#56 | Bar am Wasser, Zurich, Switzerland
Last Visit: Winter 2023/24
Beautiful Zurich really doesn't deserve to be left with just two meager bar reviews so far, which is why today we're devoting ourselves to another absolute highlight of my trip just over a year ago: the Bar am Wasser.
It has a lot to offer, which became clear to me just from my visit, but even more so with a little research while writing this article. We're usually mostly focusing on the actual experience of our visit, but as the aspects here that transcend it fit in so well with what I have to say about my own experiences and my assessment, I want to share it briefly.
Copyright: Bar am Wasser
While looking up the Bar, you can read about pop-ups at Gault Millau events, in Japanese Omakase restaurants with 15 GM points, at the Mandarin Oriental in Lucerne there is a 5-drink menu at guest shifts. At the time of writing, there will soon be an event with drinks at Elmira in Zurich (1 Michelin star, 1 green Michelin star). The bar has a private room on the 2nd floor for group reservations of up to 20 people, but also, for a while now, has a “privé” on the 5th floor, in cooperation with Suntory. It's like having your own cocktail lounge/living room under the roof, where depending on the booked package (up to approx. 40 people as a group booking), a private chef is included.
What am I getting at here? To the fact that this level and scope of commitment alone (catering hasn't even been mentioned yet) apart from the actual barroom would otherwise almost only be possible in bars located in London or Singapore. Even there, these would be reserved for hotel bars (5* of course) or restaurant-bar combinations with at least 2 Michelin stars. As far as concepts other than those just mentioned are concerned, the closest thing I can think of (especially with the Suntory-Privé) is the Cravan project in Paris, the “Maison de Cocktail” in cooperation with Moët Hennessy in its own chic 5-storey town house on the Rive Gauche. But here we are in Zurich and Zurich has been criminally underrated in the major international bar rankings for at least 3–4 years, as I hope I made clear enough in the No Idea article already.
Copyright: Bar am Wasser
When you arrive in front of the Bar am Wasser, what you see of the interior, the location directly at the water and the building in which it is located immediately make you think you've stumbled upon a chic hotel bar. But it's actually just a normal, historic Zurich town house with a great view. The bar is very well-designed, as already mentioned you could think of a tasteful spot in a hotel. Timeless, textile, soft surfaces meet shiny marble and granite. A row of small tables, reminiscent of modern restaurants, lies against the opposite wall, sofa-table groupings opposite, stretching towards a surprisingly short bar counter with a cool, back bar that spans 2 levels.
I really dig the petrol-colored accents, the lamps with a slight Art Deco flair are also quite impressive. The shakers on the wall (see the photos) are not just nice decorations, but were actually sent by bartender friends from all over the world. A lot of effort, attention to detail and, above all, money has obviously gone into this.
After arriving, you are asked to wait briefly for the service to seat you, similar to a restaurant. The staff are smartly dressed, the bartenders wear white shirts, ties and fine aprons. Another detail I like, which is not always typical in chic bars that like to court their regulars: No reservations (only for 10 or more people, in the mentioned private rooms).
As a welcome, there's a liquid amuse-bouche, the contents of which I unfortunately haven't written down, but of which I still have a rough idea of citrus and tea notes in my head. Refreshing and always a nice gesture, which I've only had in No Idea and a few other bars I've visited so far. Also reminiscent of restaurants or hotel bars: the menu is divided into a cocktail menu (including a few selected spirits) and a second menu with food, full wine and spirit list, certainly also to make it easier to swap cocktails out.
While I was there, the menu had no special theme in that sense. The Bar am Wasser has had a partnership with Hublot, yes, the luxury watch manufacturer, for several years and presents several drinks directly sponsored on one menu page. Unusual, but quite honestly, I would find it more entertaining to see a menu in a high class bar sponsored by Gucci, for example, than constant contracts with the actual producers of the spirits, which inevitably leads to creative and ingredient-related restrictions. It is also interesting to be able to try a 3- or 5-course menu of drinks, put together in the advised culinary order, with a few Swiss francs saved compared to single orders. In addition to the signature drinks, sorted by high and low ABV, there was also an à la carte page with further signatures and riffs on classics, this time sorted by base spirit.
The selection of saké is a really cool bonus and worthy of special mention. There are 5-6 open, really quality saké and a few more to choose from on a special, beautifully designed page (see below) including a map of Japan. They also seem to be a fan aka partner of Monkey 47, as they have a dozen special vintages, as well as the Experimentum Series in its various bottlings. It goes without saying that you can also get top champagne by the bottle in Zurich and in a bar like this.
The food menu was somewhat surprisingly geared more towards snacks and starter-sized dishes. It would certainly be exciting to include more elaborate dishes here and perhaps even incorporate more food pairing, similar to the numerous events already held in cooperation with restaurants. The cheesecake I tried was absolutely fantastic, and this is coming from someone who takes cheesecake tasting and reviewing seriously enough that it comes right after cocktail and pizza ratings, but before almost anything else.
Walnut
| Walnut
| Maple
| Old Grapes
The walnuts are roasted here, married to the bourbon by sous vide, the “Old Grapes” refers to a wonderful P.X. Sherry called Aurora from Bodegas Yuste. I was also allowed to try it for free on request, and it convinced me of the classic Pedro Ximenez strengths, raisins, dates, fig jam and nuts everywhere. Together with the maple syrup, the result is a full-bodied, yet never sticky, elegant and well-rounded drink. A cocktail that is more about how well the flavors work together because they are so close to each other, rather than having a lot of complexity working against them. It's the kind of drink you could sip while sinking into your armchair at home in front of the fireplace.
Habanero Negroni
| Agave
| Habanero
| Cilantro
| Grape
| Wormwood
Here we have a Mezcal Negroni, prepared in combination with a habanero spirit made with the Rotovap and some cilantro bitters on top. Unfortunately, I don't know whether the “grape” simply means the vermouth. What I do know is that this is a very precise and well-balanced Negroni riff. Similar to my Indian inspired spiced Negroni in No Idea a day later: spicy, but never actually too hot, also capturing the light fruitiness of the habanero. Add to this the green spice of coriander, subtle bitter orange and notes of wormwood. Complex and one that allows you to take a long tasting journey in the mouth, even with the smallest sips.
The Bar am Wasser made me marvel at how much effort & commitment is possible with the obviously necessary (financial) backing behind it. I was all the more pleased when the realization came very quickly that the money and effort had been put to very good use here. Attention has been paid to the right things, the correct details had been considered and passion had been put into everything, instead of just showcasing a lot of bling bling and trusting it will work out automatically, as is too often the thinking elsewhere. The service was more than appropriate for the surroundings, the small touches like the amuse-bouche were refreshing and the drinks were top-notch. As a big fan of well-designed menus, I would be thrilled to find a more thematically specific menu on my next visit. Like the one from the year before, which I was kindly given as a souvenir, full of great drawings and a travel theme. But that would just be the cherry on top of another cherry on the cake.
/rds
Teile des damaligen Menüs (anklicken für Originalgröße):
