I've been living in Zurich for 3 years now and I have found some cozy cafeterias, such as Café des Amis in 8037 or Kafisatz in Wädenswil (which is quite far for a coffee) which I loved, but I'm missing a more European-style cafe.
I come from Greece, so I'm used to small cafeterias that are cozy, have soft music, outside seatings with heating provided for winter, mini-libraries to enjoy reading a book with your coffee and they aren't overcrowded. And of course, serving coffee after 17:00!
This is a reference of what I'm searching for, not an advertisement:
In my dreams, I would love to open a cozy cafe like that, but I'm not at all experienced running a business- I'm just thinking sometimes...if you can't find it, make it!
Is there maybe anything like that in or around Zurich?
Have you been at https://spheres.cc/ ? Hardturmstrasse 66, it a cross-over between a bar/cafe and a bookstore. Maybe that is what you are looking for...
Unfortunately, this is often the single factor that kills all the rest. Loud (too loud for holding a conversation at normal speaking volume) and up-beat is more common, and one café owner - after we had followed two other groups in asking that the music please be turned down - told us that that was his style and concept, and if guests didn't like it, they should go elsewhere. Well, the café was almost empty at the time.
FYI - Outdoor heating is an extremely wasteful use of resources and therefore illegal in many cantons. In canton Zurich, they are only allowed if they use renewable energy and have gotten a permit. If you see something that contradicts this statement, it is because they are a bit more relaxed about enforcing the rules due to the current circumstances where people without a certificate are not allowed to be served inside the premises, only outside.
Due to high rents and wages, a café that isn't reasonably crowded will not survive long, especially not if many tables are occupied for long periods of time by just one person drinking a few cups of coffee.
But if it wasn’t for Cafe Odeon, you wouldn’t exist. Should be the coolest thing imaginable to have a coffee there and think that this is the place I owe my life to. No?
Indeed...and that is the main problem and it’s got even worse now what with IT geeks ordering one coffee and nursing it for 2-3 hours alone on a table for four while they are online.
I don’t think what the op asks for exists in Zurich anymore...sadly...
However, if they make a trip out to Lucerne www.grandhotel-national.com . something pretty near it is still going strong.
Years ago the main restaurant was the ‘Wiener Cafe’ , decor think French house of ill repute meets meeting room at British library, plus the obligatory pretty blonde lady pianist.
Years ago I was the Exec. Pastry-Chef there, it was always packed with the good and great from central Switzerland and we would regularly sell more than 100 portions of apple strudel of an afternoon plus innumerable sacher and esterhazy torte etc..
Why they ever changed the concept beats me, the place was a gold mine.
The decor is still ornate buts it’s now populated with the local ladies-that-lunch and the coffee and cakes brigade from 2-7ish.
Still a nice atmosphere and they have any amount of papers, magazines and books for the punters to browse, prices are also quite reasonable ( for Switzerland that is )
Or 10mins by train from ZHB or 15mins by boat, you might like the winter lakeside garden at Hotel Sonne. Just take your own book https://sonne.ch/de/Winterzauber