Bottega Berta — Restaurant in Zurich

I tried Bottega Berta after a long time passing casually in front of it. Being Italian, I am always quite wary of trying Italian food in Zurich - most of the times overpriced and way too sophisticated. I am happy to have given this place a go, because it positively surprised me. Firstly, the ambiance is cozy and relaxed, and it’s located in a nice side street without much noise - so you can actually enjoy eating out. Secondly, staff was nice and welcoming - definitely made the difference. A waiter spoke good Italian, which truly made us feel welcome. He was very competent in recommending a good wine to me, and advised us to share different plates due to small portions. I’d say this is probably the only down side; portions aren’t too big - however they are in line with Zurich’s offering and prices are really fair for the area and the research put in creating dishes. It was nice to find the zucchini flowers, something so typical of Italy (first time found them here). They had a nice twist with goat cheese and honey, which reminded me of some typical Canarian appetiser. The panko frying was light and crispy. We then tried some sea trout with kohlrabi, yoghurt and mint sauce, perfectly balanced and fresh. As primo, we took the gnocchi with sepia. They were our favorite dish. Portion size was good, the consistency was perfect and so tasty yet not too salty. Fish was on the smaller side, but had we had bread, we would have scooped out the remaining sauce. As secondo,we took both fish and meat, to have the best of both worlds. I enjoyed my aubergines and meat, although this one was slightly hard. We weren’t asked on our cooking preference for the meat. The fish was good, but the slice was on the smaller side. However, tasty asparagus still made the dish worth a try. And finally, for deserts, the tiramisu was really good, but on the pricy side. Still, it had the amaretto component that I didn’t find in any of the many tried in Zurich. The mascarpone was also very creamy and not watery. As for the sour cream and rhubarb ice cream, the portion was too big (only exception of the evening), and it would have been perfect for two, unlike the tiramisu. The cherry on top was the homemade limoncello, which made us feel valued customers. It’s on the stronger side, but we find it a nice gesture for customers. We definitely recommend this place, and are happy to try new dishes...

I live in Kreis 3 since 12 years. I have been to many restaurants in the neighborhood and have always felt welcomed in 99% of them. Tonight was the exception. Kreis 3 is one of the most friendliest and chilled out neighbourhood of Zürich. However, tonight we were greeted by this guy wearing specs who basically made us feel unwelcome with his unfriendly attitude. Words belied his body language. We felt utterly uncomfortable. As soon as we sat down the first question came flying - water with gas or without gas. Wait dude. At Least welcome your guests before trying to make money with 5 francs of water. But, the lady working besides him was very nice to us. We were told that the portion were small so we were made to order appetizers, which we didn't plan to. But, when the main meal arrived that for us it was enough. If you are looking for an Italian restaurant this is not the one. There are many authentic Italian restaurants in Kreis 3 with a good chilled mood and ambiance where you feel welcomed and treated with respect. Food at Bottega is average made to look like gourmet fine dining. I will not suggest this place to any seeker. We are not one of those fussy individuals who give a bad review because it didn't meet their personal standard. But the vibes this guy gave choked us before we can chew our food. Restaurant is not only food but...

I've been to Bottega Berta a number of times in the last few years and have never had a bad experience. The food has always been top-quality. Pastas are very good and also the osso bucco and other meat dishes. In summer, don't miss the sour cream ice cream with amareno cherries. The wine list is great and reasonably priced and waiters are skilled at matching wine to your food (not only expensive ones!) if you're not sure what to choose. It's a cosy, relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere. For this reason I really don't understand those who have complained about arrogant, unfriendly service. I have certainly never experienced anything like this- quite the opposite. The menu is mostly in Italian and the waiters are happy to explain everything in German or English. It may be true that they don't serve free tap water but where in Zürich does? Yes, it's annoying, but if you want to eat out at all in this town that's one hang-up worth losing! Prices are reasonable for Zürich and in my opinion the quality to price ratio is very good. There's a visiting fiddler group most evenings. Until recently Bottega Berta was not open Saturday nights but I believe this has recently changed and they are also now doing brunch on Sundays so that's good...