Restaurant Helvetia, Stauffacher, Zurich

Yes – even therealpickygourmet.com is subject to errors. In a discussion with one of the enterpreneurs of the Restaurant Helvetia I was politely told that I’ve made some errors. While I agree that I wasn’t quiet sure what a Szeginer Gulash was, it’s made with sauerkraut not with onions, I still think it was a high acid dish. I’m not completely agreeing with the second criticism. Yes it says “Ochsenschwanzsuppe mit Mark” and nothing else on the menu, which doesn’t imply that it there is a bone surrounding the marrow, my personal expectation includes a bone. Why not make it clearer on the menu ? Even though not mentioned explicitlythe Pizzokel and the soup itself clearly showed a crafty and skilled cooked used to work with high quality ingredients.

Ochsenschwanzsuppe mit Mark

Szedginer Gulasch mit Pizzokel

I was looking forward to visiting the refurnished Restaurant and Bar Helvetia at the Stauffacher. Francoise Wicki, the chef has been cooking in Guide Michelin and Gault Millau decorated kitchens for some time (she even holds courses). The restaurant has an interesting vibe, a mix between cosmopolitan powerhouse and comfy oldtime bar. Be sure that you choose your seating wisely. Even though the booths look nice and cozy, everybody is walking past this spot and you are much too exhibited. We settled for a table by the window. The menu definitely has a major swissness to it. I started off with a oxtail soup with marrow. It certainly was a proper soup, but why was the marrow in there without any bones ? The tasty and fun bit about marrow is always the bone. My main dish was an Szedginer Gulash with Pizokel. A nice serving of onions, tasty pizokel but the acidity of the gulash was over the top and ruined the dish. If you’re looking for gourmet food, Helvetia is not the place. As a gourmet swiss crossover place, Hof Weissbad is the better choice. If you’re looking for decent swiss food it’s okay, especially the prices are fair:
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