Zurich's honey-spiced biscuit: a paper-thin flat cookie embossed with scenes of city life, baked golden brown at high heat until crisp, traditionally given as Advent gifts.
Tirggel are a Zurich speciality dating back to at least the 14th century, originally baked from a stiff dough of flour and honey pressed into elaborately carved wooden moulds depicting saints, animals and city landmarks. By the 16th century the moulds had become genuine art objects, kept by professional Tirggelbecker (Tirggel bakers) for generations, and the biscuit became the customary Christmas-season Zurich gift. The contemporary versions sold by Honold and Cafe Spruengli use the same recipe (flour, honey, spices, no fat, no leavening) and the same moulds, often medieval-era originals.
3 editor picks for Tirggel in Zurich, ranked by editorial score. All Zurich signature dishes · Tirggel across every city.
Confiserie Spruengli ★ 4.7
Bahnhofstrasse 21, 8001 Zurich
Founded 1836 on Bahnhofstrasse, 190 years in 2026. Luxemburgerli macarons, handcrafted chocolates, pralines, the canonical Zurich confectionery counter.
Cafe Spruengli ★ 4.4
Bahnhofstrasse 21, 8001 Zurich
Cafe Spruengli on Paradeplatz, opened 1836: hot chocolate, Luxemburgerli, croissants, salads, the most Zurich way to start a Sunday on Bahnhofstrasse.
Cafe und Conditorei 1842 ★ 4.3
Napfgasse 4, 8001 Zurich
The former Conditorei Schober building, a monument-protected 13th-century house with four floors. Run since 2019 by the Arbeitskette Foundation as 1842.