Cafeography
Zurich · Zürich-West (Kreis 5)

Cafés in Zürich-West (Kreis 5)

Former shipyards and railway arches: the Markthalle on Limmatstrasse, the Schiffbau, MAME on Josefstrasse and Café Lang at Limmatplatz.

Photo: Susanne Jutzeler, suju-foto, Pexels License

Zürich West is the old industrial ground of the Industriequartier, between the tracks leading out of the main station and the Limmat, now being rebuilt as offices, flats and arts venues.1 Its landmark is the 126 m Prime Tower by Hardbrücke station, which opened on 6 December 2011 and was Switzerland's tallest building until 2015; Clouds, a bar and restaurant, fills its top floor.2

The cafés have moved into the converted buildings: under the railway arches, beside the theater in the old shipyard, and in brick halls on Sihlquai. Auer & Co at Sihlquai 131 shares an old brick building with the Impact Hub co-working space and serves Miró coffee with a hearty lunch.3

Local tip: The Markthalle is shut on Sundays; Jenseits Wohnzimmer on Viaduktstrasse and CouCou on Röntgenstrasse both open at 09:00 that day.4

At a glance

28Cafés listed
19With opening hours
07:00Earliest opening
00:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Café Noir, from 07:00 (Mon–Fri 07:00–19:00 · Sat 09:00–18:00).
  • Closes latest: Auer & Co, until 00:00 (Mon–Wed 08:00–21:00 · Thu–Fri 08:00–00:00 · Sat 10:00–00:00 · Sun 10:00–21:00).
  • Most common features: outdoor seating (54%), wheelchair access (46%), indoor seating (43%).

Tonino

  • Pfingstweidstrasse 95
  • Mon–Wed 09:00–18:00 · Thu–Fri 08:00–20:30
  • +41 79 459 98 63
  • Indoor seating
  • Vegetarian options
  • Wheelchair access
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Coffee chains in Zürich-West (Kreis 5)

Im Viadukt and the Markthalle

The Aussersihl viaduct replaced the railway embankments in 1894. Its tenants had to leave in 2003 for the renovation, EM2N won the 2004 competition to convert it, and since 2010 its arches have held shops, ateliers and cafés along about 500 m.45 The Markthalle, Zurich's first market hall, covers about 1,000 m² where the viaduct divides, with its entrance on Limmatstrasse.5

The hall opens Monday to Saturday 09:00–20:00 and is closed on Sundays; the St. Jakob Beck bakery inside opens at 07:00 on weekdays.4 Along Viaduktstrasse, Ambrosi at number 37 serves until 22:30 every day, and Jenseits Wohnzimmer at 65 until 22:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.

The arch shops open Monday to Friday 11:00–19:00 and Saturday 10:00–18:00. In 2024 the arches were wrapped in scaffolding printed with designs by ZHdK students, and the material was later sewn into Viaduktbags.4

Getting to Zürich-West

Trams 4, 13 and 17 stop at Löwenbräu, by the viaduct. Hardbrücke station is served by S-Bahn lines S3, S5, S6, S7, S9, S11, S12, S15 and S16, and buses 33 and 72 run to Schiffbau and Hardbrücke.4

Schiffbau and the west end

Escher Wyss built ships in the Schiffbau hall from the mid-19th century until 1940, then turbines. The Schauspielhaus bought the site in the early 1990s, and the Viennese architects Ortner & Ortner added "buildings within buildings" for two stages, a restaurant and the Moods jazz club; it opened in September 2000.6

Ahoi! at Schiffbaustrasse 9b opens at 10:00 on weekdays. Further west, Collective Bakery bakes by hand and roasts its own coffee, at Förrlibuckstrasse 160 and Maschinenstrasse 8.7

Specialty coffee and late hours

MAME at Josefstrasse 160 opened its own roastery in 2019; its menu leaves out the origins and describes each coffee by flavor.3 It opens at 07:30 on weekdays. Café Lang at Limmatplatz 7 took over from the closed El Greco and brought a Viennese-style room with tables outside in summer.8

Evenings run late here. Auer & Co stays open until midnight from Thursday to Saturday, Café Lang until 23:00 on Thursdays and Fridays, CouCou on Röntgenstrasse until 23:00 from Tuesday to Saturday, and flavour coffee & plants at Langstrasse 200 until 22:00 on Thursdays and Fridays.

Sources

  1. Zürich West, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  2. Prime Tower, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  3. Best cafés in Zurich (updated 14 June 2026), The Way to Coffee, accessed October 2026
  4. Opening hours and directions, IM VIADUKT, accessed October 2026
  5. Markthalle und Viaduktbögen in Zürich, BauNetz Wissen, accessed October 2026
  6. Arts complex inaugurated in former Zurich industrial estate (24 September 2000), SWI swissinfo.ch, accessed October 2026
  7. Breakfast and brunch in Zurich, Zürich Tourism (zuerich.com), accessed October 2026
  8. Zurich's best cafés (Celeste Neill, 16 October 2022), Time Out, accessed October 2026
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In Zürich-West (Kreis 5), also browse: Outdoor seating Confiseries & bakeries Open late Wi-Fi Breakfast & brunch

FAQ

Zürich-West (Kreis 5) cafés: questions

How do you get to Im Viadukt and the Markthalle in Zurich?

Take tram 4, 13 or 17 to Löwenbräu, or an S-Bahn to Zürich Hardbrücke, served by the S3, S5, S6, S7, S9, S11, S12, S15 and S16. Buses 33 and 72 also stop at Schiffbau and Hardbrücke. The Markthalle opens Monday to Saturday 09:00–20:00 and is closed on Sundays.

Where can you get specialty coffee in Zürich-West?

MAME at Josefstrasse 160 roasts its own coffee, since 2019, and opens at 07:30 on weekdays. Auer & Co at Sihlquai 131 serves Miró coffee in a brick building shared with the Impact Hub co-working space. Collective Bakery roasts its own coffee at Förrlibuckstrasse 160 and Maschinenstrasse 8.

Which cafés in Zürich-West are open late?

Auer & Co on Sihlquai stays open until midnight from Thursday to Saturday. Café Lang at Limmatplatz serves until 23:00 on Thursdays and Fridays, CouCou on Röntgenstrasse until 23:00 from Tuesday to Saturday, and Ambrosi on Viaduktstrasse until 22:30 every day.

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