Pricimo Score
Overpriced

English menus in prime locations = tourist prices

Tourist restaurants in Zürich’s Old Town, lakefront, and Niederdorf area charge CHF 10-15 premiums for identical dishes you’d find two blocks away. The warning signs: picture menus outside, 11+ language translations, fondue served in summer (real Swiss only eat it in winter), and staff actively soliciting tips.

Specific traps identified: Restaurant Swiss Chuchi charges CHF 79.50 for two raclettes with drinks—and dares to charge for tap water. Restaurant Weisser Wind gets called “very overpriced” with tip-pressuring staff. La Rotisserie at Hotel Storchen earns the title “prize-winning tourist trap” with prices described as “pornographically high” for “food with no flavor.”

WHY AVOID: Same ingredients, same city, 30-40% higher prices. A Wiener Schnitzel costs CHF 40-48 in tourist spots vs CHF 28-35 at local restaurants. PRICE RANGE: CHF 40-60 for mains that should cost CHF 25-40.

Better alternatives: Zeughauskeller (touristy but fair prices, locals go), Hiltl (world’s oldest vegetarian restaurant), Sternengrill (famous sausages), guild houses like Zunft zur Zimmerleuten, and Migros/Coop restaurants where mains cost just CHF 14-16.