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This place was so wonderful and had so many options. It's the oldest vegetarian restaurant and worth going with a vegetarian friend or if you're vegetarian. It's huge although my friend and I did have reservations since we had a limited time in Zurich. The ambiance was great. It's better spaced compared to other places in Zurich. They have a buffet option but my friend and I weren't hungry enough and just shared some other food. I got the Indian thali and my friend got the rosti. Everything was great, especially the Indian thali.
The service was impeccable. The food sublime. i had "steak" and my wife had Pale Paneer. portions were spot on. definitely a top 10 meal and very comparable to Kong in Lisbon. While we ordered service, the buffet looks pretty strong.
Vegetarian, indoor/outdoor, choose between having a server or smorgasbord - we did the latter. Plates were weighed to determine the cost: my wife's was 10 Swiss francs and mine was 30 (eyes bigger than stomach rationalized by the desire to relish this adventure in tasting). The salads and entrees were good-to-very good, but anything in little, deep fried balls was bad because all you could taste was the surrounding fried part. When I tried cutting them in half to scoop out the interior, I felt like when you use tiny forks to get whatever little lobster is in a tentacle, for me, not worth the trouble. Dear Chef, bigger balls, please. There were too many dishes to taste them all, so I avoided the spicy or hot ones. We both enjoyed our meals, even though we're not vegetarians (which entitles you vegans and vegetarians to take my opinion "with a grain of salt"). It's just a few blocks off the Rodeo Drive of Zürich (Bahnhofstrasse).
Um wow. I loved this place so much that I made my partner go back three times during our trip. Also, I bought their cookbook? When you go in, it's pretty chaotic and there are so many dishes at the self serve buffet and everything is pay by weight which I really liked. The staff were really friendly in explaining this concept, and this is such a popular meal option in Zurich with at least three locations. I really enjoyed trying a little bit of everything and knowing that it was good for my body and healthy. I really loved this paprika dish and their assorted cold spreads. Even if you aren't vegan, you will definitely find some tasty things to enjoy!
I will admit, before coming here, I was a little hesitant because it's a vegetarian restaurant. I've never really eaten a meal without a meat product of some sort but Hiltl changed my mind! Probably one of my favorite meals on the trip. The combination of variety and richness of the ingredients, preparation and perfect seasoning, showed just how satisfying and exciting plant-based cuisine can actually be! They do have the option of either buffet or a la carte and I opted for the a la carte menu because the options intrigued me more. The waiter also weighed in on my choices and helped me finalize my decision. I got the Scharfes Colonial and it did not disappoint. Presentation wise, stunning. Taste wise, perfectly seasoned and somehow all the ingredients blended so perfectly together. I was full from this one dish but for those who also want to experience the buffet, you do get the opportunity to try it for a set price by weight. I believe it was per 100g. If I had more time in the city, I would've gone back!
The oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world and an anti-fiber carnivore walk into Haus Hitl. And this carnivore was pleasantly surprised! Huge restaurant that is somehow cozy and quaint. I loved the delicate place settings and the pops of green everywhere. But moreso I loved that they had options that didn't kill my stomach! I got the rösti with egg add and cheese. The Mille-feuille slapped! Very pleasantly surprised by the whole experience!
They market themselves as the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world (open since 1894), so since my family has some vegans in the group, we had to try it when visiting Zurich. We tried the self-serve buffet-style option that is priced based on weight, and prices were very reasonable. The staff were very friendly, and the selection of food was enormous! The vegan items and common allergens like egg and milk are clearly labeled. Their food was delicious and flavorful, but they also really shined on the vegan desserts! I don't recall the names of each dish since it was all in German, but in sampling bites of 15+ dishes and filling my plate completely, I honestly lived 90% of them. We'd tried 2 other plant-based buffet-style restaurants, and personally, this place was my favorite. I just hope they might add vegan fondue to their menu. Would absolutely go again!
This is the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world, and its hundred year history alone merits a visit. The dining area is HUGE and decorated very chicly. Despite the price tag and upscale ambiance, it's not pretentious. They provided wax crayons so that kids could scribble on the glass surrounding the staircase, which I thought was super cute and a great idea. We made a reservation, and were seated at a table upstairs on the second floor. There was initially a damp, musty smell when we walked into the room but it dissipated when we got to the table. We opted for the buffet, which meant that we had to take a long walk downstairs when we wanted to get our food, then weigh our plates on the scales provided upstairs. The waitress did a great job explaining the system. The buffet is stocked with a plethora of vegetarian dishes, ranging from traditional European fare to Asian fusion. A literal vegetarian smorgasbord. I imagine that the spread was probably even more impressive back in the day when all-vegetarian restaurants were rarer and ethnic eateries harder to find. Nonetheless, an impressive variety of options and this style is a great choice if you're eating with a group of people who have trouble deciding on one specific cuisine. The buffet is priced by weight, and can add up quickly. We tried to be conservative and take very small portions of things, but we wanted to try a lot of things so the bill added up quickly. (Pro tip - recommend getting the smaller bowls so that you're not tempted to overfill a huge plate!) There were some hits and misses. Our favorites - for me, a potato gratin, and for my boyfriend, Singapore noodles with mock duck. The buffet comes with a free piece of bread or free papadam - the roll was pretty dry but the papadam was decent. Ambiance was pleasant, service was top notch, variety was bountiful, and most of the food was very tasty. It was an experience worth trying for sure, but definitely on the pricey side. Eating out in Switzerland in general can be $$$. While the food is high quality, it is all vegetarian and a buffet, so I do think the cost was a tad high considering. To be honest, I wouldn't make this a regular splurge but it was a good meal and I would certainly try it again.
Had dinner here while in Zurich because the friends we were traveling with preferred vegetarian options. The restaurant has buffet style dining downstairs and a full service a la carte dining upstairs. I had a mushroom risotto that was very good. In fact it's one of the best vegetarian restaurants I've been to.
When in Zurich, of course you must go to Europe's oldest vegetarian restaurant. Researching or spending a few days in Zurich, it will seem like there are a lot of places that do buffet style (and this is true.) This isn't all that Hitl offers but it is certainly a big draw for them. My partner and I opted to order from the main menu instead, since buffets aren't always a great deal if you don't plan on eating a lot of food. But before we get to the food, I was a little surprised how nice it looked inside for being an old restaurant. While I would still consider it casual dining, the sit down experience has an elevated air to it. The service was attentive, reasonably quick, and pleasant. I got the kebab sandwich, which was enjoyable though not particularly memorable. Meaning, it wasn't the best kebab of my life. And given that everything in Zurich is so expensive, you would hope the dinners would be memorable! Maybe I would have been more happy with the buffet? Still, I would recommend this place to vegetarians/vegans. On the latter, there are plenty of options to choose from, so don't worry about the 'vegetarian' designation.
I visited here before they introduced the buffet. My first order of business after dropping my luggage at the hotel was finding Hiltl. It was easily reachable, large, upscale, and very busy. However, don't be put off the upscale atmosphere; I felt comfortable & accepted in my casual jeans and tennis. I suggest reservations if you have a party and you plan to sit in and eat; I did not plan to do so, but ended up staying anyway. I ordered the vegan Steak Tartar (surprisingly much tastier than it looked), vegan paella (no longer on the menu. It was so-so. I wasn't impressed), and Red Thai Curry, which was delicious! My waitress was very friendly and humorous. Expensive, as was expected in Switzerland, so I have no gripes there. Definitely worth a visit if you're in Zurich.
Yelp Review 2026 #64: I'm not vegetarian and definitely not vegan. But I will dabble with the veg from time to time. Hiltl is popular for being the world's oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world. Here's information I will share that I wish was available before planning to come here. You must make a reservation for lunch/ dinner because that's when they're busy. Breakfast is for walk-ins and they don't do reservations. Hop on their website and be sure you're on the right location because they have several within a 2-mile radius...some on the same street. I went here to try their breakfast buffet. I wasn't sure how busy they got for breakfast so, I got here at 6:30am because I got the wrong information online! They open at 7am. Different locations have different hours. Check their website for actual hours and don't trust review site information because it's wrong! They're not busy for breakfast at all. There's 2 ways to do their buffet. You can pay a fixed price and fill your plate multiple times or go and fill your plate once and pay based on the weight of your food - you get free bread. I did the pay-by-weight option. I have a whole day of eating planned so, I wasn't about to fill up for breakfast. When they opened at 7am, they were still putting the food out one by one. By 7:20, all the food was out which was fine. I was in no rush. The spread includes fresh fruits, cheeses, butter, margarine, cheesecake, chocolate mousse, mango mousse, mango chia pudding, banana chocolate brownie crumble, a pear dessert (with cream, vanilla and orange), rosti, scrambled eggs, potato salad, tomato and mozzarella salad, beets, chickpeas, olives, couscous, corn salad, olives, asparagus, green peas, feta cheese, hardboiled eggs, curry salad, dolmades, broccoli and edamame, artichoke salad, bulgur salad, tabbouleh, orecchiette tofu salad, Thai salad, hummus, guacamole, muhammara, etc. They have 6 types of bread. Slice a piece and toast it yourself. Vegan and vegetarian food tend to taste strongly of coconut/ coconut milk and I don't like that. My favorites from the buffet include chocolate mousse, mango mousse, banana chocolate brownie crumble, dolmades, asparagus, orecchiette tofu salad, and Thai salad. I got a mango lassi to drink which I didn't like. It had curry powder. Service was pleasant. The restaurant was clean. read more
Haus Hiltl has been serving vegetarian food since 1898 and that makes it the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world. Imagine telling someone in the 1800s, one day people will voluntarily eat tofu and then proving them wrong for over a century. The buffet system is dangerous because you pile it high, weigh it, and dig in. Honestly a fantastic concept. Great location near the train station too, which is helpful because you may need immediate transportation after accidentally eating your body weight in all the options. read more
10 hours ago
This place was so wonderful and had so many options. It's the oldest vegetarian restaurant and worth going with a vegetarian friend or if you're vegetarian. It's huge although my friend and I did have reservations since we had a limited time in Zurich. The ambiance was great. It's better spaced compared to other places in Zurich. They have a buffet option but my friend and I weren't hungry enough and just shared some other food. I got the Indian thali and my friend got the rosti. Everything was great, especially the Indian thali. read more
3 months ago
The service was impeccable. The food sublime. i had "steak" and my wife had Pale Paneer. portions were spot on. definitely a top 10 meal and very comparable to Kong in Lisbon. While we ordered service, the buffet looks pretty strong. read more
Vegetarian, indoor/outdoor, choose between having a server or smorgasbord - we did the latter. Plates were weighed to determine the cost: my wife's was 10 Swiss francs and mine was 30 (eyes bigger than stomach rationalized by the desire to relish this adventure in tasting). The salads and entrees were good-to-very good, but anything in little, deep fried balls was bad because all you could taste was the surrounding fried part. When I tried cutting them in half to scoop out the interior, I felt like when you use tiny forks to get whatever little lobster is in a tentacle, for me, not worth the trouble. Dear Chef, bigger balls, please. There were too many dishes to taste them all, so I avoided the spicy or hot ones. We both enjoyed our meals, even though we're not vegetarians (which entitles you vegans and vegetarians to take my opinion "with a grain of salt"). It's just a few blocks off the Rodeo Drive of Zürich (Bahnhofstrasse). read more
10 months ago
Um wow. I loved this place so much that I made my partner go back three times during our trip. Also, I bought their cookbook? When you go in, it's pretty chaotic and there are so many dishes at the self serve buffet and everything is pay by weight which I really liked. The staff were really friendly in explaining this concept, and this is such a popular meal option in Zurich with at least three locations. I really enjoyed trying a little bit of everything and knowing that it was good for my body and healthy. I really loved this paprika dish and their assorted cold spreads. Even if you aren't vegan, you will definitely find some tasty things to enjoy! read more
I will admit, before coming here, I was a little hesitant because it's a vegetarian restaurant. I've never really eaten a meal without a meat product of some sort but Hiltl changed my mind! Probably one of my favorite meals on the trip. The combination of variety and richness of the ingredients, preparation and perfect seasoning, showed just how satisfying and exciting plant-based cuisine can actually be! They do have the option of either buffet or a la carte and I opted for the a la carte menu because the options intrigued me more. The waiter also weighed in on my choices and helped me finalize my decision. I got the Scharfes Colonial and it did not disappoint. Presentation wise, stunning. Taste wise, perfectly seasoned and somehow all the ingredients blended so perfectly together. I was full from this one dish but for those who also want to experience the buffet, you do get the opportunity to try it for a set price by weight. I believe it was per 100g. If I had more time in the city, I would've gone back! read more
1 year ago
The oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world and an anti-fiber carnivore walk into Haus Hitl. And this carnivore was pleasantly surprised! Huge restaurant that is somehow cozy and quaint. I loved the delicate place settings and the pops of green everywhere. But moreso I loved that they had options that didn't kill my stomach! I got the rösti with egg add and cheese. The Mille-feuille slapped! Very pleasantly surprised by the whole experience! read more
They market themselves as the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world (open since 1894), so since my family has some vegans in the group, we had to try it when visiting Zurich. We tried the self-serve buffet-style option that is priced based on weight, and prices were very reasonable. The staff were very friendly, and the selection of food was enormous! The vegan items and common allergens like egg and milk are clearly labeled. Their food was delicious and flavorful, but they also really shined on the vegan desserts! I don't recall the names of each dish since it was all in German, but in sampling bites of 15+ dishes and filling my plate completely, I honestly lived 90% of them. We'd tried 2 other plant-based buffet-style restaurants, and personally, this place was my favorite. I just hope they might add vegan fondue to their menu. Would absolutely go again! read more
5 months ago
2 months ago
This is the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world, and its hundred year history alone merits a visit. The dining area is HUGE and decorated very chicly. Despite the price tag and upscale ambiance, it's not pretentious. They provided wax crayons so that kids could scribble on the glass surrounding the staircase, which I thought was super cute and a great idea. We made a reservation, and were seated at a table upstairs on the second floor. There was initially a damp, musty smell when we walked into the room but it dissipated when we got to the table. We opted for the buffet, which meant that we had to take a long walk downstairs when we wanted to get our food, then weigh our plates on the scales provided upstairs. The waitress did a great job explaining the system. The buffet is stocked with a plethora of vegetarian dishes, ranging from traditional European fare to Asian fusion. A literal vegetarian smorgasbord. I imagine that the spread was probably even more impressive back in the day when all-vegetarian restaurants were rarer and ethnic eateries harder to find. Nonetheless, an impressive variety of options and this style is a great choice if you're eating with a group of people who have trouble deciding on one specific cuisine. The buffet is priced by weight, and can add up quickly. We tried to be conservative and take very small portions of things, but we wanted to try a lot of things so the bill added up quickly. (Pro tip - recommend getting the smaller bowls so that you're not tempted to overfill a huge plate!) There were some hits and misses. Our favorites - for me, a potato gratin, and for my boyfriend, Singapore noodles with mock duck. The buffet comes with a free piece of bread or free papadam - the roll was pretty dry but the papadam was decent. Ambiance was pleasant, service was top notch, variety was bountiful, and most of the food was very tasty. It was an experience worth trying for sure, but definitely on the pricey side. Eating out in Switzerland in general can be $$$. While the food is high quality, it is all vegetarian and a buffet, so I do think the cost was a tad high considering. To be honest, I wouldn't make this a regular splurge but it was a good meal and I would certainly try it again. read more
7 months ago
9 months ago
Had dinner here while in Zurich because the friends we were traveling with preferred vegetarian options. The restaurant has buffet style dining downstairs and a full service a la carte dining upstairs. I had a mushroom risotto that was very good. In fact it's one of the best vegetarian restaurants I've been to. read more
When in Zurich, of course you must go to Europe's oldest vegetarian restaurant. Researching or spending a few days in Zurich, it will seem like there are a lot of places that do buffet style (and this is true.) This isn't all that Hitl offers but it is certainly a big draw for them. My partner and I opted to order from the main menu instead, since buffets aren't always a great deal if you don't plan on eating a lot of food. But before we get to the food, I was a little surprised how nice it looked inside for being an old restaurant. While I would still consider it casual dining, the sit down experience has an elevated air to it. The service was attentive, reasonably quick, and pleasant. I got the kebab sandwich, which was enjoyable though not particularly memorable. Meaning, it wasn't the best kebab of my life. And given that everything in Zurich is so expensive, you would hope the dinners would be memorable! Maybe I would have been more happy with the buffet? Still, I would recommend this place to vegetarians/vegans. On the latter, there are plenty of options to choose from, so don't worry about the 'vegetarian' designation. read more
I visited here before they introduced the buffet. My first order of business after dropping my luggage at the hotel was finding Hiltl. It was easily reachable, large, upscale, and very busy. However, don't be put off the upscale atmosphere; I felt comfortable & accepted in my casual jeans and tennis. I suggest reservations if you have a party and you plan to sit in and eat; I did not plan to do so, but ended up staying anyway. I ordered the vegan Steak Tartar (surprisingly much tastier than it looked), vegan paella (no longer on the menu. It was so-so. I wasn't impressed), and Red Thai Curry, which was delicious! My waitress was very friendly and humorous. Expensive, as was expected in Switzerland, so I have no gripes there. Definitely worth a visit if you're in Zurich. read more
4 years ago
Hiltl self proclaims to be the oldest vegetarian establishment in the world since 1898. This place was so large! There is the main restaurant, then the cafe/bistro version all within one building. We had reservations at the main restaurant for a group of 7. This place is HUGE, and perfect for groups of any size. The building may look historic on the outside, the the interior is very bright, modern, and have clean line interior. There are multiple buffet stations to support how busy this place is. We went on a Saturday morning, and we were so glad our friends made reservations ahead of time! We decided to all do the buffet style brunch, which offers all the options your heart desires, and you pay by weight of the food. If you eat a lot, you can opt in on the all-you-can eat brunch option for a flat price. If you are not comfortable with going to the buffet area, there are menu options you can choose from. I love the concept of this place! They have salads, Indian, Chinese, American, Mediterranean, Swiss, etc. options for you to choose from. Im positive that any picky eater will find something here for them! The dragon iced tea was a recommendation from our server, and it was delicious! I would 10/10 recommend this place! read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
I see now why all of the hype. This place is amazing. We loved all of the food we had here. We ended up going to with their a la carte menu since we liked those options a bit more but we loved that we could still grab things from the buffet and just weight our plate and pay for what we took. It is also so nice that they let the table decide if one person goes to the buffet and the other can order from their a la carte menu. Different from other places that if one person does the buffet then everyone on that table need to do the same. Their drinks are delicious, the place is gorgeous and the service was great. Would definitely come back when in Zurich again! read more
1 year ago
3 years ago
Beautiful place for vegetarian dine-out: wonderful setup with self-serve buffet and a stunning selection of different items, too many to try. But everything I tried was delicious. The plates are weighed (deducting the average weight of the plate itself) to define the cost. The food was - as known from previous experiences in the longer past - superb. Water (with/without gas) is included in the table price, other drinks obviously itemized. The problem is to limit ones selections to retain enough space for some of the desserts, which were also wonderful. Our party of 6 had a good time, will come back again in the future. read more
5 years ago
Amazing vegetarian and vegan buffet in Zurich. We scouted this place out to ensure there was enough variety for our entire party! Everyone was thoroughly satisfied. Hot dishes, cold dishes, salads, sides, tempeh, Tofu and so much more. Each plate is weighed with what you put on it, so it adds up quick. Food is constantly monitored for temperature and cleanliness so COVID wasn't an issue. We enjoyed it so much, we went back for another grab and go in and to-go box lunch and had a picnic in the park! read more
4 years ago
The "buffet" is not really a buffet - you pay by weight. That said, the food here is delicious & varied (not just by Swiss standards); there's Indian, Mediterranean, generic Western & miscellaneous cuisines represented. And it's certainly more affordable than most places (being vegetarian & eating at the bar area helps, for sure). PS: the pappadum is free. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
Seriously one of the best options for vegetarians ever! The restaurant works as a buffet for vegetarians. You get to choose between a breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffet depending on when you arrive. You can also order a la carte if you visit the back of the restaurant. The buffet is where it's at. You'll find everything from French fries to Thai curry, or samosas to udon, or falafel to cheesecake. They give you almost too many good options. Pricing is based on weight so the you pick up a plate, fill it, then weigh it at the bar and pay. Bread is excluded from the weighing. You'll very quickly break over 20 Francs but you'll love your meal. Limited outdoor seating is available and many drinks are available at the bar. read more
1 year ago
Hiltl claims to be the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world, operating since 1898, and expanding to many different locations. Their recipes, though, have definitely kept up with the times, and their self-service pay-by-weight buffet featured everything from Indian, Mediterranean, and East Asian flavors. There were plenty of fried items including pakoras, samosas, kachoris, and falafels; as well as cold salads/dips and hot dishes. Some of the standout items for me included the Palak Paneer, made of pan-fried paneer cubes in a spinach gravy and topped with fresh spinach leaves; and the (imitation) salmon tartare, a paste that tasted surprisingly like real salmon and was even topped with classic accompaniments of capers, dill, and sour cream. Overall, however, the food here seemed to be of just average quality and not always at peak freshness (since it's a buffet). The prices seemed expensive for vegetarian fare, but were certainly nothing unusual for Zurich. read more
3 years ago
vegetarian heaven ! A wide variety of delicious ,gourmet options and it's so hard not to have a bite of everything . lovely ambiance ,impeccable ,servers are super friendly and helpful & you just sit there and eat it all . Highly Highly recommended ! read more
2 years ago
I was in Switzerland so I had to go to the world's first ever vegetarian restaurant! What a treat this experience was. It's essentially a buffet that you pay for by weight. It's is a vegetarian restaurant but has plenty of vegan options. I've honestly never been somewhere with such an amazing variety of foods to choose from. The interior is extremely beautiful and impressive, and although it's pricey the food was absolutely delicious and filling. Totally worth visiting! read more
Let's talk about Hiltl. This is the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world. There are multiple Hiltl locations. We visited the Hiltl near the train station and they had a nice buffet style with plenty of vegan options. They also had a cozy upstairs. I'm not going to lie, it is very expensive. We ordered a box you would typically get from Whole Foods, orange juice, & a tiny box with a cake slice for $70 US dollars. I think it's worth it though. Everyone was very nice and it's awesome how everyone speaks English as well. We also went to the original restaurant where we dined in and ordered fancier food. My boyfriend didn't notice he ordered some thing that was on the buffet menu which made it seem a little less authentic. Ordered the pumpkin gnocchi which was relatively sweet but very good in my opinion. I wish they could bring Hiltl to America :( read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
First time on Zürich, so decided to try a vegetarian spot. After weighing the options of a la carte menu vs buffet, the buffet definitely wins out! Had a nice variety of fresh food, highlighted by the veggie pasta and tomato schnitzel. Everything is charged by weight, with separate dishes for hot and cold food. The desserts were good too. The ambiance of the restaurant is clean with great service! read more
1 year ago
Excellent food and experience overall. I really enjoyed the variety of vegetarian dishes on their buffet. The seating upstairs was quint and the service was good. The draft or bottled beer selection were both unique and worthy. So, yes I'd both recommend the place and also hope to visit it again sometime soon. The difficulty of the place is that the "all you can eat" option where you really get to enjoy all the variety in multiple trips back to the buffet table is a bit top expensive at 59CHF and probably causes you to over consume. I went for the pay by weight option which meant one trip of tasting 12 different varieties, see my picture, and that one dish still cost 28CHF which is pricey as well. read more
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