Gaijin Izakaya in Zürich

Love this place! Super good food and the service is great! International staff that genuinely are passionate about the food. If into Japanese/asian food, look no further.

Unbelievable Omakase experience! Outstanding food and service! Great engagement from the service team and Chef itself! Must to visit!

One of the very best restaurants we've done! The food is just next level, everything was amazingly good, tasty, perfect! And the service is also perfect, very nice, friendly and professional. Thank you for this perfect evening!

Got the omakase chef’s choice 9 course meal. Best food I had in Zurich by a lot. The service and staff were incredible and extremely friendly. The atmosphere is awesome. The chef was intentional about talking to each table. And can’t say enough about the food. Very reasonably priced with the quality of food I got.

Incredible service, atmosphere, and food at Gaijin. We got the Omakase and it was so worth it. So much great food. From out of town, but will come here again if ever in Zurich.

What a wonderful experience. Every course continued to impress. Some highlights for the omakase were the pumpkin and the eggplant. The chef came out to talk to every table and make sure everything was on point. Great value for what you’re getting.

+ staff is great and friendly + cool atmosphere + omakase concept is nice, has a bit that isakaya vibe I was looking for + nice beer (Gabs) + we went there because the food we ordered previously via Uber Eats was delish (chicken burger) + best items on the omakase menu were the soup and pumpkin tempura - food is just ok, it's more on the oily and heavy side, we had stomach issues after - not so sure about value for money: we paid 260.- for omakase (2 people) two beers and a cocktail. - tartar was overshadowed by a strange sauce that tasted like "Calipso" ice cream - suggest to pick and choose instead of taking the omakase menu - we did not eat the eggplant, too salty for us personally, we declined a substitution, we knew we would not be able to eat it, the chef tried to explain that it's not too salty, the staff clearly saw me struggeling eating the eggplant even with extra rice, so it felt a bit like being gaslighted - loud (people trying to have a conversation with loud music background) Personal conclusion: Great on Uber Eats, not so great onsite.

The chicken burger is quite good but a bit pricey.

The food and the service are top! A taste experience. Thank you. We will be back.

Amazing food and service:) We had a really lovely dinner here🥳

(Lunch) We tasted most starters and they were great, there is a house beer you can try. Omakase available for dinner only, at lunch there is a very tasty looking burger available

Amazing :) great atmosphere, service and of course food

Spot on place; great food and stunning service!

I have been living in Switzerland for a year now and this is the best restaurant I have been to in Zurich. Great flavors you have probably never tried before. Amazing service, including the cook who comes to the table. Great atmosphere and incredible food. I will definitely come back here many times!

Great place with fantastic food and friendly service.

Omakase was an exceptional experience, we had the pleasure of tasting food that we would not have ordered otherwise. The staff are super friendly and really care about the guests.

The omakase is definitely worth a try!

The best restaurant I've been to in Zürich by a long way. Excellent food and great service.

Really good! We enjoy a lot the food and the atmosphere during dinner. The gyozas were specially delicious. Highly recommended!

Bit expensive even for zürich but it’s delicious

We went there yesterday with friends and the food was absolutely amazing! From the diverse Japanese dishes to the drinks and the service, everything was just right. The dishes are designed so that you can share them with each other and so you can try as many dishes on the menu as possible.

We had a wonderful experience at this restaurant! The food was exceptionally tasty and the staff was extremely attentive and friendly. You took the time to explain everything. I'd love to come back!

Both the staff and the food were top notch! Compliments! The chef's menu is worth trying, very good and well presented. I especially appreciated that the chef stopped by after the meal to ask for our feedback. Very nice place even if a little noisy. I will definitely be back!

The best meal we’ve had in Zurich, hands down. There is so much creativity and care that goes into every single dish and honestly it’s surprise upon surprise as the dinner goes. The grilled luma beef and fried chicken dishes were especially good. The service was top notch as well, as the waitstaff were charming, welcoming, and knowledgeable!

Momoll, s'Ässe isch ordeli good xsii. The omakase menu is varied and has a nice quality cut. Au de Priis is true. D'Kuchi did a flawless job of what was on the table and would have been enjoyed by everyone in the family. I'm in the restaurant, it's easy to have a good time, I'm tired of my hands and legs at the moment, so I'm so happy to have a nice talk with you. That's a real shame. It's no shame that everyone in the service is consistently spoken in English. Nüüt vo somehow am Aafang «Äxgüsi, I don't know how good Tüütsch; Hopefully it won't be a problem if I talk to you in English." That's okay, since there's little understanding of the lack of skilled workers. But just from the first to the last number in English at the moment? Nänäi, gällezi, it really is 'gaht nööd' (English 'no go'). I want to talk about my city the way I want; good - in this case, writing is also possible. But only in English, without just a note, I'll join in. I find that arrogant, inconsiderate and also disrespectful. Sorry, galled.

We came from Los Angeles, the food is so good/delicious/special, and you will never forget that. Service is excellent too. Just make a reservation to confirm my review

We had the omakase dinner and it was amazing! We especially liked the chicken karaage (the housemade mayo is to DIE for), and the grilled luma beef with rice (so crispy). The service was also amazing as the waitstaff were attentive and knowledgeable about all the dishes. Overall a great experience, great food, great atmosphere.

I was there at lunchtime and ordered eggplant with rice. I would have liked the food to be a little warmer. But the reason I'm writing is that the music is way too loud, which I find really inappropriate for a place like this.

A very good restaurant with fantastic recipes. I found the price-performance ratio to be very good! Also wonderful for vegetarians. Highly recommended.

There’s a time in your life when you think you’ve tasted most of the flavors. And then you go to Gaijin Izakaya and a new world opens up on the plate before you. It’s fantastic.

Super delicious restaurant and very friendly staff! Sharing Dishes Japanese style - extremely delicious! Be sure to reserve in advance, it's worth it!

One of the best dinners I've had in my life! Food was a bit pricey but it was fantastic. Service was very good. Good Music.

I really enjoyed my dining experience at Gaijin Izakaya! We came for dinner and ordered a wide variety of dishes. I am a vegetarian and was very pleased with the numerous options on the menu I had to choose from. All the dishes were delicious, but I especially loved the Homemade Gyoza, Korean Gnocchi, BBQ Cabbage, Broccoli, and Miso Shoyu Roasted Eggplants. I also ordered a few cocktails and liked them as well. All the dishes were flavourful and unique; I will be back for more!

Best restaurant in town, tip top Asian flavors in a cool atmosphere

The ambience may be average, a bit sparse and loud, but the food is great, the tandoori lamb was one of the best things I've eaten recently I:-))

Had an amazing evening! Lovely staff and tasty food!

Really nice food and very friendly service. Always a pleasure to return.

It was quite an experience. We go the chef Menu and it was amazing. Everything was delicious and mix of flavor add a nice touch. The staff are super friendly and I liked the fact that the chef goes around the tables and talks to the customers. I highly recommend it.

Amazing experience and I still can not believe that I have eaten sprouts and I have love them! Plus the personal were extremely nice and from different backgrounds which gives a richer flavor to the experience

This place is not only about food, but it's a whole experience! Enjoy tasting new interpretations of great Japanese classics through sharing the dishes with your friends. The staff orchestrates the sequence of dishes amazingly and is super friendly.

Favorite lunch spot in Zurich. Not cheap, but worth it. Could be spicier, but that's Switzerland for ya

Excellent restaurant in Zurich. Food is excellent and a different choice in the city. Drinks are superb too.

The food was excellent. The selection is very diverse and appealing. Our waiter recommended the dishes to us. The lamb dish was really very well prepared - not too dry and very tasty. We also had a quick chat with the chef, this was one of the new creations. Really highly recommended! The conditions were very good. The food was very good. The place is a bit small, so book in advance. The prices are a bit high, but understandable considering the excellent cuisine. The cocktails are a dream! The tteokbokki were really very well made! Food 5/5, price 4/5

Yesterday I was there for the first time. Absolutely fantastic! We ordered the surprise menu and I couldn't say which of the dishes I liked the most. It was a flavor explosion and a wonderful bridge between local (Brussels sprouts, mega!) and Japanese cuisines. The chef must be a passionate person because the love for the ingredients, their choice and ultimately the presentation made the culinary journey perfect. There was also extremely friendly service (especially the charming and very attractive colleague from Turkey!), who accompanied us throughout the evening. The fact that we had to leave the restaurant (we had booked the first slot) was also discreetly communicated again in a very friendly manner (I know something different from Zurich, including restaurants that are "hyped" by the press!). Price-performance ratio is also good. So ergo: I'll be back and will definitely recommend you!

Everything was just great: the food, but also the service. Since it was our first time there, we ordered the Surprise menu and there was a whole range of delicious dishes, it was very varied and tasty and served with a lot of love! We will be back!

In general the food was good, but the chutoro was particularly disappointing - very thin cuts, likely taken too close to the skin, not cut cleanly and with a lot of lines of tough connective tissue. Service varied depending on the staff member.

Pleasant atmosphere and the food was super delicious. And staff was quick, friendly and attentive. I will definitely visit this restaurant again.

There were 5 of us and we shared various dishes. The food was excellent, I can particularly recommend the chicken chicken karaage. The service was excellent. The price-performance ratio for Zurich is very fair at the upper end. I will gladly come again.

too good restaurant, need to come back again for tasting this again:) Highly Recommended for the pork belly and homemade gyoza.

As a guest at Gaijin Izakaya, I was impressed by the variety and quality of the dishes. From the delicious Chicken Karaage to the delicate Wagyu Beef, the menu offered a rich selection. The perfect preparation of Hamachi Kingfish, the aroma of Mama Shu Wings, and the tender taste of Spanish Octopus left lasting impressions that definitely encourage a return visit. The friendly service and pleasant ambiance made our visit an unforgettable experience. Five stars – a well-deserved top rating for this outstanding restaurant.

Thank you Gaijin Izakaya team for a wonderful evening!! My table had some amazing food and drinks, the vibe and atmosphere is super cool, staff is friendly, attentive and efficient. I will definitely be coming back on my next stay in Zürich.

Foos is generally poor / not great across the board. We ordered 6 or 7 dishes to share between the 3 of us. Salmon was overcooked and has grocery store sweet chili sauce on it, the pork udon was overcooked, flavorless and had a poor cook on a poached egg, the tempura prawns were passable but nothing great, the Brussels sprouts are decent (but entirely overrated - really), sauerkraut was bland and Korean wings were probably the best thing we got. Just poor all around. Not much else to say here. No animosity, but this is not very good sadly. Service was also very poor. Long periods with no drinks and understaffed to effectively serve all the tables. All this being said; the atmosphere is outstanding and I expect is the primary reason why people are rating this so highly.

The food is a fairy tale, the service lively and very hospitable. It was the first time but certainly not the last! The atmosphere of says with an open heart „ WELCOME TO GAIJIN „

amazing dishes, especially for sharing

Definitely felt just like at home at Izakaya. We took the chefs menu and had an explosion of taste and different dishes like Swordfish or Wagyu. Definitely recommend, service was very friendly and we very much enjoyed our time.

Every dish was delicious and a umeshu on the house at the end made it perfect!

Fantastic, delicious food and in large quantities. Really friendly staff 😍

Had a great evening! Really tasty food and casual environment!

We were there for dinner. The food was good and the restaurant too (a bit expensive) but during the night after dinner I had severe stomach pain and diarrhea :( I had taken the sashimi, the taco and tiramisu matcha

One off the best Asian restaurants I have ever been too! The Chicken Karaage can be highly recommended and also the “Gaijin Black Gold” are a must!

My favorite restaurant in Zurich!

We ate our way through the “Omakase” tasting menu. It was very good and very plentiful, or rather we overeat. The combinations of spicy, sweet and sometimes a bit sour or bitter are very refreshing and convincing, even if it gets a bit repetitive over time. For me, however, this has little to do with Japanese cuisine as I know it from other Japanese restaurants. Sometimes eating with chopsticks is almost impossible because it also has cream-like elements and there is no spoon. Sharing plates is also encouraged, as it is not for hygiene panickers. They speak cool English here, although the staff can also speak Züritütsch. The furnishings (which ones? Where?) aren't really to my liking. Spartan design could also be nice. Overall, and the taste experience, it's all worth it!

We had gotten very good service and they even asked us what we liked and disliked. It is very refreshing to see a restaurant so open to feedback! Other than that the food was very good and very well presented. I would personally recommend the luma beef as it was very tender and served with rice and some vegetables.

Delicious food! Friendly service, what else could you possibly needs....please order the karage! Actually everything is awesome!

We'd had takeout from Gaijin during the pandemic, and finally managed to get our act together enough to go have dinner in the restaurant. I only regret that we haven't done this sooner, because I cannot recommend a visit to Gaijin highly enough! The food is creative and delicious (reserve in advance for the omakase, it's fantastic!), the cocktails are superb, and the service friendly and truly efficient across the board. Our only minor complaint is that it was quite loud in there; the place was packed and for the first hour, maybe, we couldn't hear ourselves think. On the other hand, it's great to see such a gem of a place be so successful on a Monday night, and the service maintained its pace and friendliness throughout. We had a brilliant evening and are looking forward to returning in the near future. 😍

Low quality, high prices. Not recommended.

Amazing service and hospitality! Chef Dan will take you for a culinary ride if you are willing to go on one! Highly recommend!

Food okay, service unfortunately unfriendly and inflexible.

Really great food with very nice and competent service. Let me briefly describe our first visit. Unfortunately you are divided into time slots. I basically don't like that at all. We arrived at 8.20pm for the slot with a start of 8.30pm. We were kindly told that we would have to wait another 10 minutes. Well, it was raining outside and it was cramped and uncomfortable inside with others waiting. At exactly 8:30 p.m. we went to the table. We ordered surprise menu and super delicious cocktails. Every course convinced us. The first two courses came very quickly and things continued comfortably. It was exactly right for us. Staff very friendly. Ok, everything in English. It's a matter of taste, but it's the most spoken language in Zurich. Extremely large number of staff available. Great as a guest. You just have to know that this will be reflected in the price. A small misunderstanding at the end when ordering sake was resolved professionally. Honestly. I could have given it 5 stars. I think we'll go back soon and then I can make adjustments if our very good impression is confirmed

Not a lot of vegetarian choice on the menu, but what they have is just tasting perfect. Less is more :-)

Great food and nice fried chicken. Only issue was that they gave me the super spicy BBQ chicken instead for the Lime garlic... so be careful if you order for pick up or delivery

I've been there several times - the food is always top notch - prepared with a lot of love - the palate and the eye both get their money's worth 😊

It was a different experience with all the authentic food choices the whole experience left a little of a rushed impression and the food did come in spurts. The brussel sprouts were fantastic and the kingfish was out of this world the other items were good but a little over priced for what they were. I definitely would go there again but not with everybody it is like I said a different experience

If I could give this place 10 stars, I would. The service is outstanding. The food is phenomenal! I am vegetarian and I am in love with this place. My boyfriend is a hardcore meat lover, and he loves this place. If we could eat there every day, we would do that! Recommendations: Vegan Gyoza is amazing! Brussels Sprouts to die for! Spicy gnocchi is very spicy but so good! For meat and fish lovers: Candy Pork and Tacos are a must.

Fantastic food, fantastic service!

Gaijin Izakaya is a Michelin Bib Gourmand-winning Japanese izakaya in Zurich, Switzerland. It is known for its contemporary Japanese cuisine, inspired by Japanese preparation methods and flavors, but also incorporates influences from all over Asia and other parts of the world. The restaurant uses a traditional charcoal grill from Japan to cook its dishes, and it also has a wide selection of Japanese and international beverages. The atmosphere at Gaijin Izakaya is relaxed and casual, with modern music playing in the background. The restaurant is decorated in a simple but stylish way, with wood accents and exposed brick walls. The menu at Gaijin Izakaya changes seasonally, but some of the popular dishes include: Appetizers: Edamame, Gyoza, Takoyaki, Yakitori, Okonomiyaki, Karaage Sushi and Sashimi: Sashimi, Nigiri, Maki Main Courses: Grilled Salmon, Grilled Chicken, Grilled Pork, Grilled Beef, Tempura, Udon, Soba Desserts: Matcha Ice Cream, Mochi, Red Bean Paste In addition to its regular menu, Gaijin Izakaya also offers a variety of daily and weekly specials. These specials often feature seasonal ingredients and unique dishes unavailable on the regular menu. Gaijin Izakaya is an excellent place for a casual meal with friends or family. The food is delicious, the service is fantastic, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting.

Very tasty menu with lots of dishes, quick and friendly service. Really enjoyed the experience

Every dish has a creative spin to it. Always happy here: from food to service top notch. You can feel that everyone tries their very best here.

Great place with lovely staff and delicious food!

Unfortunately we couldn’t try the tasting menu due to too many spicy options. We opted for some other dishes - some containing wagyu beef which was totally worth it. The waiters are very knowledgeable and have excellent recommendations and assist in your choice.

Very friendly staff, super fine food and fantastic cocktails

I give this restaurant a bit of respite because it says it's a fusion restaurant. But the food is unfortunately not really good here. It definitely doesn't come close to real japanese food, the taste is rather bland.

Absolutely excellent cuisine! The tuna is unique, the pigeon is an experience, the tempuras are crunchy like never before and the wings are perfectly spicy! Beautifully presented, cool staff, great atmosphere and unconventional beer! We can be very grateful for this Japanese man in Zurich!

Very delicious food! Friendly servers and chef! Nice layout of the Restaurant!

One of the best restaurants I’ve tried in Zurich. Interesting take on Japanese food.

Amazing food! I recommend OMAKASE, nice to to talk to chef! We felt really taken care of. Thanks!

Just deleted my previous review as I wanted to write another one to emphasize how great this place is. All the dishes from the omakase menu were sooo delicious and the drinks were excellent as well. I would especially highlight the high quality service you get here; the staff is incredibly nice and makes sure that you will have a great evening. Since we came here to celebrate my partners birthday, they also put a candle on the dessert and started singing, which was very cute. We had a fantastic evening here, want to thank the entire team! We look forward to coming back soon! <3

Amazing food, great staff and service , cool atmosphere… we had Omakase which is tasting menu and wagyu party (Gaijin black gold and japanese A5 wagyu slices) . Every single dish has surprisingly delicious and unique taste . The prices are quite affordable. It was my first dinner in Zurich , definitely I will come back soon .

Great food, great service, highly recommended.

Excellent execution of a casual concept Asian shared dining concept. Food in particular was spot on. Friendly messy vibes.

This is the best restaurant in all of Zürich! The food is absolutely amazing and the service is even better!!! Richard and Soner were so incredibly sweet and really made us feel welcome!! Such a great experience and we will definitely be back!!!

If you find yourself in Zürich, do not hesitate to dine on Gaijin Izakaya's delicious and inventive menu, served by the most phenomenal staff! This gem of a restaurant has a flair for amazing service, with amazing dishes and cocktails from candied pork belly to tableside flame dishes, and our entire party was amazed. Our server Richard was the absolute nicest and most attentive person, and Soner's service rounded out an amazing evening.

One of my favorites in Zurich. Had the Omasake tasting menu and was surprised with every single of the nine dishes served. Dan and his crew set the bar very high for service quality. Keep it going!

Creative tasty food, nice service

Amazing restaurant with amazing Omakase degustation menu! We can really recommned it! Loved it

Small and cozy Asian restaurant in the city center. The Greek waiter was very kind and helped us throughout our time there. The Wagyu croquette is a must. I haven’t had anything similar before. The LUMA Wagyu beef was also fantastic.

Relaxing space with excellent food. We tried the Brussel sprouts, gyoza, wings, octopus, and swordfish tartare and everything was fresh and well prepared.

Very good but very pricey. Very scenic but good. Our service was only in English

tly surprised, the service and kitchen are on top, the guys were pleased with the novelties

Visited Gaijin with family and had a wonderful time. Really cosy place and loved that the dishes were packed with umami. Definitely try the brussel sprouts, it’s life-changing!