Karl der Grosse — Restaurant in Zurich

This is not just a restaurant but a little hub located in the middle of the old town, next to Grossmünster. They focus on local resources and their best achievement is now the kombucha. I was proudly informed it was started just a block away in the same street. I love the food they serve, it seems that is it's always cooked with love (a rare feeling nowadays) and obviously super fresh and local. Except food, snacks, cakes and drinks including coffee you can also visit events or create your own event and rent one og the many rooms in this beautiful building. The building is owned and operated by the city, therefore the prices are highly competitive. Oh, and speaking of affordable things: if you don't have the change ready for a coffee right now, ask if someone paid one for someone else, and there you go: someone offered you a coffee in advance. (pay it forward, it's called a caffè sospeso, suspended coffee, originally an old tradition from Napoli). I just wish they had 1-2 simple kids dishes as the meals change often but unfortunately are not for the generic...

Terrible service. On a not so busy day, it took the staff over 10 minutes to take our order (a cheesecake and a coffee). When we wanted to pay they were also painfully slow to come to our table. Nevertheless, we tipped ~20% of our bill. The worst came later: they overcharged us on the cheesecake. On their menu the price shown for cakes was 5.50CHF, and we were charged 7.50CHF. When we realised this, we politely brought it to the attention of our waitress who pointed us to a different price of 7.00CHF displayed next to the cakes. In addition to having two different prices shown for the same thing, both of which lower than the amount we paid, the waitress and later her manager were extremely rude to us and despite recognising that they were not showing the correct price anywhere, refused to give us any refund whatsoever (not even the tip!). What an embarrassing attitude for such an easy situation to resolve... We'll most certainly never go to this...

Karl der Grosse is one of those places that wins you over the moment you walk in. The atmosphere feels welcoming and full of character, and the products are simply top-notch — fresh, thoughtfully chosen, and always high quality. Whether you’re dropping by for a quick bite, a relaxed drink, or to enjoy the cultural vibe around the place, it never disappoints. A true gem in Zürich where great products meet...