Confiserie Sprüngli Paradeplatz

Sprüngli is part of Zurich's identity. The business dates back to 1836, when David Sprüngli bought the confectioner's shop Konditorei Vogel, and in 1859 the family opened the house on what is now Paradeplatz, which remains its headquarters. In 1892 the chocolate-making branch of the business split off and became independent as Lindt & Sprüngli, while the confectionery stayed in Zurich as Confiserie Sprüngli. Today the company has around 35 shops and cafés, but the Paradeplatz house is the one to visit.

The building's Jugendstil renovation, completed in 1910, made it a landmark of the city, and a renovation in 2024 opened a new chapter in its history. On the ground floor, the Sprüngli boutique sells chocolates, pralines, cakes and the famous Luxemburgerli. These small, light macaroons were first sold in 1957, the year after Richard Sprüngli took over the business, and the company credits their invention to a Sprüngli confectioner from Luxembourg. They are one of the factory's best-known products and a classic Zurich souvenir.

Alongside the boutique, the historic café-salon is one of the city's most famous, and it serves breakfast, lunch and coffee and cake throughout the day. The kitchen combines much-loved classic dishes with new recipes, and the lunch menu is varied enough for a proper meal rather than just a snack. The Sunday brunch is popular and worth reserving, and prices reflect the location on Zurich's most famous shopping street.

According to Zürich Tourism, the café opens every day, from 8:30 on weekdays and 9:00 at weekends, closing at 18:30 from Monday to Saturday and earlier on Sundays. The ground-floor boutique is the place to buy Luxemburgerli and chocolates to take home.

Sprüngli is on Paradeplatz, halfway along Bahnhofstrasse, where several tram lines stop. It fits naturally into a walk along Bahnhofstrasse, and the Fraumünster, the Zeughauskeller and St. Peter are all a few minutes away on foot. The lake end of Bahnhofstrasse and Bürkliplatz are a short stroll to the south, and the UBS headquarters stand on the same square. If the chocolate history interests you, the Lindt Home of Chocolate in Kilchberg, run by the company that split from Sprüngli in 1892, makes a natural follow-up visit.