Casa Ferlin, Stampfenbachstrasse, Zurich

Casa Ferlin is an over 100 year old establishment near Central. The clientele is definitely upscale, old-money with the occasional Nationalrat (member of Swiss national parliament) milling around as well. Service is decisively french, with waiters wearing tuxedos, offering table-side service of dishes such as Chateaubriand and Crepe Suzette. This contrasts the menu which is clearly of italian provenance.
After an amuse, where the acidity masked the tiny shrimp we start off with grilled porcini. Nothing to complain, a very traditional dish. Since the Casa Ferlin is well known for its Ravioli the primi where said stuffed pasta. I loved the dough and the super-silky outside, the veal-based filling was slightly too dry. Are these the best ravioli in Zurich ? From the dough yes, stuffing no – but certainly one of the top contenders.
The filet with lemon sauce (filetto al limone) was expertly cooked, served in two helpings and finished off in the sauce table-side, very classic, very old school style, but in a good way. The french fries were okay, but the spinach tasted lovely and wasn’t overtaken by onions like it often is. The Zabaione at the end to finish off the meal, was certainly one of the best I had ever had. The Casa Ferlin compares to the Kronenhalle. It is the place for old-school, traditional italian dining with service that would have made Cesar Ritz proud. It’s very expensive (keep in mind we had 2 glasses of wine), but if you’re looking for old-school power dining, this is the place.