This was published 5 years ago
Zurich, places to eat: Seven dishes you must try, according to Chef David Kruger
David Kruger, executive chef at Restaurant Opera.
ZURCHER GESCHNETZELTES, RESTAURANT AUGUST
I enjoy a good hearty meal, and one of my favourite go-to dishes is the Zurcher Geschnetzeltes. A famous traditional Swiss dish, it consists of slices of tender veal, mushrooms and a light brown sauce, served with potato roesti. See au-gust.ch
LAKE TROUT WITH MOUNTAIN POTATOES, RESTAURANT SIHLMATT
Who doesn't like a bratwurst?
I like Restaurant Sihlmatt for a relaxed meal – not only for its location along the river crossing the city of Zurich, but also because they serve up a delicious marinated lake trout with ancient herbs and mountain potatoes. I can't recommend this place enough. See sihlmatt.ch
VEAL ESCALOPE, RESTAURANT METZG
For me, the best Swiss beef is produced in Ennetburgen near Lake Lucerne, where the butcher's slogan is "An animal that is not treated decently cannot supply good meat." A great place to enjoy this high quality beef is at Zurich's Restaurant Metzg. I particularly like the veal escalope – a simple dish where the lemon sauce perfectly complements the meat. See restaurant-metzg.ch
Tender veal and mushrooms with roesti at Zurcher Geschnetzeltes.
LINDT CHOCOLATE MOUSSE TOPPED WITH A RASPBERRY-CHAMPAGNE FOAM, BABU'S BAKERY & COFFEEBAR
It comes as no surprise I enjoy local produce and that includes our famous Lindt chocolate. My favourite way to enjoy it is a Lindt chocolate mousse made out of chocolate chunks and I get my fix at Babu's Bakery & Coffeebar. See babus.ch
DAMWILD FROM HITTNAU
Damwild, or fallow deer, from Hirschhof Hittnau, is the perfect venison for me. These deer graze on fresh grass in a 243-hectare enclosure surrounded by fruit, walnut trees and sweet chestnuts, are not fed antibiotics or other artificial additives. I enjoy this meat because it's lean, tender, tasty and above all very healthy. It's a great source of protein, iron and vitamin B2. See gourmethirsch.ch
WIEDIKERLI BRATWURST
Who doesn't like a bratwurst sausage? One of the best ones for me is the Wiedikerli, which comes in three variants: original, with fennel, and with chilli pepper. Created in the 1990s by master butcher Urs Keller from Wiedikon, this sausage very quickly gained a large following all over the city. It's one of my favourite go-to snacks any time of the year. See wiedikerli.ch
SWISS PRIME BEEF, RESTAURANT OPERA
One of the classic dishes at Restaurant Opera is the Swiss prime beef fillet ripened on the bone, roasted with herb ash and served with sow thistle potato mash and peppered honey carrots. This is one of the favourites among our regular guests and our staff, myself included. It's Zurich on a plate – rich, sophisticated and interesting. See restaurantopera.ch
David Kruger started work at the Restaurant Opera in the Small Luxury Hotel Ambassador in Zurich in 2017, introducing his concept of "Agefood" which reflects his passion for nature and the resources from the forests and valleys around Zurich. Guests can go on food hikes to learn about the herbs and flowers he uses in his cooking. Prior to Restaurant Opera, David worked in four restaurants with 15 Gault-Millau points, and in five Michelin-starred restaurants.
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