Kronenhalle

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Zürich Institution Born in 1924

When Hulda Zumsteg and her husband took over a run-down restaurant at Bellevue in 1924, they could not have imagined what it would become. What Hulda built — through entrepreneurial spirit, genuine hospitality, and an instinct for the exceptional — was a place where Zürich's bohemian and cultural elite felt entirely at home. James Joyce, Coco Chanel, Marc Chagall, Federico Fellini, Max Frisch, Yves Saint Laurent: the guest list reads like a roll call of the twentieth century's most remarkable minds. That legacy is still palpable today, and it earned Kronenhalle a place among The World's 50 Best Restaurants.

Art on Every Wall

Hulda's son Gustav Zumsteg took the restaurant's identity a decisive step further. A textile entrepreneur with deep ties to the Parisian couture world, he was also a passionate collector of French modern and post-war art. From the 1940s onward, he hung original works throughout the dining rooms — Chagall, Bonnard, Léger, Vuillard, Rodin, Giovanni Giacometti, Ferdinand Hodler — turning every meal into something that feeds the eye as much as the palate. In 1965 he added the bar, designed by architect Robert Haussmann with lighting by Diego Giacometti, and opened what remains one of the finest bar interiors in Europe.

Three Rooms, One Spirit

The restaurant is divided into three distinct spaces. The classic Gaststube, where the original dining room took shape in the 1920s, offers a discreet atmosphere for unhurried conversation. The Brasserie — the grande salle — is presided over by Varlin's 1967 portrait of Hulda herself, always dressed with flowers and welcoming for gatherings of any size. Upstairs, the Swiss Gallery is bathed in light and surrounded entirely by works of Swiss masters, a fitting backdrop for a glass of Vaudois wine.

The Kitchen: Cultivated Classics

Chef Peter Schärer and his team have been writing the kitchen's chapter for thirty years, working along the lines of Kronenhalle's classic recipes while adding seasonal depth. The Swiss and European cuisine here is grounded and precise: the legendary veal Geschnetzeltes Kronenhalle with rösti is the dish most closely tied to the house's identity, while Kronenhalle ravioli with scampi and white curry and Hulda Zumsteg's original apple cake recipe speak to the kitchen's range. Vegetarian and vegan options are given equal attention. The cellar holds a broad selection of wines, including Bordeaux rarities, and the team offers considered pairings.

Continuity as a Value

With 115 staff members — many of whom have been with the house for years or decades — and service led by Julia Scussel, the Kronenhalle operates with the warmth of a family business and the precision of a long-established institution. The kitchen runs continuously every day of the year, a rare commitment that reflects the house's founding philosophy: that good food and good company should never be subject to inconvenient hours.