Due to popular demand, (well, ecb anyway), I will have a small rant about last night's experience at a restaurant in Winterthur.
Anyway, my husband took me to a restaurant last night to celebrate my birthday Valentine's Day and our anniversary, on the recommendation of a colleague.
To say that we had a disappointing experience, both in terms of food and service, would be a huge understatement. On arrival, I asked if there was an English menu available, which was met with a very curt "Nein". My husband translated the menu and, given that one of the dishes on offer was chicken breast, with red wine sauce, prawns and a fried egg (!!), we both opted for the Schnitzel.
When it eventually arrived, having been given no bread or anything in the meantime, we were confronted by a large slab of grey Schnitzel (the depth of carpaccio), with a quarter of a tomato, a piece of lemon and sprig of parsley. This was accompanied by a dish of overly brown, several times fried chips to share. (I could tell this from the consistency of the potato). Incidentally, my husband could see into the kitchen and commented that the Shnitzel were being fried in at least 2cms of oil ...
No-one came to see if the food was ok (just as well ...) and we were not once asked if we needed more wine, etc.
And the bill for this, with one small glass of wine, small still water and small beer?? CHF128!!! We did not leave a tip, which is incredibly unusual for us. Absolutely appalling value for money. Words almost fail me (hmmm) and this has turned into a rather long rant!
But, since you mention it, there is absolutely no comparison between the quality of the food and service here and in Malta. Especially bearing in mind Malta's location and the fact that the island receives the equivalent in rain of two gnat's pees a year. OK, fabulous fish there is a given, but I can also get the best Abderdeen Angus steak, NZ and Welsh lamb, luscious fruit, salad and vegetables, etc etc
Well, we tried to get their attention to complain, but were ignored. I am completely serious. In the end we just decided to leave and go for a drink elsewhere.
I have had poor experiences as well. While I usually bemoan the tipping system in the US, it does make wait staff a bit more reluctant to completely ignore and deliver poor service. This is one reason that we eat out on vacations and trips to other countries. I like Swiss food, but the restaurant scene is generally poor. Besides, Rosti tastes much better when you paid 5 chuffs for a huge portion that you made at home instead of 28 chuffs in a restaurant. Somehow food doesn't taste nearly as good when it is so overpriced.
Some people here have posted that the reason for the bad restaruant experience is because the wait staff don't work on tips.
That might explain some of the grumpy service, but it doesn't explain the lack of atmosphere, lack of originality on the menu, crap tasting food, lack of wine and beer choices, or high prices.
I've been in Switzerland for two years now, and maybe the restaurants in Basel are worse than elsewhere, but the typically dire experience in any of them has meant I've actually saved quite a lot of money living and working here. I'd usually dine out a few times a week in London (and a few times a day when I lived in China) but here I almost refuse to go into restaurants instead cooking for myself or hopping over the border.
I quite agree and dined out regularly in London and always do in Malta (the latter being a fraction of the price of here). Similarly, if I were to live here full-time, I would probably never eat out.
Hi thanks for the report...in my experience, just going for a Pizza here ends up costing up to that figure in the evening. In Zurich, lunchtime is the only good value meal you can eat and any one who eats out in the evening, ends up subsidising mittags.
This is aside from the fact that finding a good meal here is like GOLDUST. In my and my friends experience we are limited to a small selection of favourites where you know the service is passable and food ok for cost.
Your biggest error was walking right in and asking for an English menu. If your husband anyway can work with a german menu its better to wade through that way instead of putting the staffs backs up. I generally work that way and if they have an English menu they will soon notice you struggling and rescue you.
I also miss London on the food front were its normal to rely on restaurants to host you and your mates without you needing to remortgage, or equally just walk in most anywhere and get good happy service and food cooked with some love. This country does not LOVE food (just look at the queue in Bellevue for a sausage a piece of bread and a squeeze of senf!!) and with the exception of a few talented chefs and overpriced restaurants is just that way. All part of the adaptive experience of being an expat.
On the flipside, you get our favourite Vietnamese restaurant in Fribourg. Small, friendly and great value for money. 2 beers, a chicken dish, a pork dish and prawn noodles (all spiced to order) for 56.-.
While I don't have many negative experiences with restaurants in Switzerland (I know the scene quite well and I choose carefully, plus I know the signs), your experience sounds bad.
For the next time: A Wiener schnitzel should not be grey or overpriced.
But it has to be thin and it has to be fried in a lot of butter or cooking fat. Otherwise it is simply not a Wiener Schnitzel.