Kronenhalle

The Kronenhalle has been one of Zurich's best-known restaurants since 1924, when Hulda Zumsteg and her husband took over a run-down inn at Bellevue and turned it into a meeting place for the city. Their son Gustav Zumsteg, a textile entrepreneur and art collector, began hanging original paintings in the dining rooms in the 1940s, and the collection is now as much a part of the experience as the food. Over the decades the guest book has included James Joyce, Coco Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Chagall, Federico Fellini, Max Frisch and Friedrich Dürrenmatt.

There are three dining rooms. The Chagall-Saal, the original room from the 1920s, is the most discreet, with works by Chagall, Bonnard, Léger and Vuillard. The Brasserie is the large, flower-filled main room, where a 1967 portrait of Hulda Zumsteg by the Swiss painter Varlin hangs. Upstairs, the bright Schweizer Galerie is devoted to Swiss art, with paintings by Giovanni Giacometti, Ferdinand Hodler and Max Gubler. Each room has its own character, so it is worth looking at the room descriptions on the restaurant's website before you book.

The cooking is traditional Swiss with seasonal dishes that show light regional and Mediterranean touches. The signature is the Kalbsfilet-Geschnetzeltes Kronenhalle, veal fillet Geschnetzeltes served with rösti, presented by the restaurant as its classic. Other house classics include ravioli with scampi and white curry, the Balleronsalat and an apple cake made to Hulda Zumsteg's original recipe. Vegetarian and vegan options are available, and the wine cellar is large. Expect top-end prices.

The restaurant is open every day from noon to midnight, with the kitchen serving from 12:00 to 22:30, which makes it a reliable choice for a late dinner after the opera or a concert. Reserve online or by phone, especially for evenings and weekends. The restaurant publishes house rules and a dress code on its website, so check them before you go.

In the same house, the Kronenhalle Bar, opened in 1965 and designed with the interior architect Robert Haussmann, has lamps by Diego Giacometti and is a classic spot for a drink before or after dinner. The restaurant is on Rämistrasse at Bellevue, steps from the lake, the Opernhaus and the southern end of the Niederdorf.