Helvti Diner

We enjoyed a burger and fries. Very good. We were exploring Zurich and had walked a great deal. The person working cooked our burger and fries from scratch. A refreshing stop along the way.

I am still getting used to paying such high prices during my stay in this fine city, especially when a restaurant is rated with only $$. That being said, this place is a cute mix of nostalgia with a modern twist.

There are three burger options for beef eaters - I went with the middle one, Swiss Angus beef single patty ($22) which is topped with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles. The pickles are more like cucumbers that are less marinated but still tasty. Cheese and other toppings are extra. I added Swiss cheese because why not? Also went with the garlic mayonnaise.

Let me say this was one of the tastiest burgers. The quality of meat and cheese was phenomenal. I could taste the difference between an average fast food burger and this premium dish. The fries were also good (another add-on cost), thick cut and freshly fried.

They have an American beer selection from Brooklyn Brewery. I also saw them prepare a crazy fancy shake. It will not be a thick shake like you find in the US, more of a chocolate milk with toppings. I opted to skip it after my large meal.

Ambiance is nice, on the street corner, open with a good view of passerby's. Service is quick for Europe and moderately friendly, depending on your server. I did notice a lot of staff just standing around (maybe a slow night). Overall you will enjoy a fine meal here.

Vegetarian burger was yummy and service was very friendly and kind. Ambiance was very nice. Guests are mostly young and there are many couples too. Price is fair.

Miss American Burgers & Shakes in a casual diner setting? This is your place! But remember, it'll be in Zurich prices so each burger will be 25-30 CHF, don't be surprised it's not cheap.

POSITIVES: love the casual diner style ambiance and if you're there before sundown, you get a lot of natural light. Famous for their burgers, I loved their buns & their patties are very thick and juicy, I got the single patty and it was more than enough. Also, great service!

NEGATIVES: water service per person is 6 CHF! Way too expensive for a glass of water with a lemon...isn't this Switzerland, we can just drink tap water! The cheapest burger option (Swiss beef) was not amazing, a little dry on the outside and too red and chewy in the middle. I'm guessing their Angus beef or Wagyu beef options will be much better but also more expensive.

After my previous attempt to join the Yelp Burger Tour here was foiled by watching The Great Gatsby in 3D instead (couldn't say no to Leo ;))--I finally got to come here to try the famous burgers last Saturday! Yay!

The last time I came here was a couple of years ago, when it was Restaurant Bubu, and I had a bad experience with some food poisoning... and it was kind of dead on the weekend. But this time, it was PACKED at 8 pm on a Saturday night. Thank goodness we had made reservations, but even so, we still had to wait a bit at the bar first.

The bartender was a bit short with me when he asked what we wanted to drink, and I said I needed a menu. I guess he was really busy and kind of stressed out, but I was a bit shocked when he snapped at me to wait a moment. I hadn't meant to be rude, but I guess it didn't come across okay. Oh well.

I started with a lovely Amboss Amber beer that came in a bottle for CHF 7.50, but the bartender expertly poured it into a lovely glass for me.

Then we got seated at a low table which actually was more uncomfortable than sitting at the bar. Oh well.

I had the Swiss Prime Quarter Pounder (170gr) hamburger cooked medium with cocktail sauce (CHF 17.50) and onion rings with tarter sauce (CHF 9.50). The food was really delicious.

The onion rings were fried expertly and had a really nice crunchy coating. The burger was nice and juicy--my first real "American"-tasting burger since I've been in Switzerland. The bun was really tender and yummy, too. Very Q and chewy.

I washed it down with a yummy vanilla milkshake, my first "real" one in Switzerland! (CHF 12.50) It had a nice vanilla taste and generous amounts of whipped cream. The whipped cream was unsweetened, like most whipped creams I find in Switzerland, but it was still delicious with the shake.

Highly recommend this place if you are craving American-style food.

My first burger since the states! And it was so good! The place is quite adorable, like a chic Swiss version of an American diner. The great thing was you could watch them make the burgers in front of you, but the place was clean and pretty, unlike a lot of typical diners back in the states.

I ordered the Swiss Prime Burger. You have the option to add a fried egg, cheese, or bacon, but all cost extra and can definitely add up. I ordered the "Home Made Hot n Spicy Tomato Sauce" for 3 CHF, yikes. But I'll admit it was freaking good. The burger also came with a side of slaw, which tasted nice and was a good compliment with the sauce. It was a really good combo and I was happy the burger was big and juicy!

It's still hard for me to shell out 17CHF for a burger, and with the sauce 20CHF, even if it's a fantastic meal. To be honest, 20 isn't even THAT much compared to some other places.

All in all, it was a lot of fun. The place is sweet, the wait staff is great, and the burgers are fantastic!

Ich schreibe in DEUTCH YA YA YA!

So, Helvti Diner hast eine gut Lage. Ich kann da allein gehen! Ich bin ein gross Madchen! hahaha. Ok, muss ich ruhig sind. Auch ist der Hamburger gross und gut. Er ist 17CHF aber das ist gut. Die Leute sind nett und fleissig, und die Ort ist sehr hertzig und sauber.

Apparently, Helvti features a radically new menu now, mainly featuring burgers and sandwiches. The sandwiches are the better deal, at least 6 CHF cheaper than their burger counterparts, and coming with a salad and chips. If you order a burger, be prepared to pay extra for a salad or chips. Bacon, egg, etc are also extra.

My friend and I ordered a chicken sandwich along with a BLT. The BLT was packed with bacon, but it lacked flavor. There was none of that smoky salty flavor you attribute to bacon here. The salad was nice with fresh tomato, cucumber, and some pepper slices (capsicum). The chips also needed seasoning. This seemed to be the overall theme here. Even the chicken on my friend's sandwich lacked seasoning. Overall, you got physical quantity, but not taste quantity.

Good service, good food, and at a decent price.
With some seating outside (but the view's not so nice).

I had the BLT, and my hubby: burger and fries.
Even saved room for a brownie, which was a delight.

It's a rather small location, with a limited menu-
but they sure do well with the stuff that they do!

They had several beers, including a local brew.
(I love the Amboss Amber, yes I do)!

They get rather busy about 7 and after,
I think after work, this is where the folks gather.

In Zürich - as well as in Switzerland in general - we seem to like eating premium-made burgers and pay a big mark-up for them. Helvti dinner is emblematic of this trend, so there are two ways to look at it.

If you're looking for fast food - in the cheap sense - you won't like Helvti Dinner because you will find it extremely expensive.

But if you're looking to a well made burger, with good ingredients, served by - in my humble opinion - a friendly staff, this a safe bet.

Our last day of our European trip, and we really wanted nothing but a good burger for dinner. This place does not disappoint! The service was great and the other reviews were accurate about it being pricey - but we agreed that the Classic Angus burger (and onion rings) killed it - and was better than the states! Veronica took great care of us. Make reservations - it was hot and less crowded here today but normally you can't get in without reservations.