Zurich: Swiss Chuchi (Hotel Adler) fondue

When Sylvia and I were planning our visit to Zurich, we had fondue and chocolate high on our list of foods to sample. Despite knowing that Zurich was one of the most expensive places in Europe, we were still surprised at how expensive the fondue was.

My oldest sister very generously organised a voucher of 100 Swiss Francs for a fondue dinner for two for a Christmas present.  She spent time messaging Sylvia in Melbourne from her home in Dublin.  They organised a voucher for the Swiss Chuchi restaurant at the Hotel Adler that was not too far from our hotel.

We booked and were pleased to arrive directly from the Lindt chocolate factory at 5.25pm, five minutes early.  It was lovely to get inside out of the cold after walking along the River Limmat and enjoy the cosy artwork inside the door.

The restaurant was fairly quiet upon arrival.  It had a lot of wooden panelling like a Swiss Chalet.  I guess this is the "rustic Swiss ambience" promised by the website.  We were taken past the cuckoo clock to a seat near the yodeler on the ledge.

We sat down and I told the waiter that I didn't have the voucher but had the voucher number.  I had thought this would link it with our information.  Apparently not.  The waiter frowned and said he had to check.  I said I would message my sister to see if she had a copy of the voucher she could send me.  Thank goodness, she is quick at answering messages.  I had the voucher in about 10 minutes and we were all very relieved.

I was pleased to be able to order the Ramseier Suure Moscht, alkoholfrei (alcohol free apple cider).  Sylvia had the apple juice which was a lot sweeter than mine.  My cider had the dry flavour that makes it more refreshing.  (If only Melbourne pubs sold this!)

For dinner it was cheese, cheese cheese and cheese!  We ordered Traditional Vaudois fondue, made with four cheeses, white wine, cherry liquor and garlic (32.50 Swiss Francs per person).  I asked which cheeses and was told Gruyere, Vacherin, Raclette and I forget the last.  (I would have also loved to try the Raclette but there was only so much we could eat.)

We were able to order them with less alcohol and lots of sides.  The chunks of bread come with the fondue but we also ordered mixed steamed vegetables, steamed baby potatoes (in a cute checked cotton lined hessian bag) and silverskin onions, baby corn and pickled gherkins.  The fondue was very rich with the cheeses and alcohol but really good, especially with the sharp tasting gherkins and pickled onions.  The potatoes were meltingly soft and we lost one or two in the fondue.  It filled us up but in such a good way.

We were too full for dessert but decided to have a hot chocolate to finish our meal.  I was surprised that we got a cup of steaming hot milk and a sachet of chocolate powder to mix into our milk.  It is very different to our hot chocolate in Melbourne that comes with a puff of frothed milk on top and a dusting of cocoa.  It was nice but not as nice as our Rome hot chocolates.

These were the artworks on the stairs down to the toilets.
 

This cuckoo clock is the one I looked at during my meal.  It was so beautifully made with the wooden eaves, curved window frames and snowy trees.

By the time we left we were very satisfied.  The restaurant had filled up and tables did not stay empty for long.  People were waiting for a table when we left.  Our booking had been for 2 hours and I think we might have stayed 90 minutes.  Others left quicker.  So I assume people waiting at the door could be slotted in when people left early.

We looked at the small display of souvenirs as we left but they seemed quite pricey.  Instead, we walked along the river to make purchases at a cheaper souvenir shop.  It was raining as we walked out of the restaurant.  This was our first rain for almost two weeks.  Fortunately we were able to get a tram to our apartment easily.  We had been spoiled with good weather until then, as a week in London proved.  Today we arrived in Edinburgh and hopefully will have a quieter week than the last two.

Swiss Chuchi Restaurant
Hotel Adler
Rosengasse 10
CH 8001 Zurich, Switzerland
Web: hotel-adler.ch/swiss-chuchi-restaurant/