Friends Corner — Restaurant in Zurich

I'll confess that what first brought me to Friends Corner was the reasonable prices. I had heard that the area around Im Viadukt had some cool restaurants, but as a resident of central Manhattan, I was shocked that the to see the prices at most restaurants were much, much higher than what I was used to.

At first, the name "Friends Corner" seemed like a misnomer to me. Sitting outside in the warm, somewhat buggy air, saturated with cigarette smoke (How many decades will it take Europeans to understand that smoking is stupid and rude?), watching the server zip back and forth without so much at a glance...

To be fair, the people around me, lingering and smoking at tables covered in empty beer bottles, probably felt Friends Corner was a perfectly appropriate name. I was a solo traveler and my AirBnB host had her own life, the girl who climbed the cathedral stairs with me had moved on to Baden, I'd somehow failed to properly break the ice with the girl on the boat tour, and no one on my walking tour had met anyone other than the walking tour guide. Friends Corner was not responsible for any of this.

Even so, it was frustrating leafing through a menu I couldn't understand for 10 minutes while repeatedly failing to make meaningful eye contact with the server as he whipped too and fro, clearly covering more responsibilities than was plausible for a single employee. Finally he stopped by to find out what I wanted, and of course I had no idea. Maybe something from this 'vegetarisch' section? I pointed to the ones that seemed to come with 4 somethings (curries maybe?), since I like variety. He directed me to one of the items with 3 somethings, but I demurred. He more pointedly directed me to a second item, insisting "It's good. It's very good."

So there you go. I ordered my meal without being able to read the menu or know what I had ordered, all based on an 11-second exchange.

Ah, but the food! He had directed me to the dosai, which were bread-like but had a satisfyingly eggy texture. It came with several curries and also something that resembled wasabi, yet with a trace of mint. It was quite a sizable portion of food, and I ate every damn morsel of it.

Okay, but did the food really make me feel like I was back in Sri Lanka?

You know what? Yes, it really did. If you like Sri Lankan food, you've got to visit this place....

Friends Corner is a Sri Lankan restaurant tucked away on Josefstrasse, and it’s one of those places that makes you appreciate how diverse Zurich’s food scene really is. The food here is bold, flavorful, and generous. The portions are big, sometimes even too big, but that’s not really a complaint. It just means you’ll probably leave with leftovers, which is never a bad thing.

The dishes are packed with spices and depth, the kind of flavors that stick with you after the meal. It’s not watered down or overly adjusted for a “safe” palate, which I really liked. It feels authentic and hearty, the kind of food that’s made to be shared. The only downside is that the place can get crowded, especially during peak hours, so it’s not always the easiest to find a spot. Still, the energy of the crowd adds to the vibe rather than taking away from it.

What I like most about Friends Corner is that it’s a reminder of how global Zurich’s dining options are. You can go from Swiss classics to Sri Lankan curries in the same neighborhood. For anyone who enjoys exploring food from different cultures, this...

Great Sri Lankan food in Zurich, and amazing value for money with price, portion and quality. Unlike its Indian cousin, Masala Dosa (like a savory crispy crepe) with spiced potato filling comes with lamb/chicken/vegetarian combo, with a daal and a wonderful aubergine gravy (I have always had amazing aubergine dishes with Sri Lankans, took me back to my cricket club days in Geneva with the Sri Lankan team!). It comes with a spicy coconut chutney and a papad. Tried the Biryani too, which is a huge portion with many sides and meats. The vadai (savory fermented rice flour donut) and lamb filled bread was decent as a snack. We could only eat all of this in a group!

One meal here is all you need for the day probably, but the food is not super heavy and nicely prepared. I went back twice during my...