Haus Hiltl
A “hybrid” for all seasons!

“Healthy indulgences” is the business motto adopted by restaurateurs Marielle and Rolf Hiltl at Haus Hiltl in the heart of Zurich, Switzerland. In a space of a year Europe’s fi rst and oldest vegetarian restaurant has been entirely revamped, doubling in size as a result. It also signalled the fulfi lment of a trendsettingly hybrid concept in gastronomy. Indeed Haus Hiltl caters fully for the way in which its guests’ culinary needs change as the day progresses, with food offers that are always of the highest quality and appeal.

An effi cient coffee counter with ultra-hygienic milk system: the two Sinfonia Gold fully automatic coffee machines in the offi ce of the restaurant on the fi rst fl oor of Haus Hiltl.

When Ambrosius Hiltl took over as manager of the failing Vegetarierheim und Abstinenz-Café, established in 1898, on Sihlstrasse 28 in the centre of Zurich in 1903, he could not have imagined what would become of it more than a hundred years later. The Hiltl, now in its fourth generation, has realised a highly innovative, urban, hybrid and multifunctional gastronomy concept that has set the standard far beyond the limits of the city on the River Limmat, catering entirely to the needs of its contemporary guests and diners. Patrons who, depending on the time of day or the situation, have vastly differing culinary needs – from wanting a quick vegetarian snack to savouring superior non-meat gastronomy.

Where guests are taken seriously
Haus Hiltl is a “guest house” in the true sense of the word because here guests and their changing demands are taken very seriously indeed. It is a restaurant, a bar, a café-conditorei, a cookery workshop, a retail shop and a take-away, all in one.

“Healthy indulgences”
Everything at Haus Hiltl is based on the principle of healthy enjoyment. Hosts Marielle and Rolf Hiltl regard vegetarian cuisine as part of a culinary wealth based solely on quality and taste, on variety and diversity – as a challenge to do more with less. As gastronomy entrepreneur Rolf Hiltl says: “Good food is all about high quality ingredients, fresh preparation and culinary expertise.” The new Haus Hiltl is open daily from at least 6 am to 2 am the following morning, and even 4 am on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Hot food is served daily and continuously from 10.30 am to 11.30 pm. The new Haus Hiltl entailed investments of six million Swiss francs and, with seating for a total of 430 guests, now offers roughly twice the capacity it did before the renovation and extension work began, which involved combining three properties with different ownership structures into a single ensemble. Each day some 2,000 guests come to the restaurant. 100 staff from 35 nations are there to attend to the needs of guests and visitors.

A hybrid atmosphere
According to the Guinness Book of Records Haus Hiltl was Europe’s first vegetarian establishment; as such it reflects the world of its patrons, refusing to adhere to any particular architectural style in its interior decor — the design elements on display at Haus Hiltl are eclectic to say the least, ranging from Grandma Hiltl’s traditional chandeliers to design furniture, from 18th century oil paintings to a daringly modern bar design with an ornamental zinc counter from France mounted on a solid polished concrete plinth.

The new Haus Hiltl appeals even to meat enthusiasts.

The Hiltls have succeeded in creating a unique atmosphere that blends a variety of antique and futuristic embellishments with the elegant fabrics of Ralph Lauren Home, one that lends atmospheric notes while ensuring a degree of transparency and change. Although it is a large restaurant by virtue of its seating capacity, the premises built around the central show kitchens behind their transparent glass partitions in the basement area create highly individualistic, versatile and varied surroundings – in a word, a hybrid!

A neat and tidy coffee counter
Quality, honesty and transparency are the mainstays of the entrepreneurial policy at Haus Hiltl, as expressed among others by the highquality of the  coffeedispensing facilities.

While Rolf Hiltl sets great store by neat coffee dispensing in the traditional style, he is also receptive to the current trends in demand for coffee consumption among the younger clientele, especially since the new Haus Hiltl is aiming to appeal even more to the younger, more mobile generations of guests.

Coffee-and-milk beverages such as café crème, cappuccino and the trendy latte macchiato are the uncontested favourites of the young generation of guests, which is why the new Haus Hiltl also invested heavily in a new, modern and contemporary coffeecounter infrastructure as part of its makeover project. First Rolf Hiltl went about extensively testing various coffeecounter concepts and coffee machines in practical, everyday operations over a period of several months at the temporary Hiltl premises in the Zurich Stock Exchange; he then consulted at length with his restaurant managers and tasted for himself the coffee quality served up by the various coffee machines.

Coffee symphony from Franke
In the end Rolf Hiltl opted to acquire two Franke Sinfonia fully automatic coffee machines with milk system, in the elegant gold edition. They now stand in the offi cearea of the Hiltl Restaurant on the fi rst fl oor, where they have already proved their worth. “We received excellent advice from the specialists at Franke,” says Rolf Hiltl. “The coffee concept from Franke is convincing in terms of both its quality and its hygiene standards.”

Hugo Lobsiger, Key Account Manager of Franke Kaffeemaschinen AG, next to the two top Sinfonia fully automatic coffee machines from Franke with milk system and milk storage in the underthe- counter buffet.