Old Fashion Bar sits on Fraumunsterstrasse near Paradeplatz in Zurich's Old Town, a short walk from Bahnhofstrasse. Billed as the oldest bar in the city, it traces its opening to 1886, and trades on antique furnishings, deep red tones and a courtyard garden behind the room. Evendo and Creme Guides both file it as a historic Zurich bar rather than a modern opening.
Published October 24, 2025 · By Noa Aviv
The room
The room leans on its age, an antique-furnished bar in shades of red with tufted leather banquettes rather than a contemporary cocktail den. A small leafy terrace and an inner-courtyard garden give it an outdoor escape from the streets around Paradeplatz. From Thursday to Saturday, regional DJs shift the room into a later-night spot, per Evendo.
The Old Town setting, near Fraumunster church and Paradeplatz, keeps it central and busy with a mix of office workers, shoppers and visitors. Old Fashion Bar holds a corner of it on Fraumunsterstrasse. That position makes it an easy stop for a cocktail in the heart of the city.
What to order
The bar runs a list of mixed cocktails and premium spirits alongside an international kitchen, with all-day food served at the bar and on the terrace. A classic cocktail is the natural order in a room built around its long history. Wine and the kitchen menu cover a longer sit, with the menu running from light bites to fuller plates through the day.
The format is a cocktail in a historic room rather than an experimental tasting menu, so the order leans on the classics done well. The courtyard garden is the spot for a drink in the warmer months, away from the streets around Paradeplatz. A classic cocktail on the terrace is the way the room is meant to be used.
Who it is for
Old Fashion Bar fits a drinker after a cocktail in a historic Zurich room, a couple wanting a courtyard garden near Paradeplatz, and a later crowd on the Thursday-to-Saturday DJ nights. Skip it for a cutting-edge cocktail lab, since the draw here is the age and the room rather than experimental drinks. It rewards guests who come for a classic cocktail and the courtyard.
Best time to go
The all-day open from late morning suits a quiet cocktail or a bite before the evening trade. Thursday to Saturday are the livelier nights, when regional DJs run the room later. A weekday visit is the calm way into the historic bar and its garden.
The courtyard garden is best in the warmer months, when the terrace opens behind the room. For a quiet drink, an early-evening seat before the DJ nights is the move. Weekends near Paradeplatz draw a crowd, so timing a weekday gives more room.
The detail worth knowing
The age is the detail that sets it apart, since Old Fashion Bar bills itself as the oldest bar in Zurich, with its opening traced to 1886. The antique room, the red tones and the courtyard garden give it a character distinct from the city's newer cocktail bars. Creme Guides and Evendo both single out the historic setting near Paradeplatz.
The shift to DJ nights from Thursday to Saturday gives the historic room a second, later-night life. The pairing of a heritage bar with a courtyard garden in the heart of the Old Town is the pitch. For a classic cocktail in Zurich's oldest bar, it is a steady call.
The bottom line
Old Fashion Bar is billed as Zurich's oldest bar, open since 1886 on Fraumunsterstrasse near Paradeplatz, with antique furnishings, a courtyard garden and DJ nights from Thursday to Saturday. Come for a classic cocktail, take a seat in the garden in summer, and time a weekday for the calm version. The history and the courtyard are the reasons to go.
Keep exploring with our best cocktail bars in Zurich guide, the full Zurich bar guide, and our edit of cocktail bars worldwide. Pair Old Fashion Bar with Tales Bar, Kronenhalle Bar, and Widder Bar.
