A recipe for Zürcher Geschnetzeltes inspired by our time in Zürich, Switzerland! Thinly sliced veal is briefly simmered in a mushroom cream sauce until tender.
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Earlier this year, we spent two wonderful weeks in Switzerland and I will be sharing our experiences in a series of blog posts. Today, I am covering our final stop in Zürich with a recipe for Zürcher Geschnetzeltes.
Check out the rest of our time in Switzerland:
- Chäschüechli (Swiss Cheese Tartlets) and Luzern
- Brönnti Creme and Bern
- Gipfeli (Swiss Crescent-Shaped Pastries) and Bernese Oberland
- Basler Leckerli and Basel
Zürich
For our trip, we flew in and out of Zürich. When planning where to go, I decided to start with Luzern (one hour train ride from Zürich), then move on to Bern, and finally end in Zürich so we wouldn’t have to rush on a train as we were leaving for our flight back.
Zürich is located in North-Central Switzerland in Kanton Zürich and is the largest city in the country. It rests on the Limmat River and Zürichsee (Lake Zurich).
The city has a beautifully preserved old town alongside modern brands and shopping, restaurants, world class museums, and more.
The official language in this part of Switzerland is German with Swiss German (Zürich German, Züritüütsch) as the predominant spoken language.
I got around using somewhat passable Standard German and a few basic Swiss German phrases. Most of the signs in the area and menus at the restaurants we visited had an English option.
Getting to Zürich
From Flughafen Zürich (Zurich Airport), there are regular trains with a quick 10-15 minute ride to the main train station.
It is about 1 hour by train from Basel and Bern and 2 hours 45 minutes from Geneva.
Much of the city is walkable and relatively flat (other than the brief walk up to Lindenhof), but there is also an easy-to-navigate transportation system with regular buses and trams.
We got the Swiss Travel Pass (the kids were included with the Swiss Family Card) and this made everything so much easier with just hopping on trains and other transportation without having to worry about buying specific tickets.
I also highly recommend downloading the SBB Mobile app (available in English). I used this throughout our trip to plan routes and find the platforms/trains ahead of time.
Hotel Adler
During our four nights in Zürich, we stayed at Hotel Adler at Rosengasse 10. Hotel Adler is a three star hotel in the heart of Zürich‘s Altstadt just steps from the Limmat River.
The location was fantastic with numerous restaurants, sites, the train station within walking distance, and a tram stop around the corner.
We had a spacious Grand Family Room on the top level (there is an elevator) for our family of four with air conditioning, sound proof windows, and complimentary soft drinks.
I especially loved the Zürich mural next to our desk (each of the 52 rooms has a different design). On the first floor (2nd floor for those in the US), there is a beautiful small sitting area surrounded by more painted walls.
Swiss Chuchi Restaurant
Our stay at the hotel included a discount for the onsite Swiss Chuchi Restaurant on the ground floor. Their menu is filled with Swiss specialties and comfort food.
Reservations are highly recommended. There is walk-up availability, but we saw the line snaking across the courtyard every evening.
We enjoyed the following:
- Akkurat Swiss Chuchi, Staatskellerei Zürich, Pinot Noir, Riesling-Sylvaner, Muscat.
- Riesling Zürich AOC, Staatskellerei Zürich.
- Verschiedene Blattsalate an Haus- leafy salad with house dressing.
- Gemischter Salat an Haus- mixed salad with house dressing.
- Moitié-Moitié Fondue- half/half Fondue with Gruyère and Vacherin cheese from Fribourg, white wine, cherry liqueur, garlic.
- Chicken Nuggets mit Pommes Frites.
- Zwei Wienerli mit Pommes Frites.
- Ice Coffee Adler mit Espresso Glacé, kaltem Kaffee und Schlagrahm. Espresso Ice Cream, Cold Coffee and Whipped Cream.
- Meringue mit Schlagrahm.
- Coupe Pinocchio mit Vanille und Erdbeere Glacé, Schlagrahm und Smarties.
- Coupe Dino’s with Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce.
Raclette Factory
During our second evening in Zürich, the kids were craving burgers and I very much wasn’t so I had a solo dinner at Raclette Factory only 110 meters (361 feet) from our hotel at Rindermarkt 1.
Raclette Factory features a variety of traditional and make your own Raclette options (both set menu and a la carte), Flammkuchen, and drinks with indoor and outdoor seating in a comforting „Alpenchic“ space. Reservations are available through their website for parties of two or more. The menu is in German or English.
I ordered the Raclette Factory Hauswein- Chasselas, Wallis Schweiz and Raclette Klassiker Klara mit Cornichons und Silberzwiebeln- 1/2 Peter und 1/2 Heidi: Weisswein-Käse mit Brotwürfel und Nature-Käse mit Kartoffeln (White wine cheese with bread cubes and plain cheese with potatoes).
Berg und Tal
While walking to Raclette Factory, I came across Berg und Tal im Niederdorf at Niederdorfstrasse 3.
This small gourmet market carries a variety of local and regional Swiss-made products such as coffee, pasta, cheese, sauces, drinks, meat, gift baskets, chocolate, books, and more.
Sternen Grill
On our last evening, we had a wonderful final dinner at Sternen Grill.
Sternen Grill is located just across the street from Bellevueplatz with a takeaway counter on the ground level and restaurant on the upper level with indoor/terrace seating. They feature a variety of grilled sausages along with comfort food and vegetarian options.
We ordered the following:
- Chässpätzli mit Röstzwiebeln und Brösmeli- Käsespätzle with roasted onions and breadcrumbs.
- G‘hackets mit Hörnli und Reibkäse- Macaroni with ground meat sauce and grated cheese.
- St. Galler Bratwurst mit Gold Bürli- Dorfmetzg Tannet, SG.
- Currywurst- St. Galler Bratwurst mit Gold Bürli. Grilled sausage pieces in a spiced ketchup sauce with a roll.
- Espesses, Lavaux, Schweiz.
- Falken Amber vom Fass.
John Baker
John Baker is a counter-service bakery with a few locations across Zürich. Their shop at Stadelhoferstrasse 28 is only 270 meters (886 feet) east of the Bellevue tram stop.
I brought the following back to the hotel and it was all fantastic: Laugenbrezel, Sandwich mit Alpkäse und Mandelsalbeibutter (sandwich with alpine cheese and almond sage butter), Butterzopf, Schoggicroissant (chocolate croissant), and Laugencroissant (pretzel croissant).
Zeughauskeller
Another favorite was dinner at Zeughauskeller at Bahnhofstrasse 28A.
Zeughauskeller features traditional and comforting Swiss cuisine in a large, rustic building originally built in 1487. Reservations through their website are highly recommended (there was a line for walk-up). We enjoyed the following:
- Zeughauskeller Hausbier- Amberbier Turbinenbräu Zürich.
- Nobler Rosé- Pinot Noir, Nadine Saxer 2022.
- Bouillon mit Flädli– beef broth with crepe pieces.
- Kalbsgeschnetzeltes nach Zürcher Art- an einer delikaten Weissweinsauce mit Rahm und Champignons (Zürich-Style thinly sliced veal in delicate white wine sauce with cream and mushrooms).
- Original Zürcher Kalbsbratwurst- die klassische Bratwurst an feiner Zwiebelsauce (Zürich veal sausage with onion sauce).
- Älplermagronen– Innerschwiizer Spezialität mit Kartoffelwürfel, Zwiebelschweize und Rahmsauce mit einer Portion hausgemachtem Apfelmus (Central Swiss specialty with macaroni, potato cubes, caramelized onions, and alpine cheese cream sauce plus homemade applesauce on the side).
- Kids Chicken Nuggets mit Pommes Frites (I didn’t realize until putting this post together exactly how many times Claire ordered chicken nuggets!).
Babu’s Bakery & Coffeehouse
We started our first morning in Zürich with brunch at Babu‘s Bakery and Coffeehouse‘s Löwenstrasse 1 location.
Reservations are available online for their preordered Brunch-Etagèren and weekday lunches. We had breakfast à la carte with just a short wait fairly early on a Sunday morning.
They have a wonderful selection of coffee, other specialty drinks, breakfast plates, Müesli, pancakes, eggs, toast, Rösti, bagels, and more. We had the following:
- Egg Benedict- Brioche, Zwei pochierte Bio-Eier, Schinken und Hollandaise (Brioche with two poached eggs, ham, and hollandaise sauce).
- Käse-Teller: Schnebel Kuh, Camembert Grand Réo, Hausgemachtes Zwiebelchutney (house-made onion chutney), Butter und Haus-Sauerteigbrot (house-made sourdough bread).
- Both kids ordered and loved the Nature Pancakes mit Ahornsirup (Maple Syrup) und Butter.
- Latte Macchiato und Hausschoggi (House Hot Chocolate).
- Milchkaffee (Milk Coffee).
Landesmuseum Zürich
Just to the north of the Hauptbahnhof is Landesmuseum Zürich (Swiss National Museum) at Museumstrasse 2. This beautiful building houses everything from prehistory and the Middle Ages to current events in Switzerland.
We only had about 3 hours to spend at the museum which gave us enough time to see most of the exhibits at a fairly fast pace. At least two to four hours would be ideal. Our tickets were covered with the Swiss Museum Pass.
The kids especially loved the focus on archaeology along with the exhibits specifically designed for children with coloring areas, dress up, and interactive experiences.
Before leaving, we stopped by the bistro for a quick snack. The kids enjoyed ice cream while I had a Mini Carac and Milchkaffee (Milk Coffee).
Bridge Zürich
Bridge Zurich is a sprawling food hall and market at Europaallee next to Zürich Hauptbahnhof and about 650 meters (almost 1/2 mile) from the Landesmuseum. There are a variety of international food options across two levels along with groceries and plenty of relaxed seating.
The top level also has a small play area for kids. We didn’t try it, but you can order from your table and have food delivered for a small service charge. We picked the following for lunch:
- No Alcohol Amaretto Sour from Bridge Bar- nonalcoholic Amaretto, Vincent Aperitif, lemon juice, sugar syrup, vegan egg white.
- Flat White from ViCAFE Europaallee.
- Pasta Del Giorno (gerostete rote Peperoni Sauce mit Mozzarelle Perlen und Minze-Peterli Crème/pasta with roasted red pepper sauce, mozzarella pearls, and mint parsley crème) and Pasta Bolognese from Pasta Mercato.
- Miso Ramen with Grilled Chicken from Tokyo Express.
- Avocado Club from Soul Kitchen.
Orell Füssli
Orell Füssli is a bookstore with locations across Switzerland. We first came across them in Bern while looking for cookbooks.
I especially love the books stamped across the sidewalk leading to the location next to the Bridge at Europaallee 8.
Crash Landing on You
Claire had two goals during our trip to Switzerland- eat chocolate and see the filming locations from her favorite K-Drama, Crash Landing on You.
We saw the most famous location, the pier in Iseltwald, from our boat ride across Brienzersee. She also made notes of additional spots to look for while in Zürich.
One morning, we left the hotel early and got a couple of photos on Lindenhof, a public square with beautiful views overlooking the river and city, and Münsterbrücke, a bridge over the Limmat connecting Münsterhof and Limmatquai.
We also stopped by Schweizer Heimatwerk’s Uraniastrasse 1 location. This small shop is filled with Swiss-made gifts, souvenirs, and home goods. I ended up getting a cookbook and a few towels to use in my photographs.
Lindt Home of Chocolate
Another highlight of our trip was our visit to the Lindt Home of Chocolate at Schokoladen Platz 1 in Kilchberg!
Lindt Home of Chocolate is a short 12 minute bus ride or almost 30 minute boat ride from Bürkliplatz in Zürich.
They feature an interactive chocolate tour with tastings and hands on exhibits, a 9 meter tall chocolate fountain with 1,500 kilograms of flowing chocolate, and a 500 square meter Lindt chocolate shop. There are lockers on site to store bags with a few large enough for carry on luggage.
Booking in advance through their website is highly recommended. During our visit in June/July, tours were often sold out for up to two weeks. We didn’t do it, but there are also walk-in courses for making your own chocolate bars, truffles, and chocolate lollipops.
After our tour, we had lunch at the onsite café with even more chocolate options along with some savory sandwiches and smoothies.
Evan picked the Apple Banana Smoothie and Laugenbrezel while Chad and I each had a Latte Macchiato and Panini with Basil Pesto, Tomato, and Mozzarella.
Claire decided she needed even more chocolate with a hot chocolate and waffle covered in chocolate.
We spent four days in Zürich and it was perfect as a primer, but could have easily added on a couple more. I would allow for at least two days to really enjoy the city.
It was such a wonderful end to our time in Switzerland and I hope to be able to visit again someday.
Zürcher Geschnetzeltes
To pair with this post, I made Zürcher Geschnetzeltes inspired by our dinner at Zeughauskeller!
Zürcher Geschnetzeltes (Geschnetzeltes Zürcher Art, Züri Gschnätzlets) is a comforting meal that comes together in less than an hour. The longest part is the prep of slicing the veal and mushrooms.
In this classic dish, veal strips are simmered in a creamy white wine sauce with sliced mushrooms and onions until tender. It is especially perfect for pairing with Rösti, though we also enjoy it with pasta or Spätzle.
I used Helvetic Kitchen’s recipe to make the Rösti in the photos.
A Few Zürcher Geschnetzeltes Tips
I cut the veal into strips about 1/3 inch (1 centimeter) wide and 2 inches (5 centimeters) long. If the veal is too soft to easily cut, place it in the freezer for about 15 minutes. For those in Northern Virginia, I was able to find veal at the Wegmans in Chantilly.
Traditionally, the dish can also include veal kidney, but I omitted it since it can be difficult to find here in the states.
Heat the veal just until cooked through and tender. Overcooking may cause a tough texture.
Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. The amount of salt required will depend on personal preference and the sodium content of the beef broth.
Some recipes use vegetable broth as a the base and a splash of lemon juice.
If the sauce is too thick, stir in a little more beef stock. If too thin, stir a splash of beef stock into another small spoonful of cornstarch and slowly add to the pan.
The sauce will quickly thicken after removing from heat due to the cornstarch and flour. At the restaurants we visited, they served a portion of the Geschnetzeltes on the plate alongside the Rösti with the rest in a small saucepan over a tea candle to keep it warm.
Zürcher Geschnetzeltes Recipe
Adapted from Schweizer Küche
Zürcher Geschnetzeltes
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450 grams) veal tenderloin
- 2 tablespoons (16 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (42 grams) unsalted butter divided
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 8 ounces (227 grams) button mushrooms sliced
- 1 small onion peeled and finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove peeled and minced
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon (8 grams) cornstarch
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) beef stock
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) heavy cream
- Finely chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Slice the veal tenderloin against the grain into thin slices about 2 inches (5 centimeters) long and 1/3 inch (1 centimeter) thick. Toss with the flour.
- Place a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons (28 grams) of the butter.
- Once the butter has melted, add the veal slices, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, just until browned on all sides.
- Remove the veal to a plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon (14 grams) butter to the pan.
- Once melted, add the sliced mushrooms and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are starting to brown and the onions starting to soften.
- Stir in the garlic and cook until just fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Pour in the white wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned pieces.
- Simmer until the wine has reduced by half.
- Place the cornstarch in a medium bowl. Slowly add the vegetable stock while whisking to incorporate the cornstarch. Whisk in the cream.
- Reduce heat to medium low. Add the cream/vegetable stock/cornstarch mixture and bring to a simmer.
- Stir in the set-aside veal, season with salt and pepper, and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally just until the sauce has thickened and the veal has cooked through.
- Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve immediately while still hot with desired sides.
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