Kronenhalle is an institution in Zurich; established in 1862, the restaurant has an old school vibe and classic cuisine. The place certainly gave me big expectations even before dining there. After booking, I received a PDF with a long list of rules that were to be followed. These included things like the dress code, a no phone policy, and various other rules. Because of this, I expected a quiet, formal establishment. Upon arrival, it was the opposite. Yes, the space is charming in an old school way, but the hostess was not very pleasant to begin with. Not rude either, but just very blah.
Also, I could see the the dress code was not being enforced, and the place was loud. All of this is fine, but if you are going to take the trouble to send a rule book to your guests, and set a high bar, the least you can do is follow through with it so people know what to expect.
Also, we were informed that due to the reservation time, our menu choices would be limited. This is something they should inform people of on their website.
Anyway, we were seated upstairs and started with some bread.
I also tried the clear soup with herb pancakes and bone marrow. It was ok.
For mains I had the sliced veal and rosti. My wife had veal steak with morel sauce. Everything was finished and plated tableside which I appreciated.
The result could not be more polarized! My wife’s dish was tasteless and extremely salty.
Mine was incredible and extremely delicious. I could not get enough of each tender bite with a rich delicious sauce.
The dessert:
Overall this was a tough one. I was disappointed by the atmosphere, 50% of the main courses, and the service was just ok. On the other hand, my dish was really good. Whether to go back or not? Maybe flip a coin, it’s 50/50 too…