Discovering Zurich’s Ambassador Hotel and the nearby Opera House

http://www.ambassadorhotel.ch/en/

http://www.opernhaus.ch/en/

A special treat for members of ZIWA’s energetic Swinging Sixties group was in store on Tuesday 24 February, thanks to the organising skills of its chairlady Vreni Riedler. Over 30 ladies gathered in the foyer of the small but very welcoming Ambassador à l’Opera Hotel just behind the imposing Opera House building in Zurich Bellevue. Three guides from the hotel staff were on hand to take us on a tour from cellar to roof of this small gem of a hotel.

We discovered that the hotel is a family-run concern and has been recently renovated. Each floor is dedicated to a particular operatic composer such as Verdi or Wagner, and we were invited inside some of the bedrooms to see the special touches provided to make guests feel welcome. We emerged onto the roof terrace with its splendid view over the city, and saw where on a warmer day one might enjoy a picnic or a sun lounger.

Then we descended into the warren of rooms comprising the kitchen, storage rooms and cellars. Here the planners had been very creative in making use of every corner of space. We met the ten-strong team of chefs and kitchen assistants in the small domain comprising the food washing station, the meat and fish cooking area and the vegetable preparation area. The Ambassador prides itself on its fish specialities in its restaurant with sixty covers. The building dates back to 1898 and has been substantially renovated. In total 16.8 million Swiss francs have been spent on the renovations over the past 10-15 years.

We also discovered that while the hotel has space for its weekly wine and beer requirements in a temperature-controlled environment, there is also an offsite wine cellar with even more capacity.  Some laundry is done on site and the rest is sent out; the hotel staff all have a uniform. We explored the air filter system, the silver cleaning room, the water softener and the gas tumbler. The hotel employs 70 staff who can also have their lunch in specially designated spaces. Heat is recycled from the kitchen and supplemented by a gas heater.  One of the limitations on space in the underground areas is because of the high water level due to the adjacent lake of Zurich, and the location of the drainage system under the cellar floor. A close eye is kept on the underground water level which must not rise higher than 4.04 metres above sea level.

After exploring the hotel from top to bottom, the three groups convened in the restaurant for a lunch of soup and fish with optional wine. We admired the ceiling and walls painted by a young Swiss artist, Tatjana Tiziana. We were invited to take part in a quiz to test our knowledge and attention on the earlier tour. See below* for quiz answers and prizewinners.

After this amazing experience, the ladies left taking a small gift of chocolates each, and walked across to the Opera House for another set of tours. First we sat in the audience and saw a new stage set being built for one of the premieres, Rote Laterne, which was not to be photographed until after its first show. A second premiere, Juliette, was also in preparation.  Each of the two groups  was able to explore on the stage, and then backstage where we saw the sets being stored, the costumes hanging up ready and props used for the shows. Each matinee and evening show requires the sets to be put up in a short time before the next performance, so the stage crew have to practice setting up each new production. There was a vast array of costumes for every performer and scene, not to mention the racks of shoes and hats. Wigs are made by hand to suit each performer. The ballet productions are even more demanding on shoes. Our guides gave us a vivid picture of life behind the scenes of the opera with its ever-changing repertoire.

Zurich Opera House was built in 1890-91 by two experienced architects, Helmar and Felder from Vienna, and it can accommodate 1100 seats at full capacity. The foyer and stockrooms were added later and the stage has been recently redesigned to allow a complex repertory program of changing productions. The Opera Ball is also held in the house in March. As with the Ambassador Hotel, the Opera House is built on oak stilts because of the underlying water. It’s an amazing feat of construction and host to numerous international stars.

*The quiz questions were a) How many tonnes of washing per year is done at the hotel? 68 Tonnes. b) How much money has been invested in renovation in the past 10 years? CHF 16.8 million. c) On what foundation is the Ambassador Hotel built? On oak piles. Tiebreaker question: How many steps are there from the cellar to the roof terrace? 158.

The winners of the Ambassador Hotel quiz were: first prize Marijke Largiader, second prize Junita Keil. Congratulations to them!

Julia Newton, 3 March 2015.

Discovering Zurich’s historic tram museum

Another first for ZIWA’s intrepid Discovering Zurich & Switzerland group was Tuesday afternoon’s guided tour of the Tram Museum, housed in the old tram depot in Burgwies. Zürich is famous for its comprehensive tram network, but less well known is its history and the variety of trams in use over the past 130 years. After some elaborate negotiations at the cash desk, twenty ladies were admitted into the hall housing a tram collection dating back to 1882. There we were able to climb inside the cars varying in age from 1897 to 1968, as well as learning something of the history of the tram network. It was an afternoon well spent for the transport enthusiast.

Our guide Hans Ryffel knew everything about the old tram companies who each commissioned their own liveried tramcars in distinctive colours. The earliest trams were horse-drawn and the network supported as many as 200 horses at the end of the 19^th century. In 1900 electric trams were introduced on the 1 metre gauge tram tracks still in use today. Early tram routes ran from Seefeld to the main station, and on to Paradeplatz and Enge; the Glattbrugg line ran through Oerlikon and went as far as the Rigibahn, and a tram line even ran across the Münsterbrücke. Eventually the private companies were taken over by the city and more inner city lines were built.

The tram museum contains working examples of all ages of the Zurich tram, all lovingly maintained by a Verein of volunteers. The city of Zurich owns the trams in the museum as they are also insured to travel on the city tram line: the Museum Line 21 runs every last weekend of the month. All the tram cars in service were built locally, some in the workshops in Schlieren.  The first electric trams had a driver and conductor and only ran one way, so a turning loop was built at the end of each line. Early trams also pulled trailers and even a post wagon. The trams were especially popular in winter, when people left their cars at home. Smoking used to be permissible in the trailer section of the tram. Articulated tramcars were constructed in 1966-68. The modern cobra tram has low entry for passengers but the space for machinery under the cars is reduced.

The trams are powered from overhead power lines which send up to 600 volts through the braker system to the controller.  Wet lines or leaves on the line can still be a problem today. At the tram museum, with a little imagination, one can still smell the oil and smoke and hear the sound of the horses’ hooves clopping along the tracks. For information about the Museum Line service as well as a guide to the tram museum, see this link: www.tram-museum.ch. You might even consider holding a party at the museum!

Thank you to Rowena for arranging the tour and to Anne-Marie for coordinating the afternoon visit.

Julia Newton, 21 January 2015.

Restaurant of the Month - December 2014

Restaurant Gruenes Glas, Untere Zaeune 15, 8001 Zurich

http://www.gruenesglas.ch/home

For our final event of 2014, the ZIWA Dining Around the World group chose to celebrate at the Gruenes Glas, a traditional restaurant which has recently been renovated. It was a popular choice for a pre-Christmas lunch, judging by the number of diners. We chose a menu from the Winter Selection and selected our dishes in advance to speed up the meal. The service in any case was very attentive.


Our choices included Nuesslisalat, smoked duck salad or mushroom tortelloni followed by monkfish or boeuf bourguignon with suitable vegetables. Drinks could be chosen by the glass to complement the meal.  As soon as our order was confirmed, the dishes arrived. Everyone was happy with their choice.



The setting in the restaurant was intimate in our own private booth, and the table was nicely decorated for the festive season. A great choice for our last event before Christmas. The Winterkarte contained a large selection of typical Swiss specialities including salads, soups and fish to start, followed by beef tartar, pasta, fish and a creative selection of meat dishes for the main course.


We didn't opt for desserts, but were pleased to receive a tasting portion of pistachio cream to round of the meal before our coffee. The two course meal plus water and coffee cost each of us CHF60, with wine by the glass extra. You can also choose from the menu of the day or the a la carte, and there is an extensive wine list which includes wines by the glass and a big choice of Swiss and European wines.



The Zum gruenen Glas restaurant is part of a Zunfthaus, which also fronts onto Obere Zaeune in Zurich Altstadt. But the restaurant entrance is at the other side in Untere Zaeune 15. It is located behind the Kunsthaus, a few minutes' walk away. For a special meal in a traditional setting, with modern cuisine and excellent service, why not try the Gruenes Glas? You need to reserve in advance though.

Zum wohl mitenand! 

Restaurant of the Month - November 2014

Restaurant Mexicano, Niederdorfstrasse 13, 8001 Zurich. 

http://www.bei-tony.ch/mexikano/home.html

'Direct in Hirschenplatz', this Mexican restaurant which is part of the Tony Navarro empire, can easily be missed at first glance. The name of the stag and the old, golden Hirschen sign above the door can be misleading, and if you enter, you will first find yourself in the rather small Cuban bar. But at the back it's another world - palm trees, pot plants up to the ceiling, brightly coloured walls and decorative Mexican murals embrace you in another time and place.

At lunchtime, there is an extensive menu of typically Mexican dishes; the weekly menu and additional specials feature chicken, rice, lamb, Argentinian beef and even kangaroo. The ZIWA Dining Around the World ladies chose fish, chicken fajitas, empanadas and beef taco. The a la carte menu offered even more tempting choices familiar to anyone who has eaten at the nearby Restaurant Turm or another of Da Tony's outlets. Palm hearts, chili con carne, nachos con guacamole, ostrich, chimichanga and a tempting selection of fish and seafood are among the long list of Spanish-sounding dishes on offer. The lunch platters were all nicely presented with accompaniments of freshly prepared guacamole, rice and salad.


After we had placed our orders for these substantial platefuls we were served with wine, water or margaritas to accompany the meal. We speculated on the nationality of our friendly waiter - Mexican, Spanish, Swiss? It turned out he was from Lebanon. That's Zurich for you!

Da Tony has found a successful theme and developed it. As well as the Mexicano and the Turm in Zurich's Altstadt, he has a garden centre, another restaurant in Urdorf and a wine business in Badenerstrasse. But at the Mexicano, you may be tempted by a delicious cocktail or a pitcher of margaritas, or explore the endless possibilities of Spanish wines, with or without a delicious dish.

The Mexicano may suffer from being overlooked, even right in the centre of town. But once you enter the zone of Mexico hidden behind the traditional Swiss facade, you will enjoy the colours, tastes and sounds of another world.

Buen provecho!

Zurich Observatory tour and dinner

On Wednesday 5 November, members of the ZIWA Swinging Sixties group, a large number of ladies, congregated in The Lion bar for a drink prior to a tour of Zurich's Sternwarte or Observatory. You may have often noticed this landmark in Uraniastrasse, and may even have visited the lofty Jules Verne bar, but we discovered a viewing gallery even higher up. Access is possible by lift to the bar and then by a staircase. The 360-degree view on this night was spectacular.

Our guide, Herr Weil, told us about the founding of the observatory in 1907 for the people of the city of Zurich. The 12 tonne steel telescope is housed on a concrete stand which is set into the earth. The telescope rotates to enable a view of the night sky towards the geographic north and Polaris. We were already impressed by the views over the city with its famous churches - the Grossmunster, Fraumunster and St Peter's for example, as well as many other familiar landmarks. In spite of the light pollution, the Zeiss-made telescope lens enables a view of the night sky through two panels which open. The refracting, colour-correcting lens has a magnifying power of 2500 times that of the human eye.

Herr Weil gave us an astronomy lesson about the solar system, the planets and the stars. Closest to earth is our moon, one of over 172 moons in the solar system.  The American Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) which was launched in 2009, is constantly taking photos of the moon and plots its varying distance from the earth during its orbit. Light from the sun takes 8 minutes to reach the earth. We were reminded always to use filters when observing the sun, though. A partial solar eclipse is expected on 22 March 2015.

We also learnt that the eight planets, excluding Pluto, all lie in the same plane, along with the asteroid belt. The sun was formed out of a cloud of hydrogen and dust particles and is 10 million degrees inside. Scientists predict that our sun will die in five billion years' time and become a white dwarf. Comets are formed from ice and snow, and the European (ESA) Rosetta project is planning to land a probe on one on 12 November 2014. The stars are 9.5 billion kilometers away, more than four light years. With our current technology we cannot contact other life forms as the time to reach them, if they existed, would be too great. There are 88 constellations of stars  in our galaxy, many of which we can view with the naked eye. Some of the most familiar are Orion, the Great Bear, Cassiopeia and those named after the signs of the zodiac.

You can visit the Observatory on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings from 20.00 without an appointment. See more at this link: http://www.urania-sternwarte.ch/




After the fascinating tour, group chairlady Vreni Riedler led us over the historic Lindenhof to the traditional Lindenhofkeller for a pre-arranged four course dinner. Our hosts introduced the two selected wines from a French vineyard near Perpignan, before serving us with an amuse-bouche prior to the delicious dinner.


We enjoyed Zander filet in filo pastry with beetroot, apple and horseradish salad, a small pumpkin soup topped with foam, black Angus steak, beautifully served, with roast potatoes and vegetables, and finally a tonka bean panna cotta with mango sorbet and mango and passion fruit compote. It was all beautifully presented and cooked, and the company as usual was also very pleasant.

Read more about the restaurant at this link: http://www.lindenhofkeller.ch/

 En guete!

Restaurant of the Month - October 2014

Weisses Roessli, Bederstrasse 96, 8002 Zurich Enge 

http://www.weisses-roessli.ch/

A small but appreciative group of ZIWA ladies from the Dining Around the World group enjoyed lunch here last Tuesday. The restaurant, which was originally Austrian, now features food with 'French flair and Mediterranean frivolity', prepared and served by Mathieu Bacon and his team. We certainly loved the food and service.

The midday menu features a tempting choice of two starters and two mains using seasonal and original ingredients. Our options were pineapple and lemon grass soup (yummy!) or red cabbage salad with mandarin oranges, and sea bass with lime and ginger butter, wild rice and orange chicory or veal ragout with fresh herbs, mashed potatoes and French beans. At a cost of just over CHF 30, it was very good value,


Optional dessert included chestnut mousse with cranberry jelly. In this autumn season they also offer game, plus seasonal accompaniments such as red cabbage, chestnuts, truffles, mushrooms, and more exotic choices such as curry soup, with dates. The desserts are definitely worth looking at too. And the wine list offers an interesting selection of European wines,


To dine at the Weisses Rossli you certainly need to book, as the place is always full, Worth considering for a business lunch or a special family dinner. And if you hanker after a Wiener Schnitzel, it's also on the menu.


This family business with an international cuisine and a light touch is definitely worth seeking out. It's located one tram stop from Bahnhof Enge and only five minutes from central Zurich.

Zum Wohl!

Restaurant of the Month - September 2014

Brasserie Lipp, Uraniastrasse 9, 8001 Zurich

http://www.brasserie-lipp.ch/wp_lipp/

In September, the season changes to Autumn and it's time to enjoy the new menus in our Zurich restaurants. When there's an r in the month, we can expect to find oysters on the menu at Brasserie Lipp, the local branch of the famous chic Paris eaterie. So on the last Tuesday of September, 13 members of ZIWA's Dining Around the World Group went French!

Top choice for many were the mussels - a steaming bowlful of moules with a portion of frites, to share or enjoy by oneself. Others plumped for a dish of oysters, one of the house specialities. Others chose the menu of the day, be it fish, meat or vegi, including a soup or salad starter. Prices ranged from CHF 30 to 50 per person. Not bad for a special lunchtime treat.



The Lipp has a huge range of dishes to choose from, including salads, smoked salmon, prawns, sausages, grilled meats and duck for example. The meat dishes are priced starting at around CHF45. You can also push the boat out with a whole lobster or a fisherman's stew, all of which are accompanied by the vegetables of the season. And you might like to start off with a glass of champagne to set the mood. Most of us opted for water, however.

For a taste of French cuisine or for a handy lunch meeting point for two in style, try the Brasserie Lipp in Zurich. And Autumn is a good time to do it.

Bon appetit!