Weinstube Weisse Rose, Torgasse, Zürich

My heart rejoiced when I read the news: one of Zurich’s most skilled chefs is back and is now running the Weinstube Weisse Rosse. The often overlooked restaurant has approximately 25 seats and has always catered to locals looking for a glass of wine. But now there’s a chef with a serious reputation and proven track record offering in the kitchen and is preparing a few dishes in restaurant quality.

Naturally I was thrilled and expectations were high when I sat down for a small meal on a busy night. First up was the beef tartare, which the chef boldly announced as the best one in Zurich. My skepticism was blown away: the claim is based on merit. The meat is seasoned distinctively, the touch of crunchy onions and a homemade egg yolk cream give it that touch of special that makes a dish stand out.

Same was true for the Hacktätschli (meat ball) with potato salad. While we can debate for hours what goes into a Hacktätschli one thing is clear, this one here is flavorful. The tastiest thing was the potato salad. Mother’s beware! This one here will give you a run for your money and your kids might find a new favourite place to come home to…

Tete de veau (Kalbschopf) had a great sauce, was prepared with great skill (just look at the brunoise), but it remains a dish which you need to have a palate for.

I’ve been following Stefan Wieser for quite some time and will always miss his cooking in a proper a la carte restaurant. However, he’s managed to concentrate the essence of his style of cuisine in a few small dishes, which he can comfortably serve out of a tiny kitchen.

Should I ever become so old, that I end up in a home for the elderly: this is the type of food I want. It’s my Zurich on a plate: bringing up memories from childhood, displaying perfect execution and giving me a feeling of being at home. And now please delete this report, forget about the place and don’t crowd my new living room.