food

When I am in a new city I make an effort to find out about the local vegan restaurants, and try as many of them as possible.

During my short stay in Zürich I only had time to check out two restaurants, and roots is the only one I went to more than once.

I found this (not so hidden) gem after an afternoon of wandering around the city, and was looking for a coffee shop close to the water where I could relax and do a bit of work.

roots is clean and stylish, but also very down to earth with hearty food, a variety of hot and cold beverages, and friendly staff.

They offer juices, smoothies, protein shakes, soup, salads and bowls, sandwiches and wraps. They have extensive breakfast options and also offer a couple of smoothie bowls. Their drinks include sodas, lattes and a selection of good quality teas.

Their coconut lemongrass soup is delicious, and I would highly recommend it. Their lattes include hot or cold coffee, matcha, and beetroot. Of course I was happy with my matcha latte, and I also tried one of their ginger drinks.

The music is upbeat and vibey, which makes it a fun place to hang out. I was there on my last afternoon and the playlist took me back to my college days (and I mean that in a good way), with a range of left field hip hop like Deltron 3030, Jurassic 5, A Tribe Called Quest, mixed with classics by artists like Wu Tang Clan, Outkast and Talib Kweli.

If you’re in Zürich and are looking for a place to drink delicious dairy free lattes, enjoy a hearty vegan snack, hang out, work, or meet people, check out roots. It’s also really close to the central station, which is nice and convenient.

I’ll definitely return there next time I’m in Zürich.