The streets of Zurich: Bahnhofstrasse: Veggie sandwiches

This is the very first post of The Streets of Zurich series!

As I announced in December, every two weeks I will take you for a foodie stroll on a street in Zurich, telling you about new and old cafés / restaurants, interviewing restaurateurs, showing you yummy food pictures…

The decision of which street to start with was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever made. It had to be Bahnhofstrasse.

Bahnhofstrasse is to Zurich what Oxford Street is to London, or the Champs Elysées to Paris. It a fashionable street to stroll and shop. Even more, it is the absolute must-stroll street in Zurich.

Bahnhofstrasse starts at Zurich’s main central station and ends after 1,4 km at Bürkliplatz, a square on Lake Zurich where the main building of the Swiss National Bank is located.

Zurich’s main downtown street is lined with luxury boutiques (Prada, Dior, Chanel… you name it) and elegant cafés, alongside branches of the major Swiss banks.

But what if you simply want to grab a take-away sandwich without spending a fortune (by Swiss standards, that is)? Well, then I have good news for you: you won’t go hungry!

The following are four spots on Bahnhofstrasse I recommend for a good veggie sandwich.

Brezelkönig

Brezelkönig is a chain of pretzel stands with a wide presence all over Switzerland. There are a couple of stands on Bahnhofstrasse, too.

Besides plain pretzels (around 3,50 SFr.), they also sell pretzel sandwiches. I often grab a pretzel sandwich with Brie cheese and walnuts (7,50 SFr.).

Other available veggie sandwiches include lye rolls with mozzarella and tomato, as well as pretzels with butter.

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Website: http://www.brezelkoenig.ch

Address: Bahnhofstrasse 57, 8001 Zurich (in front of Coop City)

Opening hours: Mon-Fri, 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. / Sat, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Manta Bar

Okay, this might not be the place to go for a cheap sandwich lunch, but given its location (inside a luxury fashion store on Bahnhofstrasse) and the big size of its sandwiches, one cannot realistically expect to pay less.

Their range of sandwiches is quite large, with four or five options for vegetarians. They also offer two different sizes for many of the sandwiches.

I tried their mozzarella sandwich with eggplant and tomato (14,50 SFr, larger size). It was served hot and tasted very good.

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Website: http://www.manta-bar.ch

Address: Bahnhofstrasse 42, 8001 Zurich

Opening hours: Mon-Wed, 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. / Thu-Fri, 7:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. / Sat, 7 a.m.-4 p.m.

Confiserie Sprüngli

If I were to select one must-visit café on Bahnhofstrasse, then it would be Confiserie Sprüngli. In addition to a tea room & restaurant on the first floor and a smaller café on the ground floor, the complex on Bahnhofstrasse / Paradeplatz also has a take-away pastry shop and bakery.

They have ten to 12 different types of sandwiches, of which three or four are suitable for vegetarians.

I had a sandwich with Brie cheese, pears, arugula, and cheese spread (7,50 SFr.). It was not very big, but did taste great.

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Website: http://www.spruengli.ch

Address: Paradeplatz / Bahnhofstrasse 21, 8001 Zurich

Opening hours: Mon-Fri, 7:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. / Sat, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Steiner Bäckerei (in Jelmolì)

Steiner is a chain of bakeries and has an outlet inside Jelmolì, a department store on Bahnhofstrasse selling luxury brands. Although the department store sells very expensive products, the bakery itself has very conveniently priced sandwiches.

They sell a wide range of sandwiches. I had a small baguette with mozzarella, tomato, and pesto sauce (5,50 SFr.). It tasted okay.

They have also other veggie sandwiches, including small pretzels with either butter or cream cheese (2,40 SFr.).

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Website: http://www.jelmoli.ch

Address: Bahnhofstrasse / Seidengasse 1, 8001 Zurich

Opening hours: Mon-Sat, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.