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    Hiltl

    4.3 (378 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Hiltl Photos

    HILTL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Trendy
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Hiltl

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    Rice
    Sehar M.

    This place was so wonderful and had so many options. It's the oldest vegetarian restaurant and worth going with a vegetarian friend or if you're vegetarian. It's huge although my friend and I did have reservations since we had a limited time in Zurich. The ambiance was great. It's better spaced compared to other places in Zurich. They have a buffet option but my friend and I weren't hungry enough and just shared some other food. I got the Indian thali and my friend got the rosti. Everything was great, especially the Indian thali.

    View from across the street
    Aba H.

    Vegetarian, indoor/outdoor, choose between having a server or smorgasbord - we did the latter. Plates were weighed to determine the cost: my wife's was 10 Swiss francs and mine was 30 (eyes bigger than stomach rationalized by the desire to relish this adventure in tasting). The salads and entrees were good-to-very good, but anything in little, deep fried balls was bad because all you could taste was the surrounding fried part. When I tried cutting them in half to scoop out the interior, I felt like when you use tiny forks to get whatever little lobster is in a tentacle, for me, not worth the trouble. Dear Chef, bigger balls, please. There were too many dishes to taste them all, so I avoided the spicy or hot ones. We both enjoyed our meals, even though we're not vegetarians (which entitles you vegans and vegetarians to take my opinion "with a grain of salt"). It's just a few blocks off the Rodeo Drive of Zürich (Bahnhofstrasse).

    Sabrina H.

    Um wow. I loved this place so much that I made my partner go back three times during our trip. Also, I bought their cookbook? When you go in, it's pretty chaotic and there are so many dishes at the self serve buffet and everything is pay by weight which I really liked. The staff were really friendly in explaining this concept, and this is such a popular meal option in Zurich with at least three locations. I really enjoyed trying a little bit of everything and knowing that it was good for my body and healthy. I really loved this paprika dish and their assorted cold spreads. Even if you aren't vegan, you will definitely find some tasty things to enjoy!

    Janise Q.

    I will admit, before coming here, I was a little hesitant because it's a vegetarian restaurant. I've never really eaten a meal without a meat product of some sort but Hiltl changed my mind! Probably one of my favorite meals on the trip. The combination of variety and richness of the ingredients, preparation and perfect seasoning, showed just how satisfying and exciting plant-based cuisine can actually be! They do have the option of either buffet or a la carte and I opted for the a la carte menu because the options intrigued me more. The waiter also weighed in on my choices and helped me finalize my decision. I got the Scharfes Colonial and it did not disappoint. Presentation wise, stunning. Taste wise, perfectly seasoned and somehow all the ingredients blended so perfectly together. I was full from this one dish but for those who also want to experience the buffet, you do get the opportunity to try it for a set price by weight. I believe it was per 100g. If I had more time in the city, I would've gone back!

    Alexis Andrea N.

    The oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world and an anti-fiber carnivore walk into Haus Hitl. And this carnivore was pleasantly surprised! Huge restaurant that is somehow cozy and quaint. I loved the delicate place settings and the pops of green everywhere. But moreso I loved that they had options that didn't kill my stomach! I got the rösti with egg add and cheese. The Mille-feuille slapped! Very pleasantly surprised by the whole experience!

    Rachel S.

    They market themselves as the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world (open since 1894), so since my family has some vegans in the group, we had to try it when visiting Zurich. We tried the self-serve buffet-style option that is priced based on weight, and prices were very reasonable. The staff were very friendly, and the selection of food was enormous! The vegan items and common allergens like egg and milk are clearly labeled. Their food was delicious and flavorful, but they also really shined on the vegan desserts! I don't recall the names of each dish since it was all in German, but in sampling bites of 15+ dishes and filling my plate completely, I honestly lived 90% of them. We'd tried 2 other plant-based buffet-style restaurants, and personally, this place was my favorite. I just hope they might add vegan fondue to their menu. Would absolutely go again!

    Angela R.

    This is the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world, and its hundred year history alone merits a visit. The dining area is HUGE and decorated very chicly. Despite the price tag and upscale ambiance, it's not pretentious. They provided wax crayons so that kids could scribble on the glass surrounding the staircase, which I thought was super cute and a great idea. We made a reservation, and were seated at a table upstairs on the second floor. There was initially a damp, musty smell when we walked into the room but it dissipated when we got to the table. We opted for the buffet, which meant that we had to take a long walk downstairs when we wanted to get our food, then weigh our plates on the scales provided upstairs. The waitress did a great job explaining the system. The buffet is stocked with a plethora of vegetarian dishes, ranging from traditional European fare to Asian fusion. A literal vegetarian smorgasbord. I imagine that the spread was probably even more impressive back in the day when all-vegetarian restaurants were rarer and ethnic eateries harder to find. Nonetheless, an impressive variety of options and this style is a great choice if you're eating with a group of people who have trouble deciding on one specific cuisine. The buffet is priced by weight, and can add up quickly. We tried to be conservative and take very small portions of things, but we wanted to try a lot of things so the bill added up quickly. (Pro tip - recommend getting the smaller bowls so that you're not tempted to overfill a huge plate!) There were some hits and misses. Our favorites - for me, a potato gratin, and for my boyfriend, Singapore noodles with mock duck. The buffet comes with a free piece of bread or free papadam - the roll was pretty dry but the papadam was decent. Ambiance was pleasant, service was top notch, variety was bountiful, and most of the food was very tasty. It was an experience worth trying for sure, but definitely on the pricey side. Eating out in Switzerland in general can be $$$. While the food is high quality, it is all vegetarian and a buffet, so I do think the cost was a tad high considering. To be honest, I wouldn't make this a regular splurge but it was a good meal and I would certainly try it again.

    Ryna D.

    Had dinner here while in Zurich because the friends we were traveling with preferred vegetarian options. The restaurant has buffet style dining downstairs and a full service a la carte dining upstairs. I had a mushroom risotto that was very good. In fact it's one of the best vegetarian restaurants I've been to.

    Hitl kebab
    Jon T.

    When in Zurich, of course you must go to Europe's oldest vegetarian restaurant. Researching or spending a few days in Zurich, it will seem like there are a lot of places that do buffet style (and this is true.) This isn't all that Hitl offers but it is certainly a big draw for them. My partner and I opted to order from the main menu instead, since buffets aren't always a great deal if you don't plan on eating a lot of food. But before we get to the food, I was a little surprised how nice it looked inside for being an old restaurant. While I would still consider it casual dining, the sit down experience has an elevated air to it. The service was attentive, reasonably quick, and pleasant. I got the kebab sandwich, which was enjoyable though not particularly memorable. Meaning, it wasn't the best kebab of my life. And given that everything in Zurich is so expensive, you would hope the dinners would be memorable! Maybe I would have been more happy with the buffet? Still, I would recommend this place to vegetarians/vegans. On the latter, there are plenty of options to choose from, so don't worry about the 'vegetarian' designation.

    Vegan Paella
    Tigra C.

    I visited here before they introduced the buffet. My first order of business after dropping my luggage at the hotel was finding Hiltl. It was easily reachable, large, upscale, and very busy. However, don't be put off the upscale atmosphere; I felt comfortable & accepted in my casual jeans and tennis. I suggest reservations if you have a party and you plan to sit in and eat; I did not plan to do so, but ended up staying anyway. I ordered the vegan Steak Tartar (surprisingly much tastier than it looked), vegan paella (no longer on the menu. It was so-so. I wasn't impressed), and Red Thai Curry, which was delicious! My waitress was very friendly and humorous. Expensive, as was expected in Switzerland, so I have no gripes there. Definitely worth a visit if you're in Zurich.

    Buffet plate
    Samantha G.

    Hiltl self proclaims to be the oldest vegetarian establishment in the world since 1898. This place was so large! There is the main restaurant, then the cafe/bistro version all within one building. We had reservations at the main restaurant for a group of 7. This place is HUGE, and perfect for groups of any size. The building may look historic on the outside, the the interior is very bright, modern, and have clean line interior. There are multiple buffet stations to support how busy this place is. We went on a Saturday morning, and we were so glad our friends made reservations ahead of time! We decided to all do the buffet style brunch, which offers all the options your heart desires, and you pay by weight of the food. If you eat a lot, you can opt in on the all-you-can eat brunch option for a flat price. If you are not comfortable with going to the buffet area, there are menu options you can choose from. I love the concept of this place! They have salads, Indian, Chinese, American, Mediterranean, Swiss, etc. options for you to choose from. Im positive that any picky eater will find something here for them! The dragon iced tea was a recommendation from our server, and it was delicious! I would 10/10 recommend this place!

    Andreina S.

    I see now why all of the hype. This place is amazing. We loved all of the food we had here. We ended up going to with their a la carte menu since we liked those options a bit more but we loved that we could still grab things from the buffet and just weight our plate and pay for what we took. It is also so nice that they let the table decide if one person goes to the buffet and the other can order from their a la carte menu. Different from other places that if one person does the buffet then everyone on that table need to do the same. Their drinks are delicious, the place is gorgeous and the service was great. Would definitely come back when in Zurich again!

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    Hiltl Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Hiltl

    We tried the self-serve buffet-style option that is priced based on weight, and prices were very reasonable.

    Mentioned in 44 reviews

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    Shangrila - Veggie Momos. FIlled with potatoes, peas and lots of other good stuff

    Shangrila

    4.5(27 reviews)
    2.0 kmKreis 3
    $$

    Yay for the Yelp Gourmet Runde to get my first taste of Tibetan food! Thanks to Patty G. for the…read morehookup and to Simon R. for organizing. This is a rather small restaurant right off the Talwiesenstrasse tram stop or a short walk from Goldbrunnenplatz and Schmiede Wiedikon. Very cozy and decorated with Tibetan stuff. The entire restaurant was full on Thursday night. We got to try a variety of food, and everything was kind of reminiscent of other familiar dishes, yet different in its own way. I liked how the food wasn't very spicy (I don't like spice) but still had a lot of flavor. And you could increase the heat to your liking with a variety of sauces. Everything had a great mouth feel (i.e. great density and lots of "Q", as we say in Taiwanese). Let's see if I can remember everything I ate. I don't know the names of any of the dishes, so I'll try my best to describe them here. 1. Thick flour crackers. Plain, but I liked them. Great crunch. 2. Clear vegetable soup with 3 kinds of spicy sauces you could add to increase the heat. 3. Thick dumplings--a vegetarian one filled with mashed potato (kind of like a pierogi) and one filled with meat (kind of like Chinese dumplings with the juice inside). 4. Chewy flat bread (kind of like a naan or Chinese bing). 5. A meat pie (kind of like a empanada). 6. A slightly spicy eggplant dish cooked in a thick, dark sauce. 7. Tiny strips of yak meat cooked with veggies. The yak tasted kind of like beef. 8. Glass noodles with black fungus (wood ear). 9. Spicy yogurt sauce. 10. Fried rice with mixed veggies. 11. Cucumber salad. 12. Cooked vegetables. 13. Some kind of salad that was pink (due to roses, I think). It kind of looked like shredded turnip, but I wasn't exactly sure what it was. 14. Barley flour ice cream. Overall, this was a great experience. The food was really heavy and yummy, and I definitely stuffed myself like a pig trying all the different foods.

    I have a (perhaps unnatural) fixation on all things meat wrapped in dough. I love Dim Sum, Pigs in…read moreBlankets, Ravioli, Baos and, as of last year, Momos. Since affordable ones are exceedingly rare to come by in Zurich I rejoiced when I heard that the Shanrgila offers them all you can eat for merely 23.- a person! Thus, this review is for the lunch buffet (every Tues, Thurs, Fri) which I've attended half a dozen times in the last 10 months. There is nothing I could complain about: the people are super nice, the food is always amazing and fresh, the restaurant is clean and you always get a good deal with the Momos. Really, what could be wrong when you can treat yourself to all the beef Momos you can eat in all their juicy, savory, beefy goodness, which you eat by hand, btw. Finish your meal with a "Gerstenglacé" - if you can. It's a tiny portion of ice cream made from barley topped with dried Himalayan roots. So yummy and just the right amount after having stuffed yourself with the all-you-can-eat Momo.

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    Shangrila
    Shangrila
    Shangrila

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    Café Elena - Consequent Salmon - 27 CZH

    Café Elena

    3.8(16 reviews)
    0.7 kmKreis 1

    Cafe Elena - Zürich…read more Pink never tasted so Swiss. Pink looks good on you. When you walk in, to the left you will discover large wall of pink flowers. Beautiful large upholstered pink bench for accommodating guests to enjoy good Swiss cuisine. To the right, you will find beautiful bar area, filled with... you guessed it, more pink flowers. The atmosphere is relaxing with great staff helping you decide on Swiss menu items. In the middle of the cafe, you will find additional tables with chairs that's where I enjoyed my Swiss cuisine. I ordered, "CONSEQUENT SALMON," breadbasket, butter, jam, sliced cheese and fruits, salmon and rösti. My meal tasted great and it was pleasant to sit, relax and take time to really enjoy all the flavors. I would certainly recommend this place and look forward returning. After you finish your breakfast, step outside to enjoy beautiful, "Limmat River," running along side. Café Elena located walking distance to HB Train Station, largest train station in Switzerland.

    Ambiance As everyone said, very pink. Noise levels were…read moreambient and not so loud that you couldn't speak, but with various languages, perhaps it wasn't as apparent. The seating is comfortable and plush (maybe microfiber?). Music is very 90s r&b. I'm not sure if it's the general vibe or just the particular day we went, but it was enjoyable for me. Service Attentive, but not overbearing. Someone offered us several available tables as we stepped in to choose from. The wait staff showed us the wifi code and their menu is offered as a qr code to view on your phone. We were given enough space and time to go over the menu and she answered any questions we had. Food I got the pink velvet macchiato, which was very rich in coffee flavor, even with the tall glass of milk. The mixed colors were still pretty. I got the Turkish breakfast, which is pretty large, so definitely arrive hungry. There was a combination of sweet and savory in this meal - a small skillet of tomatoes and egg, two different kinds of sausage (one larger, sliced and pan fried to be crispy, while the other is pink, soft, delicate and came in 3 small ones), a hard boiled egg, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, sheep's cheese similar to feta, a side of bread, butter, and jam, tea, baklava, and a little rose gummy dessert. The combination of textures and flavors were wonderful, but the bread was a little on the crunchy side, when i would have preferred soft. The baklawa was filled with pistachios, had a lovely pastry crust, but wasn't overly sweet. The pink, gummy sweet had a hint of rose, so it wasn't overpowering and it didn't stick to your teeth afterwards, so it was a perfect ending to a meal. I didn't get to try the farmer's breakfast other than the beans, but my friend was satisfied with the meal.

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    Café Elena - Cozy and Pink

    Cozy and Pink

    Café Elena - Consequent Salmon - 27 CZH

    Consequent Salmon - 27 CZH

    Café Elena - Coffee Menu

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    Coffee Menu

    Hiltl - vegetarian - Updated July 2026

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