Tibits, Zurich, Switzerland

After having such a great brunch at Haus Hiltl earlier in the day, we thought we'd check out the other vegetarian buffet in Zurich. Tibits was opened with the help of the Hiltl family in 2000 and is now going strong with eight restaurants.

Similar to the Hiltl concept, there are many vegetarian and vegan dishes to choose from and they charge you by weight of your plate. There are about 40 items to choose from so much less than Hiltl, but still very good. I like how they also have the English translation on the other side of the card that describes each dish. And each dish is clearly labeled as vegan or not.

I went with some tabbouleh, samosas, gnocchi, artichoke salad, and chocolate mousse. Other items that looked scrumptious included the wakame salad, curries, and pasta dishes.

Overall, we felt like some dishes were better than others and that even though the prices seemed slightly less, the food was better at Hiltl. That said, it was still quite good. The gnocchi was absolutely amazing!

That ended my trip to Zurich -- just one short day, but great vegan food!


Tibits
Falkenstrasse 12
8008 Zürich, Switzerland
+41 44 260 32 12

Haus Hiltl, Zurich, Switzerland

As rain blanketed the beautiful city of Lauterbrunnen on my last day there, we took that as an opportunity to head to Zurich a bit earlier than planned. It was my first time in the city of Zurich and I was excited to discover the shops and restaurants. Unfortunately, all I discovered is that most of the shops and restaurants in this city are closed on Sunday. Foiled again. But, one key restaurant was open, and that is Haus Hiltl, the world's oldest vegetarian restaurant. How lucky was I?

In 1898, a vegetarian restaurant was opened in Zurich and several years later a man named Ambrosius Hiltl took over as the manager. Today, it remains the oldest vegetarian restaurant and there is even a vegetarian butcher shop as well.

I went for the Sunday brunch. Not expecting much, I was completely blown away. I have never seen so much vegetarian and vegan food served at once. There was everything from seitan and mushrooms in wine and fried Indian fritters to quinoa patties and spinach ravioli. There were breakfast and lunch dishes, breads, trail mix, salad, desserts. You name it and it was there! And everything was clearly labeled as vegan or not.

It was very expensive as they weigh your plate and charge based on weight. I chose the spinach ravioli, quinoa cake, and chili mac among other things and it was delicious.

The atmosphere was casual with couches and hightop tables as well as more traditional seating. And it was packed. This place is extremely popular. If you are only in the city for one day, this restaurant is a must-visit!

Haus Hiltl
Sihlstrasse 28, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland

Phone:+41 44 227 70 00

Flavours, Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

Last year, a new restaurant opened in Lauterbrunnen that had the city abuzz. I didn't try it because they weren't very vegan friendly last year. This year, however, was a different story! Flavours hired a new chef, Stefano, who cares deeply about good quality, fresh, healthy meals and makes vegan options available each day.

We ended up eating here several times because my friend personally knows Stefano, who is also a BASE jumper.

On my first visit, he made me a veggie burger that was out of this world. This chickpea burger was made with sweet potatoes, millet, onion, and roasted vegetables on a vegan brown bread with potatoes on the side baked with olive oil and herbs. Fantastic!

I also had fresh juice. There is no juice menu at the juice bar. You tell them what you want and they make it for you. I had grapefruit, ginger, apples, and peaches. So good.

On my next visit, I had a roasted vegetable sandwich made with squash, bell peppers, and tofu on a vegan foccacia. Again, fantastic!

This juice had pear, nectarine, apricots, and kiwi and was much better than the juice I got previously.

I finished it off with a vegan chocolate strawberry cake.

Lastly, I came back for breakfast and had the porridge with nuts, cinnamon, kiwi, strawberries, and apples. It was, by far, the best and healthiest breakfast I had had in two weeks!

And there was a coloring book so we put GoPro's on the flying dragon, of course.

All in all, a great experience. You may not get fast service because everything is made fresh and the prices are high as they are in Switzerland, but the food is the best in Lauterbrunnen, in my opinion! Highly recommended.

Flavours
Fuhren, Lauterbrunnen 3822
Switzerland
+41 33 855 36 52

Horner Pub, Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland #2

The Horner Pub is Lauterbrunnen's only pub so it attracts all the adventurers who come to the city who want a nice cold beer after a long day of hiking, paragliding, or BASE jumping. As one of the main BASE jumper hangouts in the city, I found myself here almost every day.

I had good memories of the Thai Curry from last year, so I ordered that as soon as I arrived in this city. Unfortunately, it was not how I remembered it. There was much more rice than last year and fewer vegetables. And it was just shredded carrots and edamame. It was a sad representation of curry and way overpriced.

On my next visit, I ordered the Barley Soup, which was really good. The fresh bread was great as well.

We also tried their chips and guacamole, which came with salsa and jalapenos. It was okay--better than nothing, but definitely not comparable to Whole Foods guacamole and chips.

On my last visit here, I ordered the Pesto Pasta, which I really didn't like last year. This year, however, the spaghetti had a lot of tasty pesto on it and I loved it! It's amazing how much meals can vary year over year!

Overall, I'd say that the service is very slow, the food is so-so, the restaurant is very relaxed and vegan-friendly, and the prices are high.  But, it's the only place to get a vegan dinner in this entire city so I'll be back. Plus, I love hanging out there and the environment is great...and that matters. :-)

Aaaand...sometimes you see a cow walking down the road. Randomness is fun.

Previous review
January 17, 2017

Horner Pub
Beim Pfrundhaus 417A
3822 Lauterbrunnen
Switzerland
+41 33 855 16 73

Airtime, Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland #2

It was my second visit to the beautiful city of Lauterbrunnen -- complete with mountains and waterfalls galore! I come to this beautiful land to wingsuit BASE jump and it is the highlight of my year. This small town doesn't offer tons of vegan options, but one solid staple is Airtime Cafe.  This place also happens to sell paragliding rides and BASE jumping gear so it's like a one-stop shop. And how nice it was to see a sign that said, "We have a love for vegans and unicorns!"

I ate here a few times over the course of a week. First I got the special vegan pie. Loaded with tomatoes, onions, peas, cauliflower, and garlic, it was absolutely delicious and only 8 CHF.

On another occasion, I got the Vegan and Fancy sandwich. This huge sandwich was loaded with beetroot hummus, hazelnuts, smoked tofu, and baby spinach. It was soooo good.

I also tried their chocolate ginger cake. This was not so great -- not nearly as flavorful as it could have been. It was pretty dry.

They also have a gnocchi dish that can be made vegan. The only downside to Airtime Cafe is that they close early -- around 5 p.m. and stop serving way before that so it's lunch or nothing!  Regardless, I love this place. It is laid back, has good food, decent wine, good prices, and nice people. Two thumbs up!

Previous review
January 19, 2017

Airtime Cafe
Fuhren
Lauterbrunnen
Switzerland
+41 33 855 15 15

Weidstübli, Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

If you drive a little further through the quaint town of Lauterbrunnen towards Stechelberg, you will find a traditional Swiss restaurant called Weidstübli. This log-cabin-style restaurant screams "Switzerland" with its flower boxes and gingham curtains. Inside, big wooden tables with old-fashioned Old World chairs grace the dining room.

We sat down in the main dining room and ordered some wine. When I inquired about vegan options, they were not so excited to accommodate, so I wouldn't rate this restaurant as very vegan friendly. I went ahead and ordered the two items that seemed safely vegan.

The first entree served was the Rosti -- shredded, fried potatoes without the egg. This dish, although simple, was very tasty (and very oily). I liked the pickle in the shape of a heart -- that was a nice touch.

I was pretty full after that, but I also ordered a large Mixed Salad. Loaded with cabbage, greens, tomatoes, corn, and peppers, it was quite tasty. I topped it with oil and vinegar as the dressing.

One thing I will say is that the service left much to be desired. The lady who took our order made a rude comment when my friend apologized to me for ordering meat. She commented that he should be able to order whatever he wants. How is that her business? I've never heard a server say anything like that and I was so taken aback that she would insert herself into our conversation that I just didn't say anything.

All was better once outside though because you can't be upset with mountains and waterfalls around you. I'd eat there again, but it definitely isn't my first choice in this small city.

Weidstübli
Weid 406
CH-3822 Lauterbrunnen 
+41 33 856 20 10

Airtime Cafe, Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

As I explored the quaint town of Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland, I came across the Airtime Cafe. Airtime is a place where you can buy BASE jumping gear, book a paragliding flight, or buy a vegan muffin. Yes, seriously.

I stopped by one morning and found a fantastic, but expensive, vegan muffin and ate it back at my hotel.

I came by another night for dinner only to find that they closed early and returned the next day for lunch.  They only have a few vegan items. I went with the roasted veggie sandwich. This sandwich was on baguette with freshly roasted veggies, spinach, smoked tofu, and tomato peanut butter. It was fantastic and I proclaim it to be the best sandwich I had in Europe!

Definitely hit this spot for good wine, sandwiches, and pastries. And, that's a wrap. Goodbye Switzerland. Until next year!

Airtime Cafe
Fuhren
Lauterbrunnen
Switzerland
+41 33 855 15 15

Horner Pub, Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

After a long day-long drive through the mountains of Italy and Switzerland, we arrived in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland -- the land of BASE jumping. With its beautiful green mountains and crisp air, one can't help but be enthralled by the valley's beauty.  Lauterbrunnen welcomes adventurers of all kinds from paragliders to mountain climbers, and even us BASE jumpers.

In this small city, there is only one pub, Horner Pub, and it caters to BASE jumpers. So, it was my first stop. I sit down at the bar and inquire as to whether there might be any vegan options and am immediately handed a menu with all options clearly marked as "vegan." Well, damn.

I ordered the Thai curry and rice made with carrots, green beans, cauliflower, and peas. It was great.

I came back and ordered the Spaghetti Pesto.  That wasn't as good. There was too much spaghetti and not enough pesto. It tasted like spaghetti with herbs and oil.

Eh, whatever. I was in Lauterbrunnen. The service was slow, but the vibe was great. And I came back a third time for the curry.

BASE jumping off 1600-foot walls makes one no longer care about food and service. Sorry, not sorry. (That's me below standing at the edge of cliff getting ready to wingsuit BASE jump it.)

Horner Pub
Beim Pfrundhaus 417A
3822 Lauterbrunnen
Switzerland
+41 33 855 16 73