I took a work contact to Helvetia for lunch today. Have to say that after getting off on the wrong foot with this restaurant when our work had Christmas dinner there, I was pleased about a more solid showing this time.

Helvetia’s got a I’m-hip-and-cool vibe since its remodelling in December 2008 and as far as I could tell was full of ad execs and finance types, but the food and service are really nice. We got a nice table even though the upper floor was full and we’d only made a reservation about 10 minutes before showing up.

Helvetia’s traditional dishes like meatloaf with mashed potatoes or elbow macaroni with minced beef are legendary, but we went for the daily special (salad or soup, eggplant ravioli with spinach and cherry tomatoes), and I had dessert (lemon tart with passion-fruit sorbet and pineapple salad). The ravioli were nice, with a very light cream and spring-onion sauce, but the lemon tart was sublime (and also, incidentally, huge), if a tiny bit sweet. Service was quick, smooth and attentive, and best of all, the bill came to less than 100 Swiss francs, which is about what I can get away with for a work lunch without my boss going ballistic about my expenses.

I’d definitely go there again--especially as I thought the prices were fair for Zurich--but because of the vibe, probably only for a work lunch, not necessarily with friends.

I'll check it out once the ashtrays are banned, not before. It's always been a very smokey place.

Did you mean the bar or the restaurant, Karl? Now that you mention it, I don't think anyone in my vicinity was smoking there today - I've only just now realized that. But yes, even if there were only a few smokers, I can see where it would get thick with smoke quickly.

do you get free tap water?

just kidding, thanks for the heads-up

I should've seen that one coming...since it was lunch, I ordered half a liter of bottled water. Later, a glass of wine to go with my entree. I've done my part .