Best Izakaya restaurants in Switzerland

Unfortunately we couldn’t try the tasting menu due to too many spicy options. We opted for some other dishes - some containing wagyu beef which was totally worth it. The waiters are very knowledgeable and have excellent recommendations and assist in your choice.

Small and cozy Asian restaurant in the city center. The Greek waiter was very kind and helped us throughout our time there.
The Wagyu croquette is a must. I haven’t had anything similar before. The LUMA Wagyu beef was also fantastic.

Just good food. Recommended if you are looking for something more than "regular" restaurants around zurich.

The dishes are well thought out with combinations of flavour and textures and packed with umami. The concept is small dishes that are served as soon as they're ready. For 2 I recommend 5-6 dishes.

Service: The waiter was very professional, was patient about our dietary restrictions (vegetarian) and did his best to fulfill any wish we had.

Cocktails were done well.

We tried: pickled cabbage, fried mushrooms in potato starch, miso eggplant, veg gyoza, Brussel sprouts.

The restaurant is not very formal and has a more laid back vibe (the service is at the level of more formal looking places). It was a hot summer evening, stronger ventilation would have been nice.

If I had to be picky, I'd say I'd personally prefer the gyoza fried on one side rather than just steamed.

Gaijin exceeded my expectations in every way- the food, presentation, drinks, friendly and knowledgable staff, service, and ambiance we all outstanding. There wasn't a bite of food I didn't enjoy- some of my favorites included the Gaijin brussel sprouts, Waygu beef meatballs, bbq'd lamb, roasted eggplant, and the mango tapioca pudding. I highly recommend getting the chef's menu to not only trying new things but the surprise of each course makes it feel extra special.
Make sure to put Gaijin Izakaya on your 'must-do' list whether you're visiting (like myself) or if you live in Zurich.

I had an awesome experience at Gaijin Izakaya! My table was served so many delicious entrees that it is difficult to choose just one of my favorites, but wow the Prawn Tempura was amazing!! I was impressed with how each dish had unique flavors and presentation!! Our cocktails were fun and delicious and the music playlist made the ambience even more intimate and fun! I can’t wait to come back and try other dishes and get great service!

Gaijin Izakaya is the best food in Zürich, and it's worth booking a trip to Switzerland to eat at this restaurant.

I had the good foresight to book a table for two for this restaurant a few weeks in advance, spurred on by the active social media and highly notable Michelin Guide mention. I put this place on a very tall pedestal with some unreasonable expectations. Well, I'm serving up the evidence with photos: the meal, service, and atmosphere was extraordinary.

The food treads a brilliant line between a kaiseki/haute cuisine and traditional tapas-like shareable fare. Standout flavours with everything from the sea: the bluefin tuna, the salmon sashimi, and the hamachi collar immediately halted the flow of conversation while the dishes were on the table. The Wagyu tartare also had a special presentation and complexity that I will not miss on my return trip.

The service was spectacular and expeditious. I couldn't glance in the direction of staff without someone stopping to check-in. Meal/drink suggestions were apt and consequently huge hits. Don't miss the Wagyu Old Fashioned or the Margarita on the drink menu.

Lastly, after our meal and due to my continual harassment of wait staff, I got to see the line during a lull in service. I guess I expected a brigade of ten to fifteen cooks or so, but summarily found three to four immaculate stations, as the head chef showed me around. It's like a mini coop with the power of a Ferrari back there.

Thank you so much Gaijin Izakaya for the attention and the amazing fare. Made our engagement dinner extremely memorable, and we hope to return as soon as possible.

Ooki is probably one of the best places in Zurich for an authentic (and affordable) Japanese dining experience. The restaurant in Wiedikon has a cool, alternative vibe which is always full every evening with young folks (also contributing to the hipness of this place). The menu is relatively simple but are always done well. We always start with their gyoza that are perfectly pan fried and leaves your mouth watering for more. As a pescatarian, I usually opt between the tofu katsu curry and the veggie tan tan men for my main dish. I recently went and realized the restaurant cut all of their tempura dishes! (I used to alternate also with the shrimp tempura.) Another dish to recommend is their seasonal offer of hiyashi yuzu tan tan men (dry and not soupy!) which my partner found the addition of yuzu an unexpected flavor that combined well with the nutty flavors of the tan tan men! Anyways, love this place and will keep coming back for all occasions.

My first taste of japanese food in zurich and definitely off to a good start. I was recommended the tantam ramen. Whilst the ramen thickness is thinner than what i wouldve liked and ground beef in ramen is certainly interesting, the broth was rich and the perfect level of spice🥰 portion size was good.
Also got the sake spritz which was refreshing but okay! Go for this if you dont want to spend $13 on one shot of sake and want more bang for your buck volume wise.
Service was fast and great!

This is an amazing Japanese place close to the city centre. The atmosphere is great and service is timely and friendly. The ramen tasted amazing. Will for sure come again

Small plates concept. The dishes are served individually rather than as a composition.

The food is delicious. I had the Sauerkraut (which was served as a starter basically). The hot weather made me enjoy this refreshing snack very much. But I would have liked it to be served with the main dish. After half the portion of bare Sauerkraut my taste buds were strained and I left it to wait for the main dish. Price: 7 CHF

The Catalano's Candied Pork, was served 30min after the Sauerkraut. It was nicely seasoned and well cooked to pull. The portion of 2 pieces was adequate for the amount of spice, but left me hungry, as no rice was served with it. Price: 25.50 CHF

So I ordered the Chicken Karaage to fill me up. It arrived within 10 minutes which was great. The meat was incredibly tender and juicy, and the flavors well balanced. A delight. Price: 18.50 CHF

The Homemade Ice Tea with mango and jasmin flavor was a bit disappointing, as the mango overwhelms the jasmin and the two flavors don't really seem to go together. Price: 6.50 CHF

Overall massively overpriced for a wonky table, plastic chairs, zero table deco and the small portions. Situated directly at a noisy road and tram line. The staff doesn't seem to cooperate in sectors, so they do redundant table service which creates a somewhat nervous atmosphere of inefficiency.

This was a second time having the Omakase dinner menu (CHF90 per person) because the first was enjoyable. Unfortunately, this repeat visit was not a good experience on both service and food quality.

Despite having a reservation, it was a long wait for our table and for our orders to be taken. The lady staff served another group first, who were behind us at the door queue. She was always rushing somewhere else before stopping by our table to get our orders (by this time, another server had already taken them after we waved at him).

Each dish served was explained but the gentleman server appeared distracted while doing this (kept looking around, not making genuine eye contact with us). Out of 10 dishes, we liked 2, the grilled fish and sago dessert. 2 other dishes could have been highlights (they came 8th and 9th), but were anti climactic. The squid had an odd chewy gelatin-like texture, while the creamy noodles tasted overcooked. The latter came with small pieces of dry fried chicken, lacking flavour. Given the price they charge, we would not recommend the Omakase. With drinks, we paid CHF100++ per person. We often eat out in Zurich and this was not good value.

As always so good!
Every time we are in Zurich we eat at Ooki, the food is incredible and the staff so friendly. Thanks again!

Best Ramen in Zh! 😍 i visit this place almost every week! The personal is incredible nice!
I order usually Ramen - Tantamen
with extra egg and seaweed
but the regular vision with meat is amazing also!

Service and ambiance was nice. The ramen was not bad, but nothing to write home about. Only ramen I’ve had in Zurich so far, but out of all the places I’ve been throughout Europe, this one would be closer to being average than exceptional. Enjoyed it, but not sure if I’d come back. Still a decent place.

The food was SO delicious (look at the pictures), the ambiance really cute and authentic, however, I must say it‘s a bit crowded and the space at the bar was too narrow and overall loud. Will I come back? Porbably but prefer sitting on a table or outside.

It’s a cozy and cool Japanese restaurant in the city. Ambiance is great. Food is awesome and deserts are delicious 🤤 I tried tofu,chicken and squid fry as starter. Top ramen noodles 🍜 at the end coconut ice cream. I really liked most of it especially desert is next level. There are different spicy 🌶️ levels. Normal, Mega and Crazy so be careful which one your order. I would highly recommend and would visit again. Surely value for money. You really need to reserve the place, it’s a busy restaurant. And parking in city might be bit challenging too, if you commute by public transport you don’t need to worry. Customer service is great 👍🏻 we just relied on the recommendations from the guy at the table, but he didn’t disappoint us. Thanks.