Review date: 18 August 2007

The Zur Oepfelchammer is right in the heart of Zürich's Niederdorf a few doors down from the popular (but crap) Oliver Twist.

Zur Oepfelchammer in its current incarnation dates from the early 19th Century and used to be a haunt of the writer Gottfried Keller who lived in a property directly opposite.

The dark-graffitied bar (Gaststübe) with it's sagging beams and sloping floors is where were to eat this evening. Tradition has it that if you can climb over the two beams on the cieling, hang yourself upside down from the second and drink without spilling you get to carve your name in Oak-pannelled walls!

We elected to start with the Carrots-honey soup which is served with ginger and onions which was splendid. I'm not sure about mixing carrot and honey into a soup and it's not something I would have tried at home but it does make a fine solid dish.

The Pork steak "Gottfried Keller" was pork topped with spinach and Gruyere cheese with wild rice and a cream of mushrooms. This was quite splendid and highly recomended.

The Home-made meat-loaf with morel sauce with onion-potato puree and seasonal vegetables was very strongly flavoured. Actually well made also - but too strongly flavoured for my particular tastes.

More traditional Zürcher-dishes such as calves' liver, Geschnetzeltes Kalbfleisch are also on offer. Along with a selection of wines from Canton Zürich.

Contrary to the write up of Zur Oepfelchammer at Fodors, we did not find the service slow. Au contraire, we found the service to be prompt yet unhurried. Friendly, yet professional. And encouraging of those many attempts to climb the beams.

Restaurant Zur Oepfelchammer

Restaurant Zur Oepfelchammer
Rindermarkt 12, CH-8001 Zürich
http://www.oepfelchammer.ch/

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