It is after eight on a warm evening and the riverside in Zurich is still busy: people sit on the walls above the Limmat with a drink, swimmers drift downstream past the public river baths, and the terraces along the water fill up as the light goes. Later, the crowds move on to the old town lanes or to the club districts, and the city keeps going well past midnight.
Zurich has a lot of places to go out — clubs, restaurants, cafés, bars, museums and theatres — and the scene is broad rather than extreme. Few venues are particularly wild, but there is plenty of choice, which suits visitors who want a full evening of eating, drinking and music rather than one long, loud night. Beer and Swiss wine, white and red, are the usual drinks, and at apéro time after work you will see many people drinking a Cüpli, a glass of sparkling wine. Tap water in the city is of high quality and safe to drink.
Where to go out in Zurich
1. The old town and Niederdorf
The lanes of the old town, including Niederdorf, are the most central place to start an evening, with bars and restaurants mixed in among the historic streets. It suits a slow, conversational night: a drink, then dinner, then another drink nearby.
For a specific stop, Edi's Weinstube on Stüssihofstatt is described as a nice wine bar in Niederdorf where you can get the cheapest okay wine. At the northern end of the old town, facing the river, Bierhalle Wolf is a lively beer hall, often with live music, that also serves local food.
2. Along the Limmat and the lakefront
The river and the lake shore set the tone for summer evenings, when locals cool down after hot days at the public river baths. Oberer Letten draws mainly younger crowds, while Unterer Letten is also used by families; you can jump in upstream and let the river carry you down. Showers and free lockers are provided, but you must bring your own lock, and the baths are free.
Right in the middle of town there is also a wooden floating bath for women only, Frauenbad Stadthausquai, at the start of the Limmat. This kind of evening suits anyone who wants to combine a swim with a drink rather than sit indoors.
3. Club-hopping across the city
Zurich has proportionately the largest number of clubs per capita in Europe, so club-hopping is a realistic plan rather than a single-destination night. The scene is spread across the city rather than concentrated in one strip, which means you should expect to move between areas as the night goes on.
This suits visitors who want variety and are happy to follow the music rather than commit to one room. Because the venues are scattered, plan your route in advance and keep the last connection of the night in mind.
4. Rote Fabrik and the lake's west bank
Rote Fabrik, an old silk factory converted into a centre of youth culture and art in the 1980s, sits a couple of kilometres south along the west bank of Lake Zurich. It is an artists' cooperative with a variety of events, including music, film and theatre, plus a restaurant, and it became one of the most exciting parts of cultural life in the city.
An evening here suits people who want performance and film alongside a drink, in a setting that is deliberately informal. It is reached by buses 161 and 165, stop Rote Fabrik.
5. The theatre and concert circuit
Zurich's stages are a serious option for an evening out. The Opernhaus on Falkenstrasse shows frequently changing productions of world-famous operas with top artists, and students get a big last-minute discount — the best seats cost 45 francs for students. The Schauspielhaus on Rämistrasse is one of the most important theatres in the German-speaking part of Europe, with several locations, the most important being the Pfauen; students can get very cheap last-minute tickets ten minutes before the show with a student ID, with the best seats, if available, costing 20 francs that way.
Theater am Neumarkt on Neumarkt 5 is closer to downtown and is closed in summer. For classical music, the Tonhalle Orchester Zürich plays at the Tonhalle Maag on Zahnradstrasse 22 during the renovation of the Tonhalle concert house. The Grossmünster sometimes has organ concerts in the evenings; check the front door for notices.
6. Arthouse cinema
Cinema Arthouse Le Paris on Gottfried-Keller Strasse 7 shows frequently changing arthouse movies, with a student discount. It suits a quieter evening, or the tail end of one, and is convenient to the Stadelhofen area by tram or S-train.
7. A bar to start or finish the night
Bar & Lounge 42 on Neumühlequai 42, about five walking minutes from Zurich HB, is open daily from 09:00 to 00:30. It is described as New York in the middle of Zurich, with exclusive whiskey, cocktails, premium liquors, snacks, a homemade gin and an elegant smoker's lounge with a broad selection of cigars.
It suits a polished start to an evening or a late, quiet drink close to the main station, which makes it easy to reach on foot from most central plans.
How a night out unfolds
Apéro time, after work, is when many people have a Cüpli, so the early evening belongs to bars and cafés before dinner. In summer the river baths are busy after hot days, and the lakefront stays active into the evening. Performances at the theatres and the opera set their own times, and the Grossmünster's organ concerts, when they happen, are in the evening. Clubs run late, and after major events such as the Street Parade the parties continue along the route until midnight and in clubs until late the next day.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Sechseläuten (Sächsilüüte) — third Monday of April; the guilds of Zurich celebrate their traditional spring festival with the burning of the snow man (Böögg), and a procession of several hundred people in historical guild costumes and on horses takes place in the centre of town. Free.
- Caliente Festival — early July, around Helvetiaplatz; the largest Latin festival in Europe, with Latin American food and samba, merengue and similar music, and huge crowds. Free.
- Züri Fäscht — a weekend festival celebrating Zurich that occurs every three years, last held 7–9 July 2023; the committee that had organised it cancelled their involvement and the partnership with the city, and whether another organisation will take over for 2026 was, as of August 2024, unknown. Free.
- Street Parade — one day each year on the second Saturday of August; the biggest open-air techno rave in Europe, with mobile soundsystems ("Love mobiles") driving along the lakeside from Utoquai in the east to Hafen Enge in the west. Open-air parties continue along the route until midnight and club parties run until late the next day. The Lethargy festival happens during the same weekend if you are into less commercial electronic music. Free.
- Swiss national day — 1 August; celebrations take place in many cities in the evenings and fireworks are launched at night, with displays over the lake. Free.
- Zürcher Theater Spektakel — usually in August, last two weeks, from 17:00, on the Landiwiese near Rote Fabrik; a festival for the performing arts with a number of free performances. Reached by buses 161 and 165, or the Theater-Spektakel-Bus, stop Landiwiese.
Frequently asked questions
What time do people go out in Zurich?
The early evening is apéro time, when many people drink a Cüpli after work, and dinner follows. In summer the river baths and lakefront are busy after hot days. Clubs and post-festival parties run late into the night.
Is it safe to drink the tap water?
Yes. Tap water in the city is of high quality and safe to drink, and bringing a reusable bottle saves money and reduces plastic waste.
What do people drink in Zurich?
The most common drinks are beer, Swiss white wine such as Fendant, Swiss red wine, and Spanish red wine, which is generally good value here. At apéro time you will find many people drinking a Cüpli, a glass of sparkling wine.
Can I go swimming as part of an evening out?
In summer, yes. The public river baths Oberer Letten, used mainly by younger people, and Unterer Letten, also used by families, are free, with showers and free lockers provided, though you must bring your own lock. There is also a women-only wooden floating bath, Frauenbad Stadthausquai, at the start of the Limmat.
Plan your evening around the season and the district you want to end up in, and check the listings for festivals and performances before you set out.