Restaurant Kronenhalle — Restaurant in Zurich

I visited 2 nights ago and unfortunately the food fell flat for me. However, the service from Michel was fantastic and more than made up for the missteps from the kitchen. The bottle of Swiss red i ordered and the Aurora cocktail were great, as was the burrata (smooth, creamy) and the scampi bisque (warm, comforting, rich, deep flavours from the scampi - delicious), but my main dish was not great. I had ordered the veal filet mignon with goose liver, truffles and mashed potatoes and vegetables. The sauce was tasty, but the filet was overcooked and dry, and the vegetables were so overcooked they were like eating baby food - mushy. I actually wasn't going to say anything and was going to eat the food but I think Michel sensed that I didn't love what I was eating and also saw the meat looked overdone so he proactively asked me if the food was ok, to which I said yes, but I guess I didn't convince him because he asked me again after a couple more bites and I admitted the food was very overcooked.

Michel insisted on taking the food back to the kitchen to speak with the chef. To my surprise, the kitchen sent my plate back to me with more sauce and informed me that the sauce would help with the dryness. Again, I didn't want to make a fuss so was prepared to just eat the food, but Michel was insistent that if it's not perfect he wasn't happy to serve it and I shouldn't eat it. Apparently it was a new chef in the kitchen, but Michel insisted that I try the veal with mushroom sauce (which is what I initially wanted to try). This came out really fast and was very good, though not amazing. I got the sense - based in how fast the dish came out and how haphazard it looked - that the kitchen wasn't happy to have food sent back. Still, by this point I was full from the starters and the wine.

Luckily, my reason for visiting Kronenhalle wasn't just about food, it was about art, as well. Michel gave me a tour of the restaurant and showed me some of the key pieces which was fantastic. I loved hearing about the history of the restaurant. After my meal I went to the bar to finish my wine and had a couple Manhattans which were great. The manager of the bar brought me a catalogue of the artworks in Kronenhalle and I enjoyed sipping my drinks and looking at the art and cross referencing with the catalogue - which I bought as a souvenir.

Overall, despite not having an amazing meal, I still had a great experience because of Michel and the level of care and pride he showed in upholding the standards which others have experienced. In the end, I had a...

The maître d could not have been thrilled to see me. Nor would any at Zurich's other top restaurants, I expect. But there I was, decked out in jeans and a t-shirt (no coat, despite 6°C cloudy November weather) asking with a buttery American accent for a dinner table...for one. No reservation, little demonstrated aforethought at all, in fact.

But, hey, I'm an American in Zurich and I'm not about to let that get between me and a good meal.

To his and the establishment's eternal credit, espousing the utmost in professionalism, he did in fact find me a selection of tables, upstairs, past my besuited and dapper fellow diners, offering a quiet privacy to enjoy a great meal. The restaurant did fill up others did join me on the second floor, but not before I ordered from their English language menu or received a decanter of red wine.

The wine was good, but the food is what made it all worth it. I tried the clear soup, and the roasted veal. The veal was a daily special and was served with mashed potatoes covered in gravy and roasted brussel sprouts. The veal itself had a beautiful unique crust and the meat was a perfect pink and tender. I thought it would be the highlight of the dish, but now it's really the potatoes I remember best. They were seasoned in a way I've never had before and they were simply buttery airy perfection. I'd say no matter what dish you go for here, don't miss the potatoes. Can't miss with the veal, though. Brussel sprouts were a great match for the gravy, and roasted just until they were ready, which is what I prefer.

I wanted authentic, classic Swiss food, and I think I received that in the highest quality.

Service for the solo diner is efficient in every respect. I was able to finish my 2 course meal, pay with a card, and drink a decanter of wine in the hour or so it took me to finish the Times crossword. I never wanted for wine, water, or attention.

The location is very convenient to shopping and trams so it's a natural choice if you're in the area. Their interpretation of classic recipes was delicious. But, you might want to find some slacks and a...

Well buckle in, this will be a long one. First off: the bar. Plain wonderful. Perfectly blended and prepared drinks. Old style interior with nice paintings. The staff is very attentive and know their drinks menu very well. Prices are fair considering what you get for it. Only counting theabar it would have been 5* without hesitation.

The restaurant itself is similar. I liked the opportunity to first wash my hands and think more restaurants should do that. The staff was very attentive and nice. The service itself is a little on the classical side which fit the interior quite nicely. No complaints at all here. Also 5*

On to the negative points. First of all this is complaining on a high level but since the prices are on a higher level as well I dare point out a few things: the food came out of the kitchen too fast. Which means it was probably pre-prepared and just reheated. The first round of toast that we got with the foie gras was done well but had already gotten soft again. The second one was a lot better. The same goes for the rösti. Rösti takes time, I personally would rather wait a little longer than getting rösti that was...let's say a little too well done while (probably) reheating it. While I think it's nice that they had their own plates made, some of them should be replaced, the age showed in at least one of them. Also we got the meal «presented» in the pan first and it got then tranferred by the staff to our plates. While I did like the gesture it was kinda futile since it was done behind our backs (so we did not see) and since the plates were not heated the food cooled down quite quickly.

What I also do have to point out that the meat was done do perfection. I had the liver and it was a delight!

To be clear: i will come back and will recommend the restaurant (and especially the bar) to anybody who asks but considering the price of the meal an the mentioned points above I could not justify giving a perfect score. Since 4.5 is not possible I...