Konrad, the Kaffee- und Cocktailbar, sits on Lintheschergasse 23 just off Bahnhofstrasse in central Zurich, a short walk from the main station. It runs as a coffee bar in the afternoon and a cocktail bar into the night, which is the split its own name spells out. Tripadvisor and Restaurant Guru both log it as a steady, well-reviewed central option, with a Google rating around 4.5.
The pitch is an unfussy central bar that does coffee, drinks and small plates without ceremony. It is the kind of room to meet someone before dinner or to land in after work near the station, rather than a destination cocktail den. Anyone hunting a hidden speakeasy will be in the wrong place, because Konrad keeps things open and easy.
The space is relaxed and a little tucked away from the Bahnhofstrasse crowds, with bar seating and tables that suit small groups. Reviewers single out the chill mood and the friendly staff, who get repeated mention for their patience with the drinks list. It reads as a neighbourhood bar that happens to sit in the middle of the city.
The drinks cover a solid spread of spirits, with gin and the pisco sour drawing the most praise in reviews, alongside good coffee earlier in the day. The kitchen sends out tapas and piadinas to go with the glasses, which makes it an easy pre-dinner stop. Prices stay reasonable by central Zurich standards, a point reviewers return to often.
The crowd is a mix of office workers early, shoppers off Bahnhofstrasse, and a younger set later in the week. The mood stays casual rather than dressed-up, and the staff keep the room welcoming to walk-ins. It is the sort of place where one drink turns into three without much planning.
Best time to go is the early evening on a weekday, when the after-work crowd arrives and the kitchen is sending tapas. The bar opens from 3pm Monday through Friday and from 2pm on Saturday, running to midnight, and closes on Sunday. Groups should call ahead, since the room is not large.
Konrad pairs well with the rest of the central cocktail circuit. Compare it with the picks in our best cocktail bars in Zurich guide, browse the wider Zurich bar guide for nearby rooms, or read the global best cocktail bars worldwide pillar. For a Manhattan-leaning contrast in the Niederdorf, try Old Crow.
One practical note: the afternoon coffee trade and the evening bar share the same room, so the mood shifts as the night goes on. The food is snacks rather than a full dinner, and the central spot means it can fill quickly after work. It remains one of the easier central Zurich rooms for a relaxed early drink.
The name nods to the quarter the bar sits beside, and the room has built a steady following among people who work in the nearby offices and shops. Reviewers on Tripadvisor return to the same points, the friendly service, the fair prices and the easy mix of coffee and cocktails, which is a rare combination so close to Bahnhofstrasse. The tapas and piadinas are enough to count as a light dinner, so a long session here can replace a restaurant booking. For a first visit, start with a coffee, move to a gin or a pisco sour, and let the staff steer the rest.
Late in the week the room leans more toward drinks than coffee, and the volume comes up a notch without tipping into a club. It stays the kind of central address that works for a first meeting, a quick catch-up or a slow start to a longer night out across the city.
Sources: konrad.bar official site; Tripadvisor Konrad Kaffee- & Cocktailbar; Restaurant Guru Konrad; Guidle Zurich
