Bahnhofstrasse's Reliable Brasserie
Carlton on Bahnhofstrasse is one of Zurich's reliable all-day brasseries — a format the city does well and a room held to the standard the city's principal shopping and banking street demands. The format handles breakfast, business lunch, café service through the afternoon, and a serious evening dinner equally.
The cooking is Swiss-French brasserie at its proper level: Zürcher Geschnetzeltes with rösti, considered fish, careful seasonal preparations. The wine list is unsurprisingly deep on Swiss producers.
What to Order
Zürcher Geschnetzeltes — the city's classic veal-and-mushroom dish, with rösti. Lake fish from Swiss waters, handled simply. Seasonal preparations rotate; the wine list rewards a Swiss white ordered with care.
The Format
The dining room is well-spaced and comfortable; the bar handles a meeting that runs long; the Bahnhofstrasse address resolves the logistics of a Zurich business lunch.
Best Occasion: Close a Deal
Carlton handles a Zurich deal lunch with quiet authority. The address communicates a particular kind of city seriousness; the format keeps the meeting focused; the wine list lets the dinner ascend if the deal does.