Walter Ponce
Lebanese food is made for sharing: a table full of small dishes, warm bread and dips that everyone reaches for at once. In Zurich, one of the best-rated places to eat this way is Restaurant SimSim City, at Kronenstrasse 48 in Unterstrass, just north of the city centre. It calls its cooking “oriental urban cuisine” and builds the menu around mezze, sharing platters and a cocktail list that includes virgin options.
There is also a second SimSim in Oerlikon, in the north of the city.
What is mezze?
Mezze (also spelled meze) is the tradition of serving many small dishes together, common across Lebanon and the wider Eastern Mediterranean. Some are cold dips and salads, others are hot bites from the fryer or the grill. Instead of a starter and a main per person, everyone shares, and the meal stretches out over conversation.
A mezze table almost always comes with flatbread, which is used instead of cutlery to scoop up the dips.
What we ordered
- A mezze sharing platter with hummus, baba ghanoush, labneh, falafel, salad and spiced potatoes, served with warm flatbread.
- A spritz.
- A second platter with grilled meat and rice.
A guide to Lebanese mezze
These are the dishes you are most likely to see on a Lebanese menu:
- Hummus: chickpeas blended with tahini (sesame paste), lemon and garlic, finished with olive oil.
- Baba ghanoush: smoky roasted aubergine mashed with tahini and lemon.
- Labneh: thick, strained yoghurt, tangy and creamy, usually drizzled with olive oil.
- Falafel: fried balls of ground chickpeas or broad beans with herbs and spices.
- Tabbouleh: a parsley salad with bulgur, tomato, mint and lemon.
- Fattoush: a mixed salad with crispy pieces of toasted flatbread and sumac.
- Batata harra: “spicy potatoes”, cubes of fried potato with garlic, coriander and chilli.
- Moutabal: a close cousin of baba ghanoush, often a little creamier.
Most of these are vegetarian, which makes a mezze table an easy choice for mixed groups.
Grills and shawarma
Beyond the small plates, Lebanese restaurants serve grilled meat and shawarma: thin slices of marinated meat, traditionally cooked on a vertical spit, served on a plate or wrapped in flatbread with garlic sauce. Chicken shawarma is one of the most popular choices. Grilled skewers of chicken, lamb or minced meat (kafta) are often served with rice, salad and dips, which is the idea behind a mixed grill platter.
The place
SimSim City is a busy, lively restaurant with a relaxed feel. Platters arrive in the middle of the table, and the room tends to have a buzz in the evening. When the weather allows, there are outdoor tables as well. The drinks list mixes cocktails with virgin options, useful if not everyone at the table drinks alcohol.
Good to know
- Address: Kronenstrasse 48, 8006 Zürich.
- Second location: there is another SimSim in Oerlikon.
- Sharing: platters and mezze are designed for the whole table, so ordering for the group is the easiest approach.
- Vegetarians: a large part of the mezze menu is meat-free.
- Currency: Switzerland uses Swiss francs (CHF).
- Booking: the restaurant gets busy, so booking ahead is a good idea, especially on weekends.
How to order
- Start with mezze. A few dips and falafel with bread is the core of the meal.
- Add a platter if you want to try several things without deciding dish by dish.
- Mix hot and cold. Balance creamy dips with fried and grilled dishes.
- Order drinks early. A spritz or a virgin cocktail goes well while the mezze arrives.
- Keep some bread. Flatbread is your cutlery for the dips.
About the neighbourhood
Unterstrass is part of Zurich’s District 6, on the slope just north of the main station and the city centre. It is mostly residential, with local shops and small restaurants, and is quieter than the Old Town. The Kronenstrasse area is well connected by tram, so it is easy to combine dinner here with an evening in the centre.
Getting there
- By tram: trams 11 and 14 run from Zurich main station (Bahnhofquai/HB and Bahnhofplatz/HB) to the Kronenstrasse stop.
- On foot: from the main station, it is an uphill walk of moderate length.
- Planning: use the SBB or ZVV app for the best connection from where you are.
Best time to visit
Evenings are busy and lively, which suits a sharing dinner with friends. For outdoor tables, a warm evening from late spring to early autumn is ideal. If you want a calmer meal, go earlier in the evening, and book ahead for weekends.
What Google reviewers say
Google rating: 4.9 out of 5 from 392 reviews (October 2026).
Reviewers praise the mezze and the Lebanese food in general, with special mentions for the falafel, the chicken shawarma and the specialty sharing platter. They describe the staff as friendly and the restaurant as busy with a good vibe, and several mention the outdoor tables.
Verdict
My rating: 4 out of 5. SimSim City is a very good choice for Lebanese mezze and sharing platters in Zurich. Come with a group, order a mezze platter and a grill plate for the table, and add a cocktail or a virgin option.
FAQ
Where is SimSim City in Zurich? At Kronenstrasse 48, 8006 Zürich, in the Unterstrass neighbourhood. There is also a SimSim in Oerlikon.
What kind of food does SimSim City serve? Lebanese, “oriental urban cuisine”: mezze, falafel, shawarma, grilled meat and sharing platters.
Is SimSim City good for vegetarians? Yes. Many mezze dishes, such as hummus, baba ghanoush, labneh and falafel, are vegetarian.
Does SimSim City serve cocktails? Yes, including virgin options.
Does SimSim City have outdoor seating? Yes, there are outdoor tables in good weather.
How do I get to SimSim City from Zurich main station? Take tram 11 or 14 to the Kronenstrasse stop.
