Heading to Zurich for business? When a business partner invites you out to lunch, the choice of restaurant can reveal an awful lot about his or her regard for you. Ten examples, translated by finews.asia.
Business lunches are one of the most important occasions for developing contacts or winning someone over for a job. The choice of restaurant offers the invited guest a good idea of the regard in which he or she is held by the host. Here are 10 examples in Zurich.
10. Heuguemper, Waaggasse 4, 8001 Zurich
As a guest you should bring some sporting knowledge or interest, since the Heuguemper, or Grasshopper, is a popular venue near the city’s Paradeplatz. It is also the local restaurant for one of the city’s football clubs, Grasshoppers Club Zuerich (GC). The restaurant, is on the first floor and is open to non-GC members for lunch. One word of warning not all the lunch-time guest are interested in football, or the club.
Thus your host is probably not that interested in your sporting preferences, and probably doesn’t have any firm plans for you yet. He’s probably trying to get to know you better, and for that purpose the Heuguemper on the first floor is a better choice than the ground-floor Brasserie, which is loud and packed.
9. Tao’s, Augustinergasse 3, 8001 Zurich
A trendy venue which offers an Asian-western style cuisine. The host favours exotic dishes and would like to offer you the chance of sharing in this experience. He probably regards you as fairly cosmopolitan and is willing to pay for it since the restaurant, located just off the Bahnhofstrasse, is anything but cheap.
However the price-performance ratio leaves something to be desired, which is a shame, and not especially good for the host’s expense account. The tastefully-furnished eating area, and more so the terrace, create an almost holiday-like atmosphere. One can question whether this is necessary for a conclusive business lunch, but certainly for an exploratory one.
8. Haute, Talstrasse 65, 8001 Zurich
The host here is either reaching for the sky, or trying to utilize his membership in Haut to the full. Access to the roof terrace restaurant is restricted to members only. In other words he wants to show you Zurich’s old town and surrounding areas in their best light, and try and win you over for the club.
The Haut has long been regarded as the business meeting-place in the city, so every visit becomes a see-and-be-seen occasion. Still, the venue has lost some of its former aura, and the food isn’t always up to scratch. Your host is likely to accept a slight disappointment in the cuisine since the he’s likely to be trying to impress with the ambience rather than the food.
7. Parkhuus, Dreikoenigstrasse 25, 8002 Zurich
Although the name doesn't suggest it, your host is betting on international flair and probably regards you as worldy wise. The restaurant however could probably be found in most business cities, and matches the Park Hyatt Hotel in Zurich, where it is located.
It could probably be swapped for any number of similar locations around the world, although at a high level and with a reassuring reliability, which your guest may also offer.
No complaints about the food, and window tables offer the ideal ambiance for a business lunch discussion. In short: your host posesses globetrotting style, is generous and is looking for a neutral venue to win you over.
6. Kaufleuten, Pelikanstrasse 18, 8001 Zurich
This could surprise you! Kaufleuten, near the UBS complex in the city center is a phenomena which offers something for everyone. It is a meeting place for business people, including CEO's, as well as for artists, free spirits, go-getters as well of course as attractive women. So your host is up to date with a wide range of interest, and sees the same in you. These are excellent pre-conditions.
The menu by comparison is more limited, but good, and price-wise offers something for every pocket. If your host opts for the menu of the day it shows he tends to be frugal, which is not a bad thing. Not the most discreet location, Kaufleuten nevertheless offers an atmosphere relaxed enough to persuade your host to invite you for an important discussion.
5. Kronenhalle, Raemistr. 4, 8001 Zurich
This is one of the gastronomic landmarks in Zurich, and your host will want to impress you, since you are always likely to bump into some prominent figure from the show business or VIP scene. Still, the venue has lost some of its appeal, even if style-guru Tyler Brûlé still has it on his best-restaurant list.
The food is acceptable if your expectations aren't too high and the service is somewhat ungainly, but all this is OK if ambiance is what you're looking for.
Your host places great store on pathos and tradition, and you need to know this. Big new plans are unlikely to be forged here, and if you are a local from Zurich or its surrounds you might wonder why you've been invited to such a touristy spot - unless you appreciate the VIP factor.
4. Alden «Spluegenschloss», Spluegenstr. 2, 8002 Zurich
This is one of the most discreet restaurants in Zuerich. It's not located in the city center, but rather in the Enge-quarter, which is within walking distance of the lake. With no more than a dozen tables, all well spaced, it is the ideal spot for confidential tete-a-tetes. One reason why many big-shots meet here.
The choice of Alden should signal that your host wants to get down to serious business. A well chosen venue, with excellent food, it shows a considered choice with little concern for the cost. In short: You are well on the way to success, if that's what you're looking for.
3. Accademia del Gusto, Rotwandstr. 48, 8004 Zurich
For years one of the top addresses for business lunches, where guests could enjoy a convivial wine-fired lunch well into the afternoon. The restaurant, which is located near the red light district rather than the banking quarter, is still well frequented.
However the ambience has faded somewhat, as though somebody hasn't realized lunches need to conform to business hours and that alcohol consumption has declined. In short: your host holds you in esteem. Maybe he too hasn't realised that lunches should be a bit more dynamic and centrally located.
2. Conti, Dufourstr. 1, 8008 Zurich
You've almost made it. In the Conti, part of the Bindella Group, you can eat along with the great and good from the Swiss business fraternity, and with their lawyers. It doesn't matter if you're seen here, it's all about discretion and underlines how important you are for the host.
He's almost certain looking to do business, and hoping he'll be seen in your company. The food is top notch, as are the prices, which at this stage of proceedings is irrelevant. There is plenty of time for discussion since the kitchen isn't especially quick. Bad luck though if you are at odds with your host, since this can end in long uncomfortable silences.
1. Orsini, Waaggasse 3, 8001 Zurich
Hearty congratulations, you've made it! If you're invited to the Hotel Savoy Baur en Ville's Restaurant Orsini you can assume the business deal you've been chasing is a done deal, at least from your host's perspective.
This homely venue with outstanding Italian cuisine is where the rich and famous, be they oligarchs, central banker heads, or active and pensioned-off CEO's meet regularly. You can be your calm and modest self, just like the personnel who wait on you.
In short: Your host will spare no cost or effort to win you over for a job or business project. He demonstrates style, generosity and taste. After an enjoyable and successful lunch at the Orsini, you'll have the world at your feet.
