Zürich
Choosing lunch in Zurich depends on more than cuisine: location, pace and how much planning the visit needs all matter. This guide brings together Japanese lunches with a broad sushi selection, hearty Vietnamese lunches and pho, vegetarian platters, French bistro meals and custom bowls across central areas. Check opening hours and reserve ahead for popular Old Town tables or tasting-menu lunches.
We researched lunch restaurants in Zürich and narrowed them down to those with genuine expertise, strong reviews and complete contact details.
Certain businesses pay to be featured more prominently.
Quick view
Select an option to see its summary.
Full list
#1Yu-An is a Japanese restaurant in central Zurich at Werdstrasse 66, offering freshly prepared sushi alongside warm and cold Japanese specialities. The menu combines familiar choices such as teriyaki and salmon salad with more creative sushi dishes, making it suitable for both a quick midday meal and an unhurried evening visit.
Lunch can become busy, so the restaurant is especially practical for diners who plan around its split lunch and dinner hours.
#2Hang’s is a Vietnamese restaurant on Schaffhauserstrasse 133, particularly convenient for lunch with generous portions and a welcoming atmosphere. Pho is a natural choice, while the friendly team adds a personal touch to the visit and can accommodate thoughtful details for special occasions.
The menu also extends into dinner, with lunch service on most weekdays and Sunday opening for a more relaxed midday meal.
#3Traditional serving style in a woven basket
At Birmensdorferstrasse 191, Liyu brings Ethiopian cooking to Zurich in a cozy, relaxed setting. The vegetarian platter is a strong choice for lunch, combining vibrant presentation with traditional serving style in a woven basket .
Dishes are prepared with aromatic detail, making this a distinctive option for a leisurely midday meal or an easy dinner. Ordering for home is also available through the restaurant’s online service.
#4Equally suited to a quick lunch or a relaxed dinner
QQ Sushi TAHO brings a flexible sushi menu to Brandschenkestrasse, making it equally suited to a quick lunch or a relaxed dinner in central Zurich. Alongside traditional sushi, the menu includes more playful combinations such as mango-topped creations and other special dishes.
The atmosphere is easygoing, while attentive, friendly service helps the restaurant work well for both informal meals and evening plans.
#5Carefully curated wine list
Mère Catherine offers a relaxed French bistro experience in the atmospheric Nägelihof courtyard in Zurich’s Niederdorf. Its Mediterranean character, broad dish selection, and carefully curated wine list suit business lunches, leisurely afternoons, and special dinners alike.
Beef tartare is a strong menu choice, while the service brings a polished finish. With lunch and evening sessions on weekdays, reservations are advisable for this tucked-away central address.
#6Restaurant Lumière brings a Parisian brasserie mood to Zurich’s Old Town at Widdergasse 5. Its French classics, curated wine selection and polished setting suit a special lunch or dinner, with the patio adding an appealing outdoor option.
The menu’s strengths include carefully balanced tartare and tender filet with butter sauce. Advance booking is sensible, even at lunchtime.
#7Neue Taverne places creative, seasonal and entirely plant-based cooking at the centre of its menu in Zurich’s old town. Its vegetable-led dishes are designed for diners who want a more ambitious lunch or dinner without relying on meat, and the tasting-menu format adds occasion to the visit.
Reservations are strongly advisable, particularly for peak dining times.
#8Ample vegan choices
kaisin. talacker centres its menu on customisable bowls, including high-protein combinations such as miso salmon. The regular portions are substantial, and ample vegan choices make it easy to accommodate different preferences at the same table.
Staff are happy to help with pairings, which is useful when building your own bowl. Located at Talacker 35, it works particularly well for office lunches, pickup and quick city-centre dinners.
#9A garden terrace adds an appealing outdoor option
Drei Stuben serves modern Swiss cuisine from an 18th-century venue on Beckenhofstrasse 5. The menu includes wild dishes, Cordon Bleu and brunch, with thoughtfully composed plates and polished presentation.
A garden terrace adds an appealing outdoor option , while the restaurant’s lunch service runs Tuesday to Thursday from 11:30am to 2pm. It suits business lunches, relaxed meals and occasions that call for a distinctly Zurich setting.
#10Changing weekly menu
Leafs is a European restaurant at the Engimatt, suited to both weekday lunch and a more relaxed dinner. Freshly prepared dishes, carefully cooked vegetables and a changing weekly menu bring variety beyond the regular selection.
The restaurant also includes a bar, terrace and wine offering, making it flexible for meals, drinks or private celebrations. It serves lunch from 11:30am to 2pm and dinner from 6:30pm to 10pm, Monday to Friday.
#11Eden Kitchen & Bar offers a refined lunch setting at Utoquai 45, with lake views and a menu inspired by Mediterranean-Italian culinary traditions. The polished dining room and attentive service make it suitable for a business lunch, special breakfast or leisurely meal, while desserts such as chocolate mousse and soufflé add a strong finish.
Its early opening from 6:30 am gives the venue unusual flexibility across the day.
#12Cantinetta Antinori occupies a characterful address on Augustinergasse 25 in Zurich’s old town, pairing an authentic Italian interior with attentive, hospitable service. The menu ranges from carefully prepared bruschetta and calamari salad to sea bass and seasonal Tuscan dishes, supported by a wine-focused approach.
It is well suited to a polished lunch, with an atmosphere that remains welcoming rather than overly formal.
#13Restaurant Viadukt occupies the landmark railway arches on Viaduktstrasse in Kreis 5, pairing a warm, elegant atmosphere with creative, market-fresh cooking. Lunch is especially practical, with three menus and a weekly special, plus soup and salad.
The setting faces the park and brings skyline views into the meal, while all-day opening makes it suitable for a working lunch, leisurely dinner or evening event.
#14Fresh, flavourful bowls with a high-protein focus
Delivery and pick-up options
At Alfred-Escher-Strasse 70 in Zurich, kaisin. enge serves fresh, flavourful bowls with a high-protein focus . It suits a quick lunch, a lighter dinner or an office meal, with delivery and pick-up options alongside in-store dining.
The atmosphere is welcoming, and attentive service adds to the experience. Bowl-based meals make it an easy choice for balanced eating without a lengthy sit-down occasion.
#15Several areas for relaxing over a drink
Central 1, at Zurich’s Central square, brings together breakfast, lunch, dinner and a bar setting with several areas for relaxing over a drink . The Kings Cave restaurant adds a distinct dining option, while the atmosphere works equally well for a quick Sunday afternoon drink or a more complete meal.
Breakfast has a focused selection rather than an extensive buffet. Opening hours and reservations are handled separately.
Summary
| # | Business | Rating | Reviews | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Yu-An | 4.8 | 863 | Japanese lunches with a broad sushi selection |
| #2 | Hang's | 4.7 | 1,319 | Hearty Vietnamese lunches and pho |
| #3 | Liyu Ethiopian Restaurant in Zürich | 4.9 | 285 | Vegetarian platters and relaxed Ethiopian meals |
| #4 | QQ Sushi TAHO | 4.8 | 300 | Flexible sushi lunches and casual dinners |
| #5 | Mère Catherine | 4.6 | 1,725 | French lunches and relaxed courtyard dinners |
| #6 | Restaurant Lumière | 4.7 | 477 | French dining |
| #7 | Neue Taverne | 4.6 | 762 | Plant-based lunches and thoughtful tasting meals |
| #8 | kaisin. talacker | 4.6 | 364 | Custom bowls and office lunches |
| #9 | Drei Stuben | 4.5 | 664 | Swiss lunches |
| #10 | Leafs | 4.6 | 301 | Fresh weekday lunches and quiet dinners |
| #11 | Eden Kitchen & Bar | 4.6 | 268 | Refined lunches |
| #12 | Cantinetta Antinori | 4.4 | 2,620 | Italian lunches with seasonal dishes and wine |
| #13 | Viadukt | 4.4 | 1,474 | Park-facing lunches and all-day dining |
| #14 | kaisin. enge | 4.6 | 230 | High-protein lunches |
| #15 | Central 1 | 4.5 | 413 | Drinks and meals around Central |
For businesses
Map and areas
Use the map to see which lunch options fit your route through Zurich. Central choices cluster around Niederdorf, the Old Town and Talacker, while other restaurants sit along Werdstrasse, Birmensdorferstrasse and Schaffhauserstrasse. Compare distance from your office, hotel or meeting point, then check the opening schedule before setting out.
Yu-An on Werdstrasse is a strong match for diners who want a broad sushi selection alongside warm and cold Japanese dishes. QQ Sushi TAHO near Brandschenkestrasse offers another flexible option, with traditional sushi and more creative combinations.
Liyu is a natural choice for a vegetarian Ethiopian platter and a relaxed shared meal. Neue Taverne is better suited to diners seeking an entirely plant-based, seasonal experience, including a more deliberate tasting-menu lunch.
Mère Catherine and Restaurant Lumière both offer French dining in central Old Town settings, while Neue Taverne focuses on creative plant-based cooking nearby. Consider the desired pace, occasion and need to reserve before choosing.
kaisin. talacker is designed around custom bowls, with substantial portions, high-protein combinations and vegan choices. Hang's can also work for a filling team lunch, especially when pho and generous Vietnamese portions suit the group.
Booking is sensible for popular French restaurants, patio seating, tasting-menu visits and peak periods in the Old Town. For a quick sushi or bowl lunch, availability may be more flexible, but it is still worth checking the current schedule before travelling.
