. It is situated on the picturesque Merton Street, which boasts some of Oxford's most beautiful architecture, including the colleges Merton and Corpus Christi and the grand Canterbury Gate entrance to Christ Church.

The Bodleian Library
Broad Street
Tel: (01865) 277 224.
Website: www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/history

The Sheldonian Theatre
Broad Street
Tel: (01865) 277 299.
Website: www.sheldon.ox.ac.uk

The University Church of St Mary the Virgin
High Street
Tel: (01865) 243 806.

Christ Church College
St Aldates
Tel: (01865) 276 150.
Website: www.chch.ox.ac.uk

Magdalen College
High Street
Tel: (01865) 276 000.
Website: www.magd.ox.ac.uk

Merton College
Merton Street
Tel: (01865) 276310.
Website: www.merton.ox.ac.uk

The University Museums
The Ashmolean Museum was established in 1683 and is the oldest public museum in the world. It houses the university's highly impressive collections of art, archeology and antiquities, which pretty much span human history from across the world. The History of Science Museum has a wide-ranging collection of historic scientific instruments (over 10,000 objects), and it is housed in the world's oldest surviving purpose-built museum building, the Old Ashmolean on Broad Street. The Natural History Museum has been called a ‘cathedral to nature', and it does have a vast collection of items from the natural world, with exhibits ranging from rocks and stones to dinosaurs and the remains of the extinct Mauritius dodo. With over one million objects in its possession, the Pitt Rivers Museum, founded in 1884 by General Pitt Rivers, covers the field of human anthropology comprehensively. The displays of amulets, masks, beads, pots, tools and weapons are housed in a splendid Victorian building. For anyone interested in music, the Bate Collection is a treasure trove. It is England's most comprehensive collection of European woodwind, brass and percussion instruments and has 1,500 exhibits.

The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology
Beaumont Street
Tel: (01865) 278 000.
Website: www.ashmol.ox.ac.uk

The Museum of the History of Science
Broad Street
Tel: (01865) 277 280.
Website: www.mhs.ox.ac.uk

Oxford University Museum of Natural History
Parks Road
Tel: (01865) 272 950.
Website: www.oum.ox.ac.uk

Pitt Rivers Museum
Parks Road
Tel: (01865) 270 927.
Website: www.prm.ox.ac.uk

The Bate Collection of Musical Instruments
Faculty of Music, St Aldate's
Tel: (01865) 270 944.
Website: www.bate.ox.ac.uk

The University of Oxford Botanic Garden
Founded in 1621, this is the oldest botanic garden in Britain. It is located by the River Cherwell near Magdalen Bridge and contains a national reference collection of 7,000 different types of plant. These are concentrated in a space of two hectares, which makes this botanic garden the most compact and diverse collection of plants in the world. There are three sections: the Glasshouses containing climate sensitive plants, the Walled Garden and the area outside the Walled Garden, which contains classic garden features such as a Water Garden and Rock.

Rose Lane
Tel: (01865) 286 690.
Website: www.botanic-garden.ox.ac.uk

Oxford Castle
Oxford's ‘hidden' castle is the city's oldest new quarter. Built in the 11th century, the walled site was a place of incarceration from 1071 until the closure of HM Prison in 1996. It is now open to the public for the first time, and it offers a dramatic visitor centre sharing secrets of the preaching, teaching, violence, executions and even romantic episodes played out here from Norman times to the grim days of the 18th-century prison established on the site. A new, attractive urban environment with a hotel, restaurants and bars has also been created.

44-46 Oxford Castle
Tel: (01865) 260 666.

The River Cherwell and Isis
Boating or punting along the Cherwell or the Isis (the Oxford name for the River Thames) are popular activities in Oxford, not least since they give wonderful views of the dreaming spires and the many parks, gardens and meadows near both rivers. Magdalen Bridge Boathouse, High Street (tel: (01865) 202 643; website: www.oxfordpunting.com) offers punts and chauffeured punts, pedalos and rowing boats for hire on routes passing the botanic garden and Christ Church Meadow from mid-March to mid-October. Cherwell Boathouse, Bardwell Road (tel: (01865) 515 978; website: www.cherwellboathouse.co.uk) offers punts, rowing boats and Canadian canoes for hire on the River Cherwell in a secluded part of the city from mid-March to mid-October. Salter Steamers Ltd, Folly Bridge (tel: (01865) 243 421; website: www.saltersteamers.co.uk) has punts, pedalos and rowing boats for hire on the Isis, and in addition, the company offers scheduled passenger boat services on the Thames, from Folly Bridge, Oxford, to Iffley Lock (20 minutes each way) and between Sandford and Abingdon (2 hours each way).


Restaurant Options

Brasserie Blanc
This establishment opened in 1996 as the first of several brasseries run by Raymond Blanc. It is one of Oxford's very best restaurants, and it has reasonable prices. The seasonal menu changes often, but the cuisine is decidedly French, albeit with influences from Asia and Med. The restaurant is located in the Jericho area.

71-72 Walton Street
Tel: (01865) 510 999.
Website: www.lepetitblanc.co.uk
Price: $$$$

Fishers
This is a busy place both at lunchtime and in evenings. A superb seafood restaurant, it has a varied menu based on daily supplies of fresh fish and shellfish. Impulses from Mediterranean, Northern Atlantic and Pacific Rim gastronomy are discernible in the food, which is rarely less than delightful. A stylish place with an extremely assured touch.

35-37 St Clements Street
Tel: (01865) 243 003.
Website: www.fishers-restaurant.com
Price: $$$

La Dolce Vita
What distinguishes this family-run Italian restaurant in Summerton, a couple of miles from the centre of Oxford, is that it offers authenticity - both the food and the atmosphere being genuine and full of character. The food really is exceptional, with a menu full of traditional specialities, and the service is both friendly and professional.

215 Banbury Road, Summertown
Tel: (01865) 553 990.
Price: $$-$$$

Browns
Something of an institution in Oxford, Browns is just as popular for lunch and afternoon tea as for dinner. The cuisine as well as the ambience is mainstream and hence appealing to a wide audience, but there's still no question about the quality of the food. It is not surprising that Oxford has taken Browns to its heart. Its steak and Guinness and mushroom pie is a classic.

5-11 Woodstock Road
Tel: (01865) 511 995.
Website: www.browns-restaurants.com
Price: $$-$$$

Thai Orchid
Great service, a warm, authentic atmosphere, a wide-ranging menu and excellent food combine to make this restaurant a favourite. A wealth of exotic, flavoursome dishes tempts guests while the staff, all dressed in Thai silk, are courteous, discreet and friendly. Open for lunch Monday to Friday and for dinner seven days a week.

58A St Clements Street
Tel: (01865) 798 044.
Website: www.thaigroup.co.uk
Price: $$

Al-Shami
Offering a great selection of traditional Lebanese dishes at very reasonable prices, Al-Shami on Walton Crescent is a very popular Oxford restaurant. Deservedly so, for the food is really good, both the grilled meats and the vegetarian dishes. And if you want something a bit out of the ordinary, try the fried lamb's brains as a starter.

25 Walton Crescent
Tel: (01865) 310 066.
Website: www.al-shami.co.uk
Price: $-$$

Shopping

Cornmarket and Queen Street along with the High and Magdalen Street are the main shopping streets in Oxford, with most high-street shops and brand names represented. These shops and brands can also be found in the Westgate and Clarendon Centre indoor malls.

The Covered Market on High Street has a slightly more alternative feel, consisting as it does of small shops selling everything from hand-made hats and gifts to Oxford sausages and antiquarian books. Cafés, sandwich stalls, butchers, bakers, delicatessens, green grocers and florists are also available.

Oxford is great for book lovers, offering some of the best book browsing opportunities in the land, whether in second-hand and antiquarian bookshops or in the modern bookstores. The main Blackwells bookstore at 53 Broad Street includes the Norrington Room, which houses the largest display of books for sale in one room anywhere in the world.

Little Clarendon Street, Turl Street, Golden Cross and Gloucester Green are smaller streets with many charming gift shops, boutiques, silver specialists, jewellers or other independent shops of character.

Gloucester Green has an open air market on Wednesday and an antiques and bric-a-brac market on Thursdays, plus a Farmers' Market on the first Thursday of each month


Excursions

Stratford-upon-Avon is a charming little town in south Warwickshire, some 49km (30 miles) north of Oxford. It was here that William Shakespeare, the greatest playwright in the English language, was born. One can visit Shakespeare's birthplace (tel: (01789) 204 016; website: www.shakespeare.org.uk) as well as Hall's Croft (the one-time home of his daughter, Susannah) and New Place, which stands on the site of an earlier house the playwright owned. Holy Trinity Church is also worth a visit, as Shakespeare was both baptised and buried here. The town is also home to the Royal Shakespeare Company (tel: (01789) 403 444; website: www.rsc.org.uk), which performs at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, and it is a great experience to see a play there.Just 13km (8 miles) from Stratford-upon-Avon is one of the finest medieval castles in Britain,

Warwick Castle (tel: 0870 442 2000; website: www.warwick-castle.co.uk). The first fortifications on the site were erected in 914, and it was in the 13th and 14th centuries that most of the castle buildings were built. The buildings and the gardens offer an interesting insight into times past, and there are plenty of medieval activities going on during the tourist season.

Zurich City Guide

Synonymous with international banking, Zurich (Zürich or, more familiarly, Züri) has a financial and cultural importance that belies its modest size. The largest city in Switzerland, Zurich promotes itself as ‘Downtown Switzerland'. The historic centre is compact enough to be explored on foot.

Zurich is located at the centre of the Zurich canton, on Switzerland's central plain, with the elevation rising towards the south and the Alps. Positioned at the northern tip of the Zürichsee (Lake Zurich), lakeside promenades and expensive houses are prominent and can be spotted along both shores. The city's most familiar sites are, without a doubt, the Fraumünster and Grossmünster churches, which solemnly face each other across the River Limmat. The Old Town spans this river, and some of the most interesting lanes and buildings are clustered along its banks. The nearby Lindenhof was once the site of a Roman customs post and is a good vantage point. Surrounding the Old Town, the Kreis (districts) of Zurich are arranged clockwise around the city centre, with the numbers corresponding to the last digit in the postcode. In summer, the view of the city is beautiful, with the lake reflecting the mountains and clear blue sky. The winter snowfalls bring a magic of their own.

Zurich dates its origins from 15BC, when the Roman customs post of Turicum was founded. By the 10th century, the town had acquired the status of a city. It was at the centre of the Swiss religious Reformation in the 16th century, under the leadership of Huldrych Zwingli. His motto ‘pray and work' was to have a profound effect on this diligent city, which, by the 19th century, had grown into the commercial and financial centre of Switzerland. The modern Zurich is a city of bankers in a country of banks. This concentration of wealth can most readily be seen along the Bahnhofstrasse, flanked by lime trees. All the major banks have a presence here, notably at the Paradeplatz, where elegant shops and designer boutiques line the street, interspersed with trendy bars and attractive cafés, stretching from the Hauptbahnhof right down to Lake Zurich.

Other riches lie in the city's excellent universities - Zurich is a powerhouse for research, with public-private partnerships leading to innovations both in design and the high-tech sector. The exceptional infrastructure and delightful atmosphere have ensured Zurich's role as a major conference and incentive destination. The city also has a strong cultural presence - over 30 museums, art galleries, auction houses, the opera, orchestras and the Schauspielhaus theatre, as well as a number of performance spaces that encourage contemporary artists in all media.

Zurich ranks among the cities with the highest standard of living in the world. (In one particular ranking, it was top of the list every year from 2001 to 2006.) The high standard of living is evident in the many fashionable and enjoyable bars, cafés and restaurants that fill the Old Town. The ambience is heightened by the large swathes on either side of the River Limmat that are pedestrian-only areas. For those who find the comfortable burgher lifestyle a little too tame, there are always alternative places to seek out. This is, after all, the city that saw the birth of the artistic movement of Dadaism - the antithesis of conformity.

Sightseeing Overview

Most of Zurich's sights lie within the compact area on either side of the River Limmat, between the Hauptbahnhof and Lake Zurich. The churches and burgher houses of the Old Town are clustered here, as are the elegant shops along Bahnhofstrasse. The Baroque Rathaus (Town Hall) and Zurich's most impressive churches, the Grossmünster, Fraumünster and the city's oldest, St Peterskirche (its clock face is the largest in Europe), all lie within a short distance of the River Limmat, near to where it opens onto the lake.

Tourist Information

Zürich Tourismus
Bahnhofbrücke 1 (in the Hauptbahnhof)
Tel: (044) 215 4000.
Website: www.zuerich.com
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0800-2030, Sun 0830-1830 (May-Oct); Mon-Sat 0830-1900, Sun 0900-1830 (Nov-Apr).

Passes

The ZürichCARD (available for 24 or 72 hours) allows unlimited travel, free admission to over 40 museums, reduced admission to the zoo, complimentary welcome drink at over 20 restaurants and a half-price guided stroll in the old town. Cards can be purchased at the train stations and many hotels.

Grossmünster
The twin towers of this attractive cathedral (the largest in Zurich and the city's symbol) face onto the River Limmat and are best seen from Rathausbrücke. Originally endowed by Charlemagne, parts of this minster date back to the 11th and 13th centuries, notably the crypt, which is the largest of its kind in Switzerland. Recent archaeological discoveries suggest the existence of a Roman cemetery underneath the church. There are remains of a romanesque cloister, 12th-century statuary and stained glass in the choir by Augusto Giacometti (Alberto's cousin). The Karlstrum tower has 187 steps; there is no lift.

Grossmünsterplatz
Tel: (044) 252 5949.
Website: www.kirche-zh.ch
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1800 (15 Mar-31 Oct); daily 1000-1700 (1 Nov-14 Mar). Karlstrum tower: Mon-Sat 100-1700; Sun 1115-1600. Cloister: Mon-Fri 0900-1800 (15 Mar-31 Oct); Mon-Fri 100-1700 (1 Nov-14 Mar).
Free admission (charge for tower).

Fraumünster
Although this beautiful church dates from the ninth century (when it was a Benedictine abbey), it is often the five 20th-century stained-glass windows in the choir by Marc Chagall (1970) that attract visitors. These glass works of art are best seen in the morning light. The church itself was begun in the 12th century, although the undercroft contains the original abbey crypt. The Fraumünster spire is an elegant and notable landmark dating from 1732. The rest of the church is predominantly gothic, although the choir is romanesque. The site was originally endowed by Charlemagne's grandson, the German king Ludwig, in 853 and later became the church of the Zurich noblewomen's convent. The stained glass windows in the north transept are by Alberto Giacometti's cousin, Augusto.

Am Münsterhofplatz
Tel: (044) 211 4100.
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1800, Sun 1115-1800 (Apr-Oct); Mon-Sat 1000-1600, Sun 1115-1600 (Nov-Mar).Free admission.

Kunsthaus Zürich (Zurich Art Gallery)
This is the city's most important art gallery, boasting a collection of paintings and sculptures by Swiss and international masters, covering most periods from medieval times but predominately from the 19th and 20th centuries. Two of Monet's Water Lilies paintings and the largest collection of Edvard Munch's works outside Norway can be found here, as well as many works by Füssli and Hodler and important works by Expressionists like Kokoschka, Bechmann and Corinth. There are also good collections of photography, the Dadaists and Alberto Giacometti, as well as an important library. Tours are available in English if reserved beforehand.

Heimplatz 1
Tel: (044) 253 8484.
Website: www.kunsthaus.ch
Opening hours: Tues-Thurs 1000-2100, Fri-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission charge.

Schweizerisches Landesmuseum (Swiss National Museum)
The Swiss National Museum lies on a landscaped triangle between the Hauptbahnhof and the Limmat and Sihl rivers, and has fulfilled the role of the nation's attic for over a century. Special exhibits in this castle-like museum supplement the permanent display of items related to Switzerland and Swiss culture. These include not only paintings and sculpture but also weapons, flags, watches, clocks, tools, toys and prehistoric objects.

Museumstrasse 2
Tel: (044) 218 6511.
Website: www.musee-suisse.ch
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1100-1700.
Admission charge.

Zunfthaus zur Meisen (‘zur Meisen' Guild Hall)
The ‘zur Meisen' Guild Hall, opposite the Fraumünster, has exhibits of 18th-century Swiss pottery and china. The elegant rococo galleries are an appropriate setting for the beautifully decorated porcelain figurines that were produced in Kilchberg-Schooren, Zurich and other porcelain and pottery factories. The building itself, built in 1757, expresses a baroque aesthetic and is considered to be the most beautiful of all the Zürich guild houses.

Zoo Zürich
The open, park-like enclosures of the Zurich zoo house some 1,500 animals from points near and far, in areas that replicate the animals' natural environments. The zoo's animals draw crowds during feeding times (details are available on the website). A complex duplicates Madagascar's Masoala rainforest. There are several good restaurants at the zoo, including the Altes Klösterli, Siesta and Outpost.

Zürichbergstrasse 221
Tel: (044) 254 2505 or 0848 966 983.
Website: www.zoo.ch
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1800 (Mar-Oct); daily 0900-1700 (Nov-Feb).
Admission charge.

Botanischer Garten (Botanical Gardens)
Zurich University's Botanical Gardens make for a wonderful place to get away from it all. Inside are over a million plants that comprise the university's botanical collection, representing a number of different ecosystems from tropical rainforests to alpine meadow flowers.

Zollikerstrasse 107
Tel: (044) 634 8461.
Website: www.unizh.ch/bguz
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0700-1900, Sat and Sun 0800-1800 (Mar-Sep); Mon-Fri 0800-1800, Sat and Sun 0800-1700 (Oct-Feb).
Free admission.

Üetliberg
At an elevation of 871m (2,857ft) this is the tallest point in the city, with views over Zurich, the lake and (on a clear day) the Alps. The Üetliberg is part of the Albis ridge. There is a one-and-a-half to two-hour walk to Felsenegg, from where a cable car connects to Adliswil station, which has connections on S-Bahn line S4 to the city. A 24-hour train/cable car pass is available. The SZU Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn (website: www.szu.ch), S10, goes to the top of the city's peak (departing from many stations, including the Hauptbahnhof). A restored 1920s electric railway car can also be hired for groups. The hotel and restaurant Uto Kulm is an excellent venue from which to look down upon the city.
The restaurants have been grouped into four different pricing categories:
$$$$ (over SFr120)
$$$ (SFr80 to SFr120)
$$ (SFr50 to SFr80)
$ (up to SFr50)

The prices quoted above are for a three-course meal, including VAT and service charge. Besides VAT, a compulsory 15% service charge is included in the cost of all restaurant bills. Diners also tend to round the bill up to the nearest SFr10.

Gastronomic

Blaue Ente
One of Zurich's best restaurants, the Blaue Ente (Blue Goose) was named after an inn established in 1675 by an ancestor of one of the owners. The restaurant is about 1km (0.6 miles) south of the city centre, forming part of a trendy shopping centre based on a converted mill on the east shore of Lake Zurich. With its whitewashed bricks, glass and bits of machinery from the original mill, the Blaue Ente draws a cosmopolitan crowd from advertising, the media and the arts. Duck in many forms is the speciality of the house. One can also enjoy a menu that changes every five weeks, for which the chef experiments with seasonal ingredients. Reservations are recommended.

Seefeldstrasse 223
Tel: (01) 388 6840.
Website: www.blaue-ente.ch
Price: $$$

Kronenhalle
Many of the 20th century's great artists, like Stravinsky, Brecht, Joyce, Nureyev, Deneuve and Saint Laurent, have enjoyed the wonderful food at the Kronenhalle. The fin de siècle decor and ambience is perfect for displaying the wonderful collection of 20th-century art originally formed by Hulda Zunsteg, and now owned by her son, Gustav, including works by Giacometti, Picasso, Miro, Chagall and Matisse. This is a restaurant whose quality attracts many regular diners. There is nothing new or startling on the menu, just a mix of excellently prepared local and international favourites. Although the service is first rate, the ambience is laid-back rather than formal, so clientele preferring sausages and beer rather than delicacies are treated with the same respect. The banquet room, holding 50-60 people, carries on the same ambience as the restaurant. The restaurant bar with its art deco overtones is an excellent place to unwind; the brass lamps were designed and built by the Giacometti brothers.

Rämistrasse 4
Tel: (044) 262 9900.
Website: www.kronenhalle.com
Price: $$$$

Petermann's Kunststuben
Horst Petermann, born in Hamburg, is one of Switzerland's greatest living chefs, especially amongst devotees of French cuisine. The restaurant, 6km (4 miles) south of the city centre on Lake Zurich's eastern shore (the ‘Gold Coast'), is in a house constructed in 1873. This was an art gallery when Petermann purchased it and his own fine collection of pictures are set off both in the restaurant with its dark grey walls and in a gallery alongside. As with the other great Zurich restaurants, the Kunststuben has played host to many heads of state, major artists and businesspeople. Petermann believes in a hands-on approach and leads his small team rather than just supervising. His wife takes care of clients, decoration and service; there are always fine floral arrangements and the placing of tables allows for privacy. Three-, five- and seven-course menus are offered. Specialising in cuisine du marché (dishes prepared daily by the chef using whatever food he finds fresh in the market), the daily changing menu can include rabbit terrine with black truffles or lobster with artichokes and almond oil. Entrées, desserts and cheeses are of the same high quality. The wine cellar is exceptional and every effort is made to match wines to the dishes; many wines can also be purchased by the glass. During the summer, guests can dine outside in the intimate garden. Reservations essential.

Seestrasse 160, Küsnacht
Tel: (044) 910 0715.
Website: www.kunststuben.com
Price: $$$$

Business

Haus zum Rüden
Located in a building first mentioned in records in 1295, the Haus zum Rüden (House of the Hound) is closely related to the Constaffel Society, the noblemen and knights who elected the mayor in the Middle Ages. The restaurant, which has three rooms (two of which are solely used for private functions), is today one of the best venues for business meetings, cocktail parties and other events. The main dining room, the Restaurant Gothic Room, which can cater for up to 70 people, is located on the first floor and boasts 11m- (36ft-) long beams. The Constaffelsaal on the second floor, which can be hired by 10-40 people, has early baroque stucco decorations and the adjacent Rüdenstübli, with room for 30-150 people, has stucco work and rococo frieze dating from 1773. Dishes are traditional and definitely cuisine de marché (using fresh produce bought locally in the market). Reservations are required.

Limmatquai 42
Tel: (044) 261 9566.
Website: www.hauszumrueden.ch
Price: $$$$

Hummerbar
The St Gotthard Hotel has been in the Manz family since 1899 and its Hummerbar (Lobster Bar) has long been one of the city's top dining places. The setting, like the hotel, is fin de siècle with rich scarlet decor, candles and much polished wood. All shellfish is flown in fresh every day and alongside the simple methods of preparation, one can enjoy more elaborate fare. In August, the city's Swedes go there for crayfish. Besides an excellent grill, the hotel also offers diners the Bouillabaisse restaurant, where superb fish dishes are served in an art nouveau setting complete with pianist. Champagne is the drink of choice.

Hotel St Gotthard, Bahnhofstrasse 87
Tel: (01) 227 7700.
Website: www.hotelstgotthard.ch
Price: $$$$

Veltliner Keller
Incredibly, the Veltliner Keller has been a restaurant since 1551. Housed in a building next to St Peter's church and employed as a wine cellar since 1325, the site has always been used to store the Italian-Swiss Valtellina wines that were carried over the Alps to Zurich. The ancient carved wood interior is based on Graubündner Alpine culture (the most south-eastern part of the country, whose canton capital is St Moritz), with wooden panelling made from arve mountain pine, which only grows in Switzerland. The menu is seasonal and includes both Swiss and Italian classic dishes.

Schlüsselgasse 8
Tel: (01) 225 4040.
Website: www.veltlinerkeller.ch
Price: $$$

Trendy

Blindekuh
This is a truly unique restaurant, conceived and run by blind and visually impaired staff, where diners eat in pitch-blackness to simulate the experience of being blind. The blind waiters and waitresses guide customers to their seats and no one ever sees the interior of the restaurant or even their own food. Although it serves as a way to bring the problems of visually impaired people to the public's attention, the restaurant could not have become such a resounding success (with waiting lists several months long), without providing its guests with a high quality menu.

Muhlebachstrasse 148
Tel: (044) 421 5050.
Website: www.blindekuh.ch
Price: $$

Blu
Housed in a former 19th-century industrial laundry building, with a completely modernised, minimalist interior where sparkling chrome and stark concrete contrast with the warm colours of the timber flooring, this restaurant attracts a young, achingly cool crowd. It is optimally located on the banks of the Zurichsee, so guests can look out through the glass walls at a breathtaking view of the marina and the mountains beyond. From a culinary perspective, Blu serves a menu of delicious Italian favourites, and places heavy emphasis on the use of healthy, fresh, seasonal ingredients.

Seestrasse 457
Tel: (01) 488 6565.
Website: www.blu-restaurant.ch
Price: $$$

Restaurant LaSalle
LaSalle is at the centre of the regenerating West Zurich area of urban development. The restaurant, which was originally a shipbuilding warehouse, has been innovatively converted: the building was gutted and then an enormous glass box, which houses the dining area, was suspended inside the external redbrick structure. There are two theatres and a jazz bar located in the same complex, and the surrounding area boasts dozens of trendy new bars and clubs. The menu is predominantly French and Italian, with a seafood focus, and is produced with commendable ecological consciousness.

Schiffbaustrasse 4
Tel: (044) 258 7071.
Website: www.lasalle-restaurant.ch
Price: $$$

Budget

Café Bar Odéon
Now an ultra-trendy café and bar, this is the famed coffeehouse from 1912 where the pre-revolutionary Lenin and other intellectuals met when they could not afford to heat their own rooms. Joyce and Einstein were also regular visitors, and Thornton Wilder, Mata Hari and Mussolini also visited. Now the crowd is counter-culture chic and in the evening, the Odéon attracts both singles and gays. The café section remains intimate and is decorated in art nouveau style with many banquettes and small private areas; there is also outdoor seating in the summer. It is still possible to enjoy fine pasta dishes and a daily lunch menu and desserts. There are also unusual dishes like ostrich stroganoff with spinach noodles and game dishes in the autumn. There is an ongoing campaign to regain the building next door, which is now a pharmacy. The Odéon is open late into the night.

Limmatquai 2
Tel: (01) 251 1650.
Website: www.odeon.ch
Price: $$

Molino Zurigo
Italian restaurant Molino is ideally located on Limmatquai, offering a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere. And the food is excellent. Some say the pizzas served here are the best in town, but the rest of the dishes on the menu are just as mouth-watering. Authentic Italian cooking at its best and at reasonable prices.

Limmatquai 16
Tel: (044) 261 01 17.
Website: www.molino.ch
Price range: $$

Restaurant Hiltl
The Bavarian Ambrosius Hiltl purchased the Vegetarierheim und Abstinez-Café (Vegetarians' Home and Teetotalers' Café) in 1907 and, with the aide of his wife, turned it into the Restaurant Hiltl. Today, the restaurant is run by Ambrosius' great-grandson, Rolf. The ground floor offers very relaxed dining around a circular central serving area, with a bar area beside it, while the first floor is more traditionally furnished, reflecting the early 20th-century beginnings. At lunch, the menu always includes 50 salads, and in the evening, besides salads, rösti and pasta dishes, the restaurant serves an Indian and Thai menu of 30 dishes, which are priced by weight. Desserts and cheeses are also excellent, and national and international newspapers are available.

Sihlstrasse 28
Tel: (044) 227 7000.
Website: www.hiltl.ch
Price: $

Rheinfelder Bierhaus
One of Zurich's best beer halls, the Rheinfelder is located on the pedestrianised Marktplatz on the Niederdorf side of the River Limmat. The atmosphere is inviting, cheerfully encompassing all classes of society. Nevertheless, this is not a restaurant for people with lung problems or those trying to give up smoking. Standard beer hall food like sausages and liver are available. However, the specialities are recommended and include rindsfeffer (preserved beef stew with spätzli pasta) and ‘Schweins Cordon Bleu', a large pork fillet filled with ham and cheese, breaded and fried, and served with excellent French-fries. Occasionally, the Spanish/Romansch owners serve a special home-made paella, an unusual but excellent menu option.

Marktgasse 19
Tel: (044) 251 2991.
Price: $

Personal Recommendations

Adler's Swiss Chuchi
The wooden-panelled dining room of the Adler Hotel is located directly on Hirschenplatz, the Niederdorf's main square, on the east bank of the River Limmat. The restaurant offers a varied menu including veal escalope with ham and cheese, salmon basil-style with vegetable rice, catfish with tartar sauce or Tessin-style osso buco. However, the real reason for dining here is the many different and, possibly Zurich's best, versions of fondue and raclette (melted cheese usually served with ham and potatoes), with prices varying according to the number of ingredients and alcoholic additions.

Hirschenplatz
Tel: (044) 266 9696.
Website: www.hotel-adler.ch
Price: $$

El Parador
Probably the best Spanish/Portuguese restaurant in the city, located just off the Limmatplatz, El Parador is known for its light and cosy atmosphere and attention to detail. First courses can include garlic soup and Spanish salads like salt cod with white beans. The paella and chicken with garlic and onions are wonderful but the real speciality is parrillada, an amazing mixed seafood grill. The staff offer a warm Spanish welcome and service to their guests. Closed Sunday (late August-late September) and Monday (mid-winter).

Luisenstrasse 43
Tel: (043) 366 8885.
Website: www.elparador.ch
Price: $$$

Zeughauskeller
Built on the remains of an old armoury (zeughaus), originally constructed in 1487, the Zeughauskeller restaurant opened in 1927, when a new owner converted the building into the city's top restaurant and beer hall. Large stone pillars hold up the ornamental wooden-beamed ceiling, on which weapons from the Middle Ages to the present day are displayed. The decor is traditional, with large portraits of noblemen from the time of the medieval mercenaries and well-separated large tables that are shared, often leading to new friendships as discussions become all-inclusive. Besides classic dishes like Zurich-style kalbsgeschnetzeltes (sliced veal and mushrooms in a white wine sauce) and burgermeister hans waldmann sword (small beef steaks wrapped round a sword blade), the restaurant serves at least 12 varieties of sausage, including kanonenputzer (French-speaking region), vaudois (pork, bacon, white wine and spices slowly smoked), bratwurst, Hungarian and St Gallen schüblig.

Bahnhofstrasse 28a, Paradeplatz
Tel: (044) 211 2690.
Website: www.zeughauskeller.ch
Price: $


Shopping
Zurich makes shopping a pleasure - elegant boutiques, department stores and speciality shops are clustered in the Old Town, interspersed with cafés and bars for those necessary breaks. Most shops are open Monday-Friday 0900-1830 and Saturday 0800-1600. Many, except for the large stores, close for lunch. Late shopping on Thursday is until 2100. By law, shops cannot stay open longer than 2000 on weekdays and 1700 on Saturday. VAT is charged at a rate of 7.6% and can be reclaimed for single items purchased for SFr400 or more.

The most fashionable shopping street is Bahnhofstrasse (website: www.bahnhofstrasse-zuerich.ch), which stretches from the Hauptbahnhof past Paradeplatz to the lake. High-quality Swiss goods and international labels can be found here. There are more boutiques tucked away to the east; the main streets (Rennweg and Limmatquai) are a good starting point. More alternative (and cheaper) shops are on Langstrasse, to the west of the Hauptbahnhof.

On Saturdays from May to October, Bürkliplatz fills with stalls during the weekly flea market. Interesting antiques and hand-made artefacts are sold at Rosenhof (tel: (052) 685 3010; website: www.rosenhof.ch) in the Old Town, Thursdays and Saturdays from March to December.

Uniquely Swiss gifts are fine chocolates, Swiss Army knives, watches, embroidery, linen and handmade clocks. Schweizer Heimatwerk, Bahnhofstrasse 2 (website: www.heimatwerk.ch), has a good selection of traditional and modern Swiss design especially wooden folk toys, while Confiserie Sprüngli, Bahnhofstrasse 21 (website: www.spruengli.ch), is renowned for its chocolates. It is also Zurich's oldest pastry shop and the first to permit women to drink coffee in public. The shop also serves dozens of salty hors d'oeurves and over 50 chocolates. Their ‘Luxemburgerli' biscuit is patented and only sold here. It is possible to visit the Lindt & Sprügli (website: www.lindt.com) factory, situated south of Zurich at Seestrasse 204, Kilchberg. The S-Bahn 1 or 8 from the Haufbahnhof and bus 165 from Bürkliplatz go to the factory. The tour includes a museum, a film about chocolate making and a generous gift of chocolates.