Zurich: Burgstein's Gasthaus Penalty

We took a train from Rome to Milan and then onward to Zurich.  Upon arrival we found that, despite promises from our provider (02), our sim card did not provide internet when out and about.  So the trip to our AirBNB apartment was somewhat confusing.  It was even more confusing that my back up print out of the route there had a prominent McDonalds which we thought we spotted but it was the wrong one.  We found a friendly local who gave us some useful pointers and we arrived outside the apartment with no wifi.  

So Sylvia sat with the cases and I went to the downstairs restaurant (which had "Restaurant Penalty Bar" written on the wall) to use their wifi.  The warm welcome back in the window and in the restaurant made me feel right at home.  I went back up and we found that the door was open (did we miss that in our confusion?  though we are sure we tried it).  Based on the friendliness and cosiness of the restaurant we headed there for dinner.

I loved all the wood panelling, red checked fabrics, candles and plants.  There was even a cuckoo clock that called the hour.  It felt like we had stepped into a Swiss chalet.  It was what in my German classes would be "gemutlich" (pleasant and cosy).  The woman behind the bar was very friendly and helpful.

Although there were only two vegetarian dishes on the menu - Vegetable Strudel with fried eggs and Wareniki (Ukranian potato-filled dumplings similar to pierogi) with a green salad, we were recommended the Spaetzli and the Rainbow Salad.  So we had the dumplings, the spaetzli and the big salad.
 

The potato dumplings came in a garlic herb butter.  They didn't look like much but the fresh dough in the dumpling skins made them and were in a herb and garlic butter sauce.  Absolutely delicious.  The accompanying green salad was chunks of iceberg lettuce a few veg in a herby sharp dressing (quite a change after the undressed salads of Rome) that worked very well with the mellow flavours of the dumplings. 

The Rainbow Salad was a meal in itself.  We were told it had 10 elements.  I thought this meant 10 different vegetables but when it arrived I found there were lots of different salads.  I spotted coleslaw, green salad, potato salad, beetroot sauerkraut, cooked green beans.  I am sure I missed some, especially as they were all close together in the bowl.  I loved it.  So much different salads and vegetables.  It was great with the intense carb-intense spaetzli.

The spaetzli was amazing.  It was the ultimate comfort food courtesy of Austria.  I have read about these traditionally handmade dumplings or pasta before but never tasted them.  The spaetzli was listed as a side but the kind waitress  recommended it and we just nodded.  She said it was served with butter and cheese.  It was served with crispy fried onions on top.  Sounds simple but it tasted amazing.

Our serve was definitely not a side dish.  It felt never ending and I gave up long before I could finish the bowl.  Sylvia shared some (just as we shared the potato dumplings) and was also stuffed.  It was so satisfying to grab a clump on a fork and watched the stretchy cheese as the mouthful was pulled away from the rest of the dish.  We weren't going to let it go to waste and took the rest away for both of us to eat for breakfast the next morning.  It was so good, I am relieved we didn't get into a fight over who had the last of it.

The food was like home cooking at its best: unpretentious fresh, full of flavour and generous helpings.  So much so that I did not resent the price of 71.80 CHF (or $126.79) for our meals and sparkling water.  The place was busy including a group of old guys gathered at the bar like regulars in Cheers.  It did indeed feel like somewhere that were were very glad we came, even if our hostess did not know our name.

The next morning we came downstairs from our apartment and saw the restaurant in the daylight.  It looked every bit as welcoming.  Every time I passed it I saw people coming in or out so I assume it is popular with the locals if not others.  Liked Zurich it welcomed everyone, is quite pricey, took in influences from different countries and yet managed to feel very Swiss.

Burgstein's Gasthaus Penalty
Hallwylstrasse 40, 8004 Zürich, Switzerland
Web: https://burgsteins-gasthaus-penalty.business.site/