Tag: Paolo

On our first evening in Zurich, Dimple and I walked into the Old Town for dinner at Swiss Chuchi, our first proper Swiss meal of the trip.

The walk in

Like on our first walk in Zurich, we started on the old-town streets, with their tall painted houses and little turrets, then crossed to the river. The clock tower of St. Peter’s was right behind us, and the lights along the water were just coming on.

Lindenhof, just before dinner

We climbed up to Lindenhof, the tree-covered lookout above the river. From the wall you can see the whole Old Town: the church spires, the rooftops and the windows lighting up one by one. Dimple and I sat on the old stone wall for a while and just took it in. It’s a short walk from there to dinner, so it’s an easy stop on the way.

Swiss Chuchi

Swiss Chuchi is inside Hotel Adler in the Old Town. It’s all warm wood, with a big carved pillar in the middle of the room, funny paintings on the walls, and paper placemats printed with a Swiss papercut scene of cows, trees and mountains.

Chicken raclette for me

I had the chicken raclette. They bring a small grill to your table, plus a plate of raclette cheese slices, little potatoes, pickles, pearl onions and baby corn. You melt the cheese in small pans under the grill, cook the chicken on top, then scrape the cheese over everything. It’s slow, a little messy and a lot of fun.

Zürcher Geschnetzeltes for Dimple

Dimple had Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, Zurich’s classic dish: thin strips of meat in a cream sauce, served with a crispy rösti potato.

Heading home

After dinner we walked back down to the river. At night the Old Town looks completely different: the St. Peter’s clock tower is lit up and the bridge glows over the water. We took one last selfie there, then got an Uber back to our hotel, the Radisson Hotel & Suites Zurich. Full, happy and ready for bed.

Our review of Swiss Chuchi Zurich

Swiss Chuchi is a cosy place. It’s warm, with wood everywhere, families and couples sharing grills, It feels like a Swiss mountain hut, right in the middle of the city.

The food is the reason to go. The chicken raclette is fun to eat because you cook it yourself at the table, and there’s plenty of cheese, potatoes and pickles to go around. Dimple’s Zürcher Geschnetzeltes came in a creamy sauce with a big rösti on the side. If it’s your first time in Zurich, order one of each so you get to try both.

It isn’t cheap, but it’s about what you’d expect in Zurich. From the menu, the raclette is CHF 32.50, the chicken raclette is CHF 37.50 and the Adler fondue is CHF 36.50. You can see the full Swiss Chuchi menu (PDF) before you go.

You need a reservation

Book ahead. The evening slots were full when we booked online, so we took an earlier table. A few things to know:

• Your table is held for 2 hours and released if you’re more than 15 minutes late.
• Everyone orders at least one main course.
• No luggage inside, so drop your bags at the hotel first.
• Cancelling less than 24 hours ahead costs CHF 50 per person.

You can book through the Swiss Chuchi page.

Would we go back?

Yes. For a cosy, very Swiss first dinner in Zurich, it’s hard to beat. Just book first.

How to eat raclette at Swiss Chuchi

If it’s your first time, here’s how it works at the table:

1. Put a slice of raclette cheese in the little pan and slide it under the table grill until it bubbles and goes soft.
2. Scrape the melted cheese over the boiled potatoes (the pale yellow pieces on the plate).
3. Eat it with the pickles and silver onions. They cut through the richness.
4. With the chicken raclette, the chicken comes already cooked. Put some on your plate with a potato and scrape the cheese over both.
5. Load the next slice and repeat at your own pace.

Not sure? The placemat has a “How to eat Fondue & Raclette” QR code you can scan.

Earlier on the trip: our room at Radisson Hotel & Suites Zurich.

Up next: breakfast at Luigia, the Italian restaurant inside our Zurich hotel.

After the long trip from Manila, we checked in at Radisson Hotel & Suites Zurich at 3 PM. The hotel is in Opfikon, just outside Zurich and close to the Glatt shopping centre. This was our room.

We’re still staying here, so this is our first look. We’ll keep adding to this review until we check out.

Arriving before check-in

Check-in at Radisson Hotel & Suites Zurich is at 3 PM, and we got there well before that. Dimple waited in the lobby with all our bags while we sorted things out. The lobby is a nice place to wait, with warm hanging lights, comfy sofas, a green plant wall and big black-and-white photos of old Zurich, including one of swans on the river. Since our room wasn’t ready yet, we went out to roam around. That’s how we ended up on our first walk in Zurich and at the Glatt shopping centre.

Settling in

The first thing we saw was a short hallway with tall dark cabinets and a full-length mirror. Our bags went right by the wall: two red duffels, a backpack and the teal suitcase. We were tired, but happy to be there.

A desk for the day’s plans

By the window there’s a small desk with a TV, a kettle and mugs. It quickly filled up with our things: the tripod, a Starbucks cup and a pastry bag from our walk.

A cozy corner by the window

The bed is big and simple, with crisp white sheets and a warm pendant light. Next to it is a yellow wingback chair under a black-and-white print of a woman with flowers in her hair. There’s also a small round table on a pink rug, right by the big windows that look out on the trees. It’s a nice spot for coffee in the morning.

The lobby and shared spaces

The ground floor feels more like a modern co-working space than a hotel lobby. There’s a long high table with bar stools set in a planter of greenery, a living wall behind it, blue booth seats along one side, and comfy sofas scattered around. Further in, a quieter lounge has a long dark wood table with power outlets at every seat, warm hanging lamps, and a coffee machine. Big black-and-white photos of Zurich line the wall, including swans on the river in front of the old town, and Dimple had to stop and take a picture of them. It’s a nice place to sit with a coffee, plan the day or catch up on work.

Hotel amenities

• Free Wi-Fi in all areas
• 24-hour gym with machines, free weights and natural daylight
• Luigia, the on-site Italian restaurant, plus a bar and a rooftop terrace that’s open in summer
• Breakfast is available
• Kitchenettes in many of the rooms and apartments, with a microwave and cooktop
• Self-service laundry with washers, dryers and an iron
• Luggage storage, which is useful if you arrive before the 3 PM check-in (early check-in is possible on request, if a room is free)
• Underground parking with EV charging
• Accessibility features, including a step-free entrance and elevators
• Pet friendly

The hotel is in Glattpark, Opfikon, between Zurich Airport and Messe Zürich. Radisson says the airport is about 10 minutes away and central Zurich is about 15 minutes by public transport.

Radisson Hotel & Suites Zurich: first impressions so far

So far, the room is quiet, clean and warm, which is all we needed after the long trip and a day out in the autumn cold. We’ll add the full verdict, with what we liked and what could be better, before we leave.

The hotel is close to Glatt, so see our Glatt Shopping Centre post.

Breakfast is served at Luigia, the hotel’s Italian restaurant, with pastries, hot dishes, cold cuts and yogurt in a dining room full of lights. We wrote about it in Breakfast at Luigia Opfikon.

Earlier on the trip: coffee, Italian pastries and ice cream at the Glatt shopping centre.

Up next: raclette at Swiss Chuchi after an evening walk via Lindenhof.

Warming up at Glatt shopping centre in Zurich

When the rain picked up, we took a quick Uber to the Glatt shopping centre near Zurich to warm up. We found Ristorante Spiga, a cozy Italian bar and café, and had a tall latte macchiato. I had the Cornetto Parma, a croissant filled with Parma ham, and Dimple had the Pizza Sandwich Parma. After a cold, wet walk, it was exactly what we needed.

Before leaving Glatt, we stopped at the Starbucks inside the mall and picked up a souvenir: a Starbucks Switzerland tumbler, decorated with little Swiss scenes. It’s coming home with us.

Pretzels and a Nuii ice cream

We walked past Brezelkönig, a Swiss pretzel shop, with golden pretzels stacked in the window. At the k kiosk, Dimple picked a Nuii ice cream from the freezer, cold weather or not. We ate it outside under the overpass, next to trees that had turned bright yellow, and I had a drink to go with it. Then we sat on a bench outside the mall to rest our feet.

Earlier on the trip: our first walk in Zurich, a rainy autumn day of bridges and fallen leaves
Up next: we finally checked in at Radisson Hotel & Suites Zurich. See our room tour and stay.

Our room wasn’t ready yet, so instead of waiting in the lobby, Dimple and I bundled up and went for a walk. It was our first real look at Zurich in autumn.

Zurich in autumn: a rainy first walk

It was grey, cool and a little rainy, very different from the weather back home. We stopped on a bridge over calm water, with apartment buildings on one side and trees in yellow and orange on the other. The streets were wet and covered in fallen leaves, and Dimple walked ahead with the umbrella while I took photos.

It wasn’t a big sightseeing day, just the two of us walking in the cold air and getting used to being on the other side of the world. Sometimes those are the best moments of a trip.

When the rain picked up, we took a quick Uber to the Glatt shopping centre to warm up with coffee and Italian pastries. More on that in our Glatt post.

Earlier on the trip: our layover at Hamad Airport in Doha, with the giant teddy bear, the Oreo cafe and a Burger King stop
Up next: coffee, Italian pastries and ice cream at the Glatt shopping centre

You might also like: Radisson Hotel & Suites Zurich Review: Our Room Tour and Stay in Opfikon · Manila to Zurich via Doha: Our Trip Begins.

Dimple and I are off to Europe! Our route took us from home to NAIA in Manila, then to Doha, and on to Zurich, flying Qatar Airways in economy. Here are the first moments of the trip. I’ll add more as we go.

Check-in at NAIA Terminal 1

We started at NAIA Terminal 1, checking in at the Philippine Airlines counters in the online check-in area. Bags dropped, and the trip felt real.

Then it was through to the departure area for one more selfie before heading to the lounge.

The PAGSS Lounge at NAIA Terminal 1

We waited at the PAGSS lounge, which we got into with our RCBC credit card. It has a view of the runway and lots of food and drinks, a nice way to start a long trip. More on the lounge soon.

Qatar Airways to Doha, Operated by Philippine Airlines

Our first leg, from Manila to Doha, was a Qatar Airways flight operated by Philippine Airlines. We caught a lovely sunset over the plane at the gate before boarding.

It was a long one, more than ten hours in the air.

Manila to Zurich via Doha: a short stopover

We had about three hours at Hamad International Airport, and it was enough time to explore. We grabbed a Whopper at Burger King, took selfies with the giant yellow Lamp Bear, visited the Oreo Cafe and walked through The Orchard, the indoor garden under the glass roof. We liked it so much that it got its own post: Our Doha Layover at Hamad International Airport.

Doha to Zurich, with In-Flight Wifi

The plane from Doha to Zurich was very good: comfortable, and it had internet on board, so we could stay connected along the way.

Arriving in Zurich

And just like that, we made it. Our first photo in Switzerland was a big-smile selfie under the “Information Arrival 2” sign at Zurich Airport, tired from the long trip but happy to finally be here. Europe, here we come.

Up next: our layover at Hamad Airport in Doha, with the giant teddy bear, the Oreo cafe and a Burger King stop

Next stop: our first look at Radisson Hotel & Suites Zurich.