A few weeks ago, I read an article on NZZ about various cafés serving speciality coffee in Zurich. Being a coffee lover, the article piqued my interest and I wanted to give it a go myself. There was a cappuccino, flat white, hot, cold, espresso, mocha, fruity, chocolatey, nutty, crazy coffee and a lot more brews to choose from.
ViCafé
Locations: Bellevue (Stadelhofen), Zürich Bahnhofstrasse, Europaallee.
This takeaway coffee bar has the best coffee I have tasted so far. I am a regular there and I almost always go for a flat white unless I am craving something cool in the summer. Their flat white was the first espresso-based coffee that I had without sugar. The flat white is chocolatey and nutty (explains the natural sweetness) and super creamy. If you are craving a typical South Indian filter coffee, do try their “Hausmischung” espresso powder. My family drinks it every Sunday like a treat. You just need to add chicory to make the decoction thick.
Bean Bank
Location: Lagerstrasse, near Sihlpost
As the name suggests, the takeaway café seems like a bank in a way. They have a concept called “guest espresso” meaning, they use a different espresso every day and state what flavor notes the espresso has on the menu.
Apart from that they also have a ‘crazy coffee’ called the Magic Brew along with a recommendation on how one should enjoy this one!
I tried their guest espresso, the crazy coffee, and a cold brew. The espresso was intense yet sour and fruity. The cold brew was less on the sour side but more on the fruity side with a smooth mouthfeel. And the crazy coffee was called the Panama Geisha and was served as a pour-over-filter coffee. This one had a sweet aftertaste with a slight bitterness to it.
Miro
Location: Pop-up shop in Zürich HB, opposite Sprüngli
Many of you may have passed by this cute pop-up store at the Zurich main station! I tried their espresso which was very sour but also fruity. Miro is a start-up whose aim is to introduce people to sour-tasting coffee with fruity notes because the majority of speciality coffee drinkers are used to having bitter coffee with chocolate notes. They always brew a sour-tasting espresso with medium roasted beans. When I tried it, the tartness was too much for me to handle, but it may appeal to people who like sour foods.
MAME
Location: Seefeld (Stadelhofen)
Café MAME has a similar concept to Bean Bank; They have a flavor wheel next to the menu, with a variety of flavors to choose from. I chose a well-balanced coffee that had both fruity as well as chocolatey notes. I also had the chance to taste their flat white, which was surprisingly sour and tasted different than the one I’m used to drinking. MAME is a quiet place, great for students and office goers. The ambience is very relaxed with lo-fi music playing in the background.
Overall, It was great exploring the coffee scene around Zurich city. Each coffee was unique, and the café owners brewing them, work with one common goal: to introduce people to the concept — that coffee-making is an art and that there is a huge diversity in the taste of coffee that needs to be brought out using various methods.
Let us know if you tried out any of these cafes, and which ones are your personal favorites!
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed belong solely to the content provider. Namaste Switzerland does not undertake any financial/reputational/legal/misrepresentational impact or other obligations/ liabilities that may arise from the content.
