Oliver Twist holds a corner of Rindermarkt in the lanes of Zurich's Old Town, and it carries the weight of being the oldest pub in the city.
The address is Rindermarkt 6, deep in the medieval Niederdorf quarter on the right bank of the Limmat. Amazing Zurich dates the room to 1970 and calls it the city's oldest pub, a traditional English house where locals, expats and visitors share the same dark-wood bar. The pedigree shows in the panelling, the low lighting and the dartboard that has clearly seen decades of use.
The screening setup is the reason it belongs on a sports list. Dozens of flat-screens are spread through the rooms, carrying European football, rugby and the NFL across the week, so the place rarely shows a single fixture. The pub is part of the Mr Pickwick group, which means the same reliable English-pub format and an app that trims a little off the rounds for regulars. Anyone touring the best sports bars in Zurich should mark this as the Old Town anchor.
Context helps. Zurich's match-watching scene splits between the slick new venues near the lake and the older British and Irish houses in the centre. Oliver Twist sits firmly in the second camp, trading on age and atmosphere rather than LED panels, which is exactly why the regulars defend it.
The Niederdorf setting adds to the appeal. The pub sits on a pedestrian lane in the densest pocket of the Old Town, a few minutes from the Limmat and the bridges back to the Hauptbahnhof side, so it folds easily into an evening that started elsewhere. The front rooms catch the passing trade and the back settles into something quieter, which suits a long fixture better than the open-plan bars by the lake.
Belonging to the Mr Pickwick group gives it a steadiness that one-off pubs rarely match. The taps are kept in order, the kitchen runs to a tested menu, and the membership app trims a little off the rounds for anyone who drinks here often. For visitors that means a reliable plate of fish and chips and a properly poured pint, which is most of what a match-day pub needs to get right.
What to order: the kitchen runs the full British canon, with fish and chips, curry and pies alongside the big burgers, plus rotating quarterly specials that have stretched as far as a loaded chilli dog. Drink the cask and keg ales the format is built around, and time a visit for the Monday quiz, which Amazing Zurich notes kicks off around 7.30pm and packs the room with students and expats.
Who it is for: football and rugby followers who want a proper pub rather than a stadium-style lounge, quiz-night regulars, and homesick Brits after a real plate of fish and chips. It is a weaker fit for anyone chasing a polished cocktail room. For a livelier station-side alternative, Paddy Reilly's runs a big projector and a Sunday roast, while The Irish Times keeps the Irish-pub end of the city covered.
Best time to go: arrive early for a marquee kick-off, since the Old Town foot traffic fills the front rooms fast, and reserve nothing but expect a wait on derby weekends. Monday nights belong to the quiz. Our guide to the best bars for watching the game sets the wider scene, and the Zurich city guide covers what surrounds it.
Sources
Oliver Twist official site · Amazing Zurich: best sports bars in Zurich · Mr Pickwick: Oliver Twist Zurich
