Cafeography
Terrassen · Zurich

Outdoor seating cafés in Zurich

Terraces on the Limmatquai and at Bellevue, lakeside tables on Mythenquai, garden cafés in Hottingen and the kiosks at the Letten river baths.

Photo: Susanne Jutzeler, suju-foto, Pexels License

Zurich's Terrassen (terraces) come in two legal kinds. A Boulevardcafé stands on public ground and a Gartenrestaurant on private land, and the permit or building decision for each sets its opening hours.1 The Nachtruhe (quiet hours) runs from 22:00 to 07:00, starting at 23:00 on summer Fridays and Saturdays, and outdoor loudspeakers are not allowed.1

Summers reach the 20s and sometimes the 30s, and winters sit around freezing.2 The Old Town has the most cafés with outdoor seats, followed by Zürich-West, then Seefeld and Altstetten.

Local tip: On a hot afternoon, take your coffee down to the Unterer Letten: the river bath is free, but bring a padlock for the free lockers.2

Where these cafés are: Altstadt (27), Zürich-West (Kreis 5) (15), Altstetten & Albisrieden (12), Seefeld (Kreis 8) (12), Kreis 4 (Langstrasse) (9), Hottingen & Fluntern (9), Oberstrass & ETH (9), Wiedikon (Kreis 3) (7), Wipkingen (Kreis 10) (5), Enge & Wollishofen (5).

At a glance

110Cafés listed
88With opening hours
06:00Earliest opening
00:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Belcafe, from 06:00 (Mon–Fri 06:00–23:00 · Sat–Sun 07:00–23:00).
  • Closes latest: Café des Amis, until 00:00 (Mon–Wed 08:00–23:00 · Thu–Fri 08:00–00:00 · Sat 09:00–00:00 · Sun 09:00–18:00).
  • Most common features: indoor seating (61%), wheelchair access (40%), wi-fi (23%).
Seefeld (Kreis 8)

DRAFT. Coffee

  • Wildbachstrasse 68
  • Mon–Fri 07:30–16:30 · Sat–Sun 08:30–16:00
  • Outdoor seating
  • Indoor seating
  • Card payment
  • Vegetarian options
  • Wheelchair access
  • Smoke-free indoors
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Old Town terraces on the Limmat

On the right bank, the Rathaus-Café at Limmatquai 61 sets out tables in summer and moves from morning coffee to sparkling wine through the day.2 Bernhard Bar Cafe on Sechseläutenplatz serves outside until 23:30 from Tuesday to Sunday, and Belcafe on Bellevueplatz has tables out from 06:00 on weekdays.

On the left bank, Caffè & Bar Belpaese has tables on the Münsterhof square and stays open until 22:00 from Thursday to Saturday. The 1842 Conditorei on Napfgasse also has outdoor seats, and Piazzetta at Bahnhofstrasse 87 has outdoor tables daily from 10:00 to 20:00.

By the lake and in the parks

On the left shore, Quai Café at Mythenquai 6 has tables outside from 07:00 to 22:00 on weekdays. Above it in the Rieterpark, the Museum Rietberg café adds outdoor seating in summer to its winter-garden room.3

On the east shore, Kornsilo at the old Tiefenbrunnen mill has outdoor tables and a children's corner.4 The University of Zurich's botanical garden cafeteria on Zollikerstrasse and DRAFT. Coffee on Wildbachstrasse both have seats outside, and Confiserie Freytag on Seefeldstrasse opens its tables at 06:30.

River baths and buvettes on the Limmat

The Flussbad Unterer Letten, built in 1909 by Fissler and Friedrich, is the oldest river bath in the city, and entry is free.5 Its kiosk grills and serves salads, pasta and antipasti.5 It lies just below the Letten hydroelectric plant, so the current is strong, and an overhaul planned for the winters of 2023 and 2024 included a small new kiosk by the riverbank.6

Both Letten baths have showers and free lockers, but you bring your own lock.2 Along Wasserwerkstrasse, the Parkplatz buvette (a seasonal kiosk-bar) at number 101 has outdoor seating, and Nude at 127a opens daily 09:00–18:00. In Zürich-West, MAME on Josefstrasse and Café Noir on Neugasse also put tables outside.

Gardens in the residential Kreise

Café des Amis on Nordstrasse in Wipkingen has a terrace as well as its lounge indoors.7 In Hottingen, Café Paradiesli at Hofstrasse 19 opens Tuesday to Sunday, and Kafi Mühli on Witikonerstrasse sets out tables every day from 09:00 to 17:00. Kafi Dihei in Wiedikon has a garden terrace behind its living-room café.8

In Altstetten, Buena Vista Cafebar on Lindenplatz has outdoor tables and stays open until 22:00 from Monday to Saturday, and Bäckerei Café Fellenberg has seats outside and opens on Sundays at 08:00.

Sources

  1. Lärmschutz: Gastgewerbe, Stadt Zürich, accessed October 2026
  2. Zürich, Wikivoyage, accessed October 2026
  3. Rietberg Museum, MySwitzerland (Switzerland Tourism), accessed October 2026
  4. From grain to freshly baked bread: a visit to Mühlerama in Zurich (28 November 2024), Our Swiss Experience, accessed October 2026
  5. Flussbad Unterer Letten, Zürich Tourism (zuerich.com), accessed October 2026
  6. Oldest river swimming pool in Zurich to receive major makeover (28 January 2023), IamExpat Switzerland, accessed October 2026
  7. Cozy cafés in Zurich, Zürich Tourism (zuerich.com), accessed October 2026
  8. Kafi Dihei, Zürich Tourism (zuerich.com), accessed October 2026
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By area: Altstadt Kreis 4 (Langstrasse) Zürich-West (Kreis 5) Enge & Wollishofen Seefeld (Kreis 8) Wiedikon (Kreis 3) Oberstrass & ETH

FAQ

Outdoor seating in Zurich: questions

Where can you have coffee by the river in Zurich?

The Flussbad Unterer Letten on the Limmat, the city's oldest river bath from 1909, is free to enter and has a kiosk serving grilled food, salads, pasta and antipasti. Along Wasserwerkstrasse, the Parkplatz buvette at number 101 has outdoor seats and Nude at 127a opens daily 09:00–18:00.

Which cafés in Zurich's Old Town have terraces?

The Rathaus-Café at Limmatquai 61 has a summer terrace on the river. Bernhard Bar Cafe on Sechseläutenplatz serves outside until 23:30 from Tuesday to Sunday, Belcafe on Bellevueplatz has tables out from 06:00 on weekdays, and Caffè & Bar Belpaese sits on the Münsterhof square.

How late can café terraces stay open in Zurich?

In Zurich, the hours of a Boulevardcafé on public ground or a Gartenrestaurant on private land are set in its permit or building decision. The city's quiet hours run from 22:00 to 07:00, from 23:00 on Fridays and Saturdays in summer, and outdoor loudspeakers are not allowed.

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