The London Lounge

Gents, anything on the "must see / must do" list for Zurich? I need to be there next week and will probably have a free afternoon and evening.

DDM

If you have an interest in vintage motor cars, then a visit to Lucas Huni may be of interest (Lindenstrasse 26).

If you happen to be staying at the Baur au Lac, then make sure to arrange airport transfer with the hotel. The hotel driver is a little, feisty Italian chap who thinks that the Rolls Royce is a Ferrari, and probably fancies himself a reincarnated Enzo Ferrari. On second thought, the chap may have retired by now, as it has been at least 7 years since I stayed there last time, and he is not exactly spring chicken.

If you have interest in modernist architecture, then a stroll to the Heidi Weber Pavilion / Centre Le Corbusier might be an option. The opening times are very limited, so ask your concierge before setting out (Hoeschgasse 8 ).

I never miss having at least one meal, preferably more, at the Kronenhalle when in Zurich. Classic dishes served reliably year after year. If you go, insist on being seated in the main dining area, which I believe is called the Brasserie and think is the nicest, under the watchful portraits of Frau Zumsteg and other art by Miró, Giacometti, Picasso, Klee et al who paid for meals with their work (Rämistrasse 4).

If you fancy some chocolate, then pop into Teuscher (Bahnhofstrasse 46 or Storchengasse 9).

Watch out for the gnomes!

Oh, and I would avoid going near the 'Needle Park' after dark. As it keeps moving from one park to another every few years, you should ask which one is currently designated as such. Most visitors are harmless because they are gone trainspotting in another dimension, but it's really not a pretty sight so best avoided.

Tea at Sprüngli, in the Bahnhofstrasse. And if you still have time, a visit to Konstanz, in Germany.

Thanks for the info, DDM

I would also recommend the Baur au Lac. We do the airport transfers in a hotel supplied Mercedes, it works out just fine.
We did test drive the reincarnated Dolder Grand last July: it has no resemblance to its precursor. I would strongly advise against staying at the Dolder Grand. It's more of an architectural curiosity, tourist site, and an example of the decline in service seen world wide in the former grand hotels. It's a very odd place, even for Switzerland: no clocks in the rooms, dreadful restaurant service, grand prices, uniformly poor service, except from the concierge. The spa layout induces dizziness. The scale of the new hotel is simply too large.

Stick with the classic Baur au Lac.