RFK Rankings · Zurich
Best Restaurants for Brunch in Zurich (2026)
Weekend brunch · Zurich · 6 rooms ranked · Updated June 2026
Compiled by the Restaurants for Kings editorial team · Published May 14, 2024 · Updated June 9, 2026 · Reviewed by Fredrik Filipsson, Editor-in-Chief · How we rank · Corrections
Hiltl has run a meat-free buffet on Sihlstrasse since 1898, and on weekends Babu's Bakery sells through its trays by mid-morning. Zurich does brunch as a long table, not a grab-and-go, and demand runs high enough that the good rooms ask you to book. These six, ranked, are where to spend a weekend morning in the city.
1.Hiltl
The world's oldest vegetarian restaurant, a 100-dish pay-by-weight brunch buffet since 1898; book the weekend table on Sihlstrasse.
Hiltl opened on Sihlstrasse in 1898 and holds the Guinness record as the world's oldest continuously running vegetarian restaurant. The weekend draw is a buffet of more than a hundred meat-free dishes, charged by weight, spanning Indian curries to Swiss classics.
Brunch typically runs around CHF 25 to CHF 45 a head depending on plate weight, and the room opens early and stays busy. Book the weekend table rather than chancing a walk-up; the buffet fills fast on a Saturday morning.
2.Babu's Bakery & Coffeehouse
A New York-style bakery cafe on Lowenstrasse doing all-day weekend brunch and serious pastry; arrive early before the trays empty.
Babu's runs at Lowenstrasse 1, a multi-level bakery and coffeehouse serving an all-day brunch on weekends. The pastry counter, the eggs and the avocado plates are the draw, alongside some of the better coffee in the city centre.
Brunch plates and bakery items sit around CHF 12 to CHF 28, which keeps it on the value end. The room gets busy fast, so arrive early on a Saturday or Sunday to secure a table before the trays empty.
3.Kafischnaps
A former butcher's shop turned Wipkingen cafe-bar with a beloved weekend brunch; book ahead for the local room.
Kafischnaps took over a former butcher's shop in the Wipkingen district and runs as a neighbourhood cafe-bar with a devoted weekend brunch following. The room is relaxed and local, and the kitchen leans seasonal and unfussy.
Brunch sits roughly CHF 18 to CHF 35, and the bar keeps late hours into the evening. Book ahead for the weekend; the locals fill the small room early, and walk-ups face a wait.
4.Cafe des Amis
A frill-free Seefeld cafe with a relaxed terrace brunch near the lake; come for an unhurried Sunday rather than a buffet rush.
Cafe des Amis runs in the Seefeld district near the lake, an easy, frill-free room with a terrace that fills on a clear morning. The brunch is straightforward: eggs, bircher muesli, fresh bread and good coffee, served without ceremony.
Brunch plates fall around CHF 15 to CHF 30, and the draw is the calm terrace rather than a sprawling buffet. Come for a slow Sunday near the water rather than a high-volume weekend rush.
5.Henrici
A coffee-led Niederdorf cafe doing a tidy Old Town brunch by the Grossmunster; walk in midweek, book at weekends.
Henrici sits in the Niederdorf, the Old Town pedestrian quarter by the Grossmunster, and builds its brunch around a serious coffee program. The room is small and central, well placed for a brunch wrapped around a morning's sightseeing.
Brunch and bakery plates run roughly CHF 14 to CHF 28. The Old Town location means weekends are busy, so book then; a weekday morning is a clean walk-in for a coffee-led breakfast.
6.Zum Guten Glueck
A Kreis 4 cafe doing a colourful, health-leaning brunch of bowls and bakes; come weekend mornings to the District Four room.
Zum Guten Glueck runs in Kreis 4, the lively District Four, with a brunch that leans colourful and health-minded: grain bowls, bakes, eggs and big breakfast plates. It is a steady neighbourhood pick away from the tourist centre.
Brunch plates sit around CHF 16 to CHF 30, fair for the quality. The room fills on weekend mornings, so arrive earlier rather than later for the District Four table.
Not for everyone
Famous, but not actually brunch
Kronenhalle. The art-lined Old Town institution is a lunch-and-dinner classic, not a brunch room, and its draw is the Chagall and Miro on the walls over an evening meal. Save it for a long dinner; it does not run the weekend brunch the rooms above are built for.
The Restaurant at the Dolder Grand. The two-star room at the Dolder Grand is an evening tasting destination, not a weekend brunch. The hotel does serve a grand Sunday brunch, but the flagship dining room itself is a dinner booking; do not expect eggs and a buffet there.
Igniv Zurich. Andreas Caminada's sharing-plates room is a refined lunch-and-dinner restaurant, not a brunch cafe. It is one of the city's best tables, but it is an evening or long-lunch booking, not where Zurich eats its Saturday brunch.
How to brunch well in Zurich
Zurich's brunch spreads across the centre and the lively outer districts: the city core around Sihlstrasse and Lowenstrasse, the Old Town Niederdorf by the Grossmunster, lakeside Seefeld, and Kreis 4 and Wipkingen for the neighbourhood rooms. The centre holds the landmarks; the outer districts hold the value.
Demand runs high, so the rule is simple: book ahead at the destination rooms like Hiltl and Kafischnaps, and arrive early at the no-reservation cafes like Babu's. For a calm table, a weekday morning beats the weekend everywhere, and a lake terrace at Cafe des Amis rewards a clear-sky Sunday.
Frequently asked
Where is the best brunch in Zurich?
Hiltl on Sihlstrasse is the marquee pick, the world's oldest vegetarian restaurant and a 100-dish pay-by-weight buffet running since 1898. For an all-day weekend brunch with serious pastry, Babu's Bakery on Lowenstrasse is the destination; for a neighbourhood room, Kafischnaps in Wipkingen has a devoted following.
Do you need a reservation for brunch in Zurich?
Often, yes. Demand is high, so book ahead at the destination rooms such as Hiltl and Kafischnaps, especially on a weekend. The bakery cafes like Babu's are walk-in, but they fill fast, so arrive early on a Saturday or Sunday. A weekday morning is the easiest table anywhere in the city.
What is a good vegetarian brunch in Zurich?
Hiltl is the obvious answer, a fully meat-free buffet of more than a hundred dishes charged by weight, from Indian curries to Swiss classics. It has been vegetarian since 1898 and holds the Guinness record as the world's oldest such restaurant. Zum Guten Glueck in Kreis 4 also leans heavily into grain bowls and plant-forward plates.
What does brunch cost in Zurich?
Expect Swiss prices. The bakery and neighbourhood cafes such as Babu's, Henrici and Zum Guten Glueck run roughly CHF 12 to CHF 30 a plate, while Hiltl's pay-by-weight buffet typically lands around CHF 25 to CHF 45 depending on how much you load. Coffee and fresh juice add to the bill at every room.
Is the Dolder Grand good for brunch in Zurich?
The hotel runs a grand Sunday brunch, but its flagship two-star room, The Restaurant, is an evening tasting booking rather than a brunch cafe, so it sits off this ranking. For the weekend brunch itself, the city-centre, Old Town and outer-district rooms above are the destinations.
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More from RFK
Browse the full Zurich dining guide, read the Hiltl profile on Sihlstrasse, compare the city's casual rooms in the Zurich walk-in ranking and its cellars in the Zurich wine-list ranking, or open the full RFK rankings index.
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