Cucina Itameshi — Restaurant in Zurich

Wow. Just wow. Cucina Itameshi is hands down one of the best dining experiences I’ve had in Zurich, if not the best. This pop-up gem, tucked away in the charming Innenhof of Neumarkt, offers a beautifully curated fusion of Italian and Japanese cuisine. Their concept? They suggest 6 shared plates for two people and honestly, every single one was outstanding.

We started with the gamberetti fritti salad, ceviche, and burrata with pesto and they were absolutely phenomenal. The gamberetti? I’m still dreaming about them. Perfectly crisp, juicy, and paired with a salad sauce that was truly out of this world. Light, vibrant, and packed with flavor.

Our top picks for mains were the black cod, fagiolini, melanzane and gnocchi. The black cod was easily the best I’ve ever had, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth tender, even better than Nobu. The gnocchi were soft, rich and had just the right amount of spiciness for that umami kick that made them unforgettable.

Dessert didn’t disappoint either: the tiramisu was flawless, like something a nonna would serve, light and creamy without the overpowering alcohol taste. And the zabaglione with strawberries and radishes? Totally unexpected and completely genius. I’m usually not a fan of zabaglione, but this one changed my mind. The perfect refreshing summer dessert.

And here’s what truly sets Cucina Itameshi apart: all of this incredible food was made with fresh, local ingredients and you can absolutely taste the difference. The attention to detail in every dish is just amazing, you can really feel the love and care that goes into the cooking. Nothing felt rushed or generic: everything was balanced, creative and crafted with intention.

What blew my mind even more? The price. In a city like Zürich, where prices are only going higher and higher, finding a place that offers this level of quality and creativity at such a fair price is unheard of. Honestly, I was shocked, in the best way.

On top of all that, the service was warm, attentive and genuine. We never had to ask for water or anything else, our server was on it before we even noticed. And the setting in the Neumarkt courtyard was just magical. It made for the perfect summer night.

I truly can’t recommend Cucina Itameshi enough. It’s my new favorite spot in Zürich. If you have a chance to go before the pop-up ends: do it! Seriously. It’s a special experience you...

It is really unfortunate, but this concept simply doesn’t work and it’s damaging Neumarkt reputation big time. We came with a friend and were both incredibly disappointed: the food is simply not balanced: I had burrata and it was drowning in inedible sauce; the cod is far too sweet and far too fatty with the sauce that it was served, the rice was simply inedible. My friend ordered a spinach salad and the steak - they both had a weird flavour. We both returned our plates half finished.

It was also unfortunate that the service was sloppy too - took almost an hour to receive the dishes. They mixed up the order, and then brought different dishes at different times. We sat at the top platform next to the entrance and the music was so loud we couldn’t hear each other speaking. We asked to reduce it, only 20 mins later someone brought the sound right back up again.

Please bring the Neumarkt team back with their seasonal Swiss menu. This Italian + Japanese combo simply...

Excellent food and great atmosphere. I was skeptical at first given fusion food can be quite inauthentic. However, the food here was authentic and high quality. Ordered almost half the menu and my favorites were the following:

gamberetti fritti - fried to perfection tuna hand roll - so flavorful and fish was fresh veal - super tender and the sauce was delicious and lots of umami sashimi - fish was very fresh and flavors were well balanced green beans - simple to make but executed to perfection and amazing flavors and texture tiramisu - well balanced and one of the best tiramisu I had.

We also got some pastas and they were good but a bit too spicy and salty for me. Noodles were al dente and cooked to a perfect texture.

I would highly recommend this place. Portions are on the small side and a bit pricy but the food is delicious and has authentic Italian and...