Café Schmiede

"Zurich has a large Lebanese diaspora community and many lovely Lebanese restaurants. Schmiede’s owners left Lebanon 30 years ago to come to Switzerland, and their restaurant has a particularly comforting vibe that’s lacking in some of the other places closer to the center of town. In order to try a bit of everything, go for the mezzeteller, literally “plate of meze.” While the menu lists a set selection of meze on the platter, the staff will let you swap items out for your own favorites. The lubia bil-zeit is particularly rich, with sliced long beans in a tomato-olive oil sauce. Make sure you have a bit of labneh in your selection, which you can scoop up with some bread together with the lubia."