The Palmhof is located in the university quarter. We used to live there for 2 years until August 2011 and went there quite frequently. I have to say that it become our favorite restaurant in Zürich. The place by itself quite elegant and spacious. They certainly take care of decent table arrangements like white table cloth and napkins et cetera. So the setting is not totally casual. However you feel very welcome not matter what you are wearing. And the staff by itself is extremely friendly and open. That hospitality is one of the things why we liked it so much.
The food was just amazing. Everything was very fresh and perfectly prepared. The (small) menu offers typical food from Zurich (like Tatar, Cordon Bleu), classical dishes (Artichokes, Game) and some Indian dishes (ie Lamb Curry). The meat was prepared à point and the chef managed to add one or two uncommon but well matching elements.
The wine list is not too long but the staff makes good recommendations you can rely on.
On top of it are the prices. Usually you pay approx. 25-35 CHF for a main course which is cheap for what you get (in particular for Zürich). So I think the Palmhof offers great value and we miss it dearly. read more