Hotel Helvetia

This gentrified brassiere restaurant, awarded 15 points by the Gault-Millau gourmet guide, attracts a bohemian and lively crowd of local literati and financial wheeler-dealers. This is partly due to the cooking skills of the charismatic Swiss star chef Françoise Wicki and her menu which is built on a fusion of gourmet cuisine with down-to-earth Swiss fare. The restaurant's appeal is also due to it having one of the best service teams in the city, sometimes a weakness in many top restaurants in Zurich, who are friendly, fun and professional. In the summer months the romantic terrace overlooking the river is a must do at least once in the season.