Alex Peghoux

The summer months see an enviable range of drinking destinations come out of hibernation and spring to life across Zurich, from rooftops to the lakeside. Read on to discover our pick of the best bars for whiling away those long summer days and nights.

As well as teaching the usual courses for both neophytes and experienced practitioners, Planet Yoga sets it itself apart with its great line-up of workshops. These go well beyond standard yoga-centric classes, ranging from kids’ yoga for four- to eight-year-olds to holistic-themed lectures and a cacao ceremony – a journey aided by the meditative qualities of cacao. 

With two Zurich locations (you'll find the other at Fabrikstrasse 10), Airyoga teaches modern yoga variants such as anusara, which derives from hatha, and ashtanga, which comes from vinyasa, alongside more traditional forms. It also offers prenatal yoga classes and pranayama – which focuses on breathing to cleanse the body’s channels – as well as numerous yoga-based workshops. 

Working at a variety of Zurich locations, Clive Radda, a 500-hour Yoga Alliance-certified instructor, leads classes ranging from classic hatha to dynamic vinyasa and intensive asana. Shiatsu and bodywork sessions are also available.

Bikram yoga is a synthesized 90-minute version of hatha performed in 40°C heat. This tends to make you rather sweaty, but it’s also said to help optimise the benefit of the 26 poses covered in each session, and maximise calorie burn and muscle relaxation. Just remember to drink lots of water.

Making yoga accessible to all with an informal and affordable approach is the mantra here. Open every day, including holidays, Soluna has two Geneva studios, this one in Pâquis, and another in Champel (Ave Jules-Crosnier 4) – one on either side of the lake. Together they offer 40 classes a week given by 15 experienced teachers. Watch out for regular masterclasses, workshops and other big events, too. 

Located in the city centre, Yogaworks has a variety of teachers leading bilingual French-English drop-in classes. Hatha and power vinyasa courses are de rigueur, focusing on the body’s alignment and coordination, as well as the breath. Not included in the standard passes are the Mysore-style ashtanga sessions, in which you get to practise sequences at your own pace with one-on-one assistance from an instructor in a small group setting.

While offering the usual mix of hatha, vinyasa and ashtanga classes, Feel Good Yoga’s stand-out course is Forrest yoga. With a name like that, you might picture perfecting sun salutations and downward dog poses in the nearby beautiful Sauvabelin forest. However, this is Forrest with two ‘r’s and is in fact a form of hatha yoga characterised by holding positions for an extended period of time. That said, brownie points for practising it in the woods.

Specialising primarily in hatha yoga, most of the classes at this studio are in French. However, the helpful instructors do speak English and will take the time to guide non-French speakers. The roster comprises regular teachers alongside local and international guest instructors.

A welcome addition to the Turkish food scene in Zurich. Gül isn’t your run-of-the-mill place serving doners and dürüms. It specialises in traditional Turkish fare with a hint of modernity. Delicious meze, such as its midye dolmasi (rice-stuffed mussels) and goat’s cheese pide, as well as its lahmacun (Turkish pizza) all make excellent places to start – though also leave space for the Marmara-style octopus or külbasti chicken.

Offering a varied and extensive list of yoga courses – ranging from traditional hatha and vinyasa, which focus on strength and flexibility, to the more meditative and relaxing antastha and yin yoga – Sanapurna caters to beginners and adept yogis alike. Ready to take your love of yoga to the next level? It also offers yoga teacher certification courses.

One main benefit of Yoga Lab is that it’s a comparatively small studio with limited space in each session. While this makes booking classes in advance mandatory, it also ensures more one-to-one interaction with the instructor. Many of the studio’s sessions stand out for their emphasis on pairing yoga with music. Two of the most popular are the Rise and Shine session, which features a guitarist from the Geneva Conservatory of Music playing along live, and its Electroyoga event, which is held every couple months and blends yoga with electronic music. 

Arguably one of Zurich’s best Thai restaurants. Don’t be fooled by the simple décor or food presentation – the dishes at Tam Nan Siam are the real deal, boasting punchy and authentic flavours very different from the westernised versions served at many other so-called Thai restaurants. The weekday lunch buffet provides a good overview of the cuisine at a reasonable price. The downside? Not all the signature dishes are on offer there at any one time. Thankfully, the à la carte menu is available at both lunch and dinner, and the kitchen will be more than happy to whip you up a tom yam gung, massaman curry, or pad Thai should the need arise…