Items Selected:
Luxemburgerli - Strawberry Cheesecake, Champagne, Champagne Deluxe, Lemon, Bourbon Vanilla, Himbeer, Chocolate, Maracuja Chocolate, Caramel Fleur de Sel, Mocha, Hazelnut
Almond Croissant
Chocolate Truffle Cake
Bourbon Vanilla Mille Feuille
Amaretti Cookie - Almond Meringue, Kirsch Mousse, Grand Cru Chocolate Maracaibo 65%
Fig Cookie
Truffles - White Chocolate 24%, Dark Chocolate 72%, Caramel Fleur de Sel, Gianduia, Pistacchio, Hazelnut, Almond Butter
Founded in 1836 and since becoming Switzerland's preeminent Patisserie, it was a 5+ hour layover at Zurich airport that prompted a visit to Confiserie Sprungli, now offering a full-service restaurant on the 1st Level of A/B Terminal with several more storefronts and kiosks laid out around the ground floor where they offer mostly just Chocolates and their signature Luxemburgerli.
Opened in the early 2010s as a supplement to in-terminal dining that otherwise seems to focus on quick-bites or market-style fare, Sprungli Café is laid out as a lengthily strip en route from arrivals to connecting services and presented in a casual setting overlooking the tarmac with a short walk to gates the service nonetheless is one of pure professionalism, the fact that they were sold out of signature Museli by 13h00 stated matter-of-factually, thus leading to a pastry focused experience plus a cringe-worthy 5.50 Swiss Francs for a small cup of Coffee.
Certainly a pricy place, though really no different from Laduree or many of the most storied houses in Europe, it was within ten minutes of ordering that three pastries joined an already-in-progress tasting of the bite-size Cookies sold by weight in the store that the Sprungli experience got underway; each Macaron impressive by way of its flavor profile though the texture is somewhat different from the classic French version as the shell itself seems more "buoyant" or airy with a mouthfeel that starts of slightly chewy before dissolving quite quickly.
Most impressed by the true-to-its-word Champagne flavored Luxemburgerli, though the Salty Caramel and Vanilla also fared well, Sprungli's Almond Croissant next represented the last of that morning's pastries with an atypical crunchy horn modestly laminated and stuffed with pure nut filling, the two slices of cake likely a better representation of what the Confiserie does best as both were elegantly presented with rich, natural flavors in several layers of contrasting consistency.
Saving a few more treats for later, the Fig Cookie certainly not to be confused with a "newton" as golden dough and sticky-sweet filling made adept dance partners in a square sizable enough to be shared, a bag of three Amaretti Cookies surprisingly proved to be the highlight of the morning as the Almond Meringue shell gave way to wispy Kirsch Mousse atop a base dipped in good Chocolate, the 65% Cocoa base used to form the bulk of Sprungli's Truffles and Praline, of which the Pistachio and Almond were both exquisite. read more