Based on numerous criteria – including economic and technological aspects, quality of life and environmental factors – the city of Zurich, Switzerland is considered one of the best life places in the world. The global center of banking and finance with a year -round population of about half a million people, Zurich took home the latest place in the global IMD Clever City index and did not achieve this podium for the first time.
Coffee in Zurich, once one step behind other major European cities, has become more sophisticated here. Locals are the main part of this scene, including people like Dario Stoop, a Swiss entrepreneur, barista and roaster, who played a key role in shaping iconic Zurich coffee places. But the city is also home to a series of international influence, including my native Brazilian country – Catherine Queirosze Neumann Coffee Group and Giovanna Tonelli z Mummy Both Brazilians work in Switzerland in the coffee industry and helped me to indicate some of their favorite places for this guide.
Auer & Co.
Auer & Co. He was one of the first cafes in Zurich, which accepted the concept of many ships. The cafe is located in a former factory, part of which opens to a limmat, a river that flows from Lake Zurich and helps define the city’s landscape. People work between tables and sofas, drawn with tiny coffee and high -quality food. “Everything here is really about the community,” says Dario Stoop. “This is a place where everyday people enter, curious and open to great coffee.”
Stoop created an average roast, which emphasizes the sweet point of the Brazilian coffee bean, which makes it a perfect fit for milk -based drinks. In addition, you will find a selected selection of coffee for a transfer, all from his roaster, Coffee architectswhich began at the Swiss Coffee Festival in October 2023.
Kraftwerk
Located at the former power plant station, Kraftwerk It has an industrial atmosphere and reflects the contemporary, relaxed style typical of the western district of Zurich. This is contrary to a more harsh city center, in which banks, global brands and iconic Swiss trademarks, such as time-honored watches and chocolates, still dominate.
Inside, arranged shipping containers cleverly divide the roomy hall into two different areas. One section is devoted to work, events and concerts, while the expansive zone at the front houses Kraftwerk Café & Restaurant. The menu is primarily vegan, and the coffee program is in line with the same concept developed in Auer & Co.
Commercial – project
Commercial It was founded by Nick Spanoudakis, coming from Crete, Greece who has lived in Switzerland since 2018. Spanoudakis did this through his entire coffee career, which began in 2008. “It was only a constant evolution,” tells me, “From a bartender to a barista, manager, competitor, cafe owner and soon, Roaster.”
His first cafe was opened in 2024 in District 4 next to the charming Bäckerranlage Park, and now there is the second location at Bahnhofstrasse, the main commercial and financial street Zurich. When I visited, spaudakis was behind the counter and I tried the Espress filled with a velvet character, as wine connoisseurs could say.
The store serves several local roasters, including BalloonMame and Rose Coffee RoastersAnd it maintains a immaculate, minimalist atmosphere inspired by Japanese Omakaz. Milk -based drinks are favorites here, but the cafe also offers hand -brewed filtration coffee using V60s, Piwowarów Origami and Aeropress.
Coffee
If you are looking for a strategic stop to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of current zurich, this is the place. Cafe, simply named “COFFEE“It leaves no doubt what to expect: high -quality drinks in a tiny, minimalist space with pavement seats, a relaxed atmosphere and a nice story.
Co-owners of Shem Leupin and Thomas Leuenberger are deeply involved in activities in a cafe with a glass in which the bold sign of “coffee” can be seen from afar. Leupin, who has the title of Swiss Barista Master (2013), also works as a buyer of green coffee for the Swiss roaster Stooll coffeewhich provides beans of the cafe. Meanwhile, Leuenberger is a developer of regulations in John BakerConsidered the most fashionable Zurich bakery that provides their cakes and bread.
Thanks to this kind of synergy and sacrifice, everything you have to do is sit, order espresso or filtered coffee, and if you want to experience a local favorite, grab banana bread crowned with a plentiful layer of Greek yogurt. Musict.
Mummy
Emi Fukahori and her business partner Mathieu Theis are the founders of Mame, Roaster / Seller with three spaces of a cafe in Zurich, two more in Geneva and a roasthouse located in a warehouse called Das Provisorium. The space was once a bakery, and now it serves as coworking hub for inventive food projects in Zurich. During a recent visit to The Valworks, Fukahori explained her approach to baking, reflects the changing tastes in Switzerland. “At the beginning, many people in Zurich did not really know what they like in coffee, most just consumed caffeine from the habit,” he tells me. “Over time, we noticed that customers find more significance in their coffee, develop clearer preferences and a sense of what they really like.”
Fukahori is recognized around the world on a specialized coffee scene and attracts many foreigners who want to work with her. If you visit only one mother in Zurich, make him at Josefstrasse, in the western part of the city. And watch out for the upcoming additional openings, including one more cafe in Zurich and a recent project called Kuro Mame in Tokyo.
While you are in Zurich, also explore ….
