Zurich: Dining Solo at Sein – The Vegetarian Tasting Menu

Update: Sein is now permanently closed

When I was in Zurich in September, I was lucky to score a table at Sein on a short notice Friday night. I was traveling solo, but I don’t mind dining on my own. Sometimes I even feel that it’s easier to focus on the food and truly enjoy the meal, when I don’t have to think about being social while I’m eating:)

There are two tasting menus at Sein: One for the carnivores and one for the vegetarians. I chose the vegetarian one, and I didn’t look back. The food was innovative and delicious, and even though chef Martin Surbeck was playing around with textures and flavors, this was done with a steady hand, and an admirable sense of what works.

As I stepped inside the restaurant, I was greeted as a dear old friend, and throughout the meal the staff stopped by regularly to chat and ask about my thoughts on about the food. I don’t think I could have found a better place for dining solo.

In between the dishes, small edible surprises arrived at the table, and the staff would then ask me to guess the ingredients. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be, and I failed epically, but what a fun way to engage the guests and make them really taste the food.