Editorial
Zurich keeps its best bars out of sight. The good ones sit down a cellar stair, behind an unmarked door, or up a backstreet the trams do not run past. The Swiss do not advertise. We judged these on the room, the list behind the bar, and how hard they are to stumble on by accident.
Eight made the list, from the whisky stacks of Old Crow to the freezer door speakeasy of Gypsy Rose. The full Zurich hidden gem bars list goes wider, the hidden gem bars worldwide guide goes deeper, and the Zurich bar guide covers the rest of the city.
For one hidden bar, make it Old Crow. The backstreet location, the wall of rare whisky and the old fashioned style make it the bar the trade sends you to. For the theater of the find, Gypsy Rose and its freezer door is the one to take a first timer to.
Zurich rewards booking and patience. The cellar rooms seat few and the speakeasies expect a reservation, so call ahead, especially at weekends. The reward is a city of small, serious rooms where the bartender knows the list cold and the crowd is local rather than passing through.
Sources: Zurich.com bar guide; Newly Swissed and International Traveller features; Tripadvisor and Google Maps reviews; venue social channels.