Haus Hiltl ★ 4.3
Hiltl's weekend brunch buffet: the canonical Swiss Birchermuesli, pastries, salads, hot vegetarian and vegan plates by weight or all-you-can-eat.
Order: Birchermuesli with seasonal fruit
History
Birchermuesli was developed by Maximilian Bircher-Benner, the Zurich physician who ran a Zurichberg sanatorium called Lebendige Kraft from 1904. He developed the recipe through nutritional experiments between roughly 1895 and 1900 and prescribed it as a raw, vitamin-rich morning meal to patients, modelled on a shepherd's breakfast he saw in the Swiss Alps. The original recipe used grated apple as the primary ingredient and oats only as a supplement, the modern proportions are roughly inverted. Haus Hiltl, opened 1898 down the hill, has served it ever since and is closest to the founding recipe.
Common allergens: Gluten, Milk, Nuts
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 100g rolled oats
- 200ml whole milk or natural yoghurt
- 1 large apple, unpeeled
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons hazelnuts, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Pinch of salt
Method
- The night before, combine oats and milk or yoghurt in a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.
- In the morning, grate the apple coarsely on a box grater (skin and all, core only discarded).
- Toss the apple with lemon juice to keep it from browning.
- Stir the apple, hazelnuts, honey and a pinch of salt through the soaked oats.
- Serve immediately while the apple is still crisp.
Tip from the editors. Use a tart apple (Granny Smith or Boskoop), not a soft eating apple, the texture matters.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Where to eat birchermuesli
Birchermuesli in Zurich
Cafe Spruengli ★ 4.4
Cafe Spruengli on Paradeplatz, opened 1836: hot chocolate, Luxemburgerli, croissants, salads, the most Zurich way to start a Sunday on Bahnhofstrasse.
Order: Hot chocolate with Luxemburgerli
More cities are in research. Want birchermuesli covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.