Niederdorf & Nightlife

The Niederdorf (affectionately called "Dörfli" by the locals) is Zurich's nightlife district in the right-bank Old Town — a labyrinth of narrow alleys with restaurants, bars, bookstores, and small theaters.

★★ Niederdorf Alleys

The Niederdorfstrasse and Münstergasse are the heart of the district: Here, Italian trattorias line up next to Swiss taverns, craft beer bars next to traditional inns. Stroll during the day, stop in the evening. The Spiegelgasse 14 was the birthplace of Dadaism in 1917 — at Cabaret Voltaire, Hugo Ball and Tristan Tzara founded an art movement that changed the world. Today, it is a bar with regular cultural events.

★★ Langstrasse — The Other Zurich

Zurich's most multicultural street in Districts 4 and 5 — once notorious, now the trendiest area in the city. Turkish snack bars next to hipster cocktail bars, second-hand shops next to club entrances. The Geroldstrasse (District 5, next to the Viaduct) is the center of the creative scene: container shops, restaurants, and the legendary Frau Gerolds Garten — an urban garden economy with street food, wine, and art.

Going Out in Zurich

Hive Club · Geroldstrasse 5
Zurich's most famous techno club in a former industrial building. International DJs, good sound system. Entry 20–35 CHF.
Fri–Sat from 23:00.

Café Odeon · Limmatquai 2
Legendary Art Nouveau café frequented by Lenin, Einstein, and Thomas Mann. Today a lively bar with a long counter and Zurich's oldest neon sign. Cocktails from 16 CHF.
Daily 7–2.

Bauschänzli · Stadthausquai
Beer garden on a Limmat island — Zurich's most rustic summer tip. Bratwurst, beer, and lake view. May–September.
From 11:00, kitchen until 22:00.