Close Menu
  • City trips
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Egypt
      • Mauritius
      • Morocco
      • Namibia
    • Asia
      • China
      • India
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Maldives
      • Oman
      • Philippines
      • Singapore
    • Australia
      • New South Wales
      • New Zealand
      • Queensland
    • Europe
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Bulgary
      • Croatia
      • Cyprus
      • Czech Republic
      • England
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Italy
      • Lithuania
      • Netherlands
      • Norway
      • Portugal
        • Azores
      • Russia
      • Spain
        • Ibiza
        • Lanzarote
        • Mallorca
      • Switzerland
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Mexico
  • Hotel tipps
  • Swiss hiking
Recent Posts
  • Istrian Gourmet Experiences: 3 Stellar Restaurants + Our Wishlist for Next Time
  • What to Do Around Trieste: From Fairy-Tale Castles to Spectacular Caves, and Slovenia’s Capital
  • What to Do in Trieste: Explore Italy’s Coffee Capital One Cup at a Time
  • Madeira, the Island of Flowers: 19 Tips for Activities and Attractions.
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS
  • Home
  • About us
  • Media kit
  • Contact
  • Privacy policy
travelmemo
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
  • Home
  • Commendable hotels
  • Golf
  • Restaurants
  • Hiking
  • City Trips
travelmemo
You are at:Home»Switzerland»NENI restaurant in 25hours Langstrasse – Zurich’s newest in-eatery!
Switzerland

NENI restaurant in 25hours Langstrasse – Zurich’s newest in-eatery!

Walter SchaererBy Walter SchaererMay 2, 201716 Mins Read
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

Zurich has a new NENI restaurant. It comes with a hotel: The 25hours Langstrasse, which sparkles not just because of its special location between the red-light district and Europaallee (Europa Avenue), its colorful design rooms and Kamasutra-themed bar, but also because of this restaurant serving Mediterranean fare with a Middle Eastern flair.

But, don’t even think about spontaneously dropping in, especially evenings: ever since the opening, this is an in-destination and, for all practical purposes, booked solid!

It was only fairly recently that the design oasis of the Hotel 25hours Langstrasse rose on the border between Zurich’s Europaallee and the red light district. Outside it, the still somewhat unfinished forecourt looks “urban” at best, if not to say ugly: scattered about the buckling asphalt stand “vintage” brand garden chairs, and you’ll search far and wide for shade.

As I enter the building at the corner of Langstrasse and Lagerstrasse, a slight irritation sets in again: can this really by the official entrance to the hotel? A house cat fixes me in its stare while sunning itself comfortably on a luggage trolley. And what are those bags hanging from the concrete ceiling? It’s not Friday shopping night, is it? And what’s with the many kinds of exotic-looking colored luminaires?

House cat on a luggage trolley
House cat on a luggage trolley
Lobby with shopping bags
Lobby hung with Freitag bags

But, I really shouldn’t be surprised; after all, the design for 25hours Langstrasse sprang from the pen of Werner Aisslinger, the pro who did the interiors of the spectacular 25hours Bikini hotel in Berlin (read our review here). And designer Aisslinger goes for the “wild mix”!  In Zurich, he might have found himself inspired by the contrasts between banks and the red-light district or between art and railway tracks. Makes sense, since “urban nomads” is the demographic targeted by the newly-opened hotel. It includes not just bankers but also creative types who make culture or artsy tourists.

And hungry city dwellers!

NENI Restaurant – congenial chaos

NENI is the establishment and culinary concept of the Molcho family, originally from Tel Aviv. It is fielded by kitchen virtuoso Haya Molcho and her four sons, Nuriel, Elior, Nadiv and Ilan. The first letters of her son’s names go to make up the “NENI” name.  

In Tel Aviv, family and friends are an important part of life of city life and so they remain for the exuberant Haya Molcho. Her family’s Israeli, Romanian, and Spanish roots help shape her concept. At NENI, life revolves around shared dishes, passion and joie de vivre — in short, it is balagan, i.e. “congenial chaos.”

At the side table, the high-spirited Haya tests various dishes with her boys. It’s easy to see why the family motto is:

Life is beautiful. Be part of it!

There are already successful NENI restaurants in Vienna, Berlin, and Hamburg. In Zurich, along with the Middle Eastern meze of hot and cold dishes, premium meats from the glowing hot Josper grill are supposed to delight. In fact, they do so excellently! Not only are we gaga over them, but also over the attentive service by Anke, our server seconded here from the Berlin NENI to break in her new Zurich colleagues.

Anke of the NENI Restaurant
Anke of the 25hours Bikini Berlin NENI Restaurant
NENI in neon in the hotel restaurant
NENI in neon in the hotel restaurant
Table with the construction site look
Table with the construction site look
 Hors d'oeuvres of olives with pita
Hors d’oeuvres of olives with pita
Sabich is a street food specialty
Sabich is a street food specialty from Tel Aviv
The NENI restaurant's open kitchen
The NENI restaurant’s open kitchen
NENI restaurant tab and the Molcho family
NENI restaurant tab and the Molcho family
Haya Molcho with three of her four sons
Haya Molcho with three of her four sons in the hotel kitchen
Night time view fromNENI restaurant
Night time view from Zurich’s NENI restaurant

Be sure to make your evening reservations here! The restaurant has enjoyed great popularity from Day One!

Hotel 25hours Langstrasse – the restaurant comes with a hotel

To be sure, bare concrete in the red-light district is not everyone’s thing. Moreover, since the Cinchona hotel bar is decorated with an outsized Middle Eastern love scene. But, bear in mind that 25hours CEO Christoph Hoffmann and hotel director Anita Vogler after all envisioned it as a design hotel for the daring…

Challenge accepted!

Daredevils that we are, Katja and I thus bedded down to listen into the urban night in the colorfully-decorated hotel room.

Katja and Walter in the elevator
Katja and Walter in the elevator of the 25hours Langstrasse
Shower in the double room
Shower with a view
Bathroom 25hours hotel Zurich
Bathroom

NENI restaurant in 25hours Langstrasse - Zurich's newest in-eatery! 1 | travel memo
NENI restaurant in 25hours Langstrasse - Zurich's newest in-eatery! 2 | travel memo
NENI restaurant in 25hours Langstrasse - Zurich's newest in-eatery! 3 | travel memo
NENI restaurant in 25hours Langstrasse - Zurich's newest in-eatery! 4 | travel memo
NENI restaurant in 25hours Langstrasse - Zurich's newest in-eatery! 5 | travel memo
NENI restaurant in 25hours Langstrasse - Zurich's newest in-eatery! 6 | travel memo

View through the shower
View through the shower

There was not much to be heard in the hotel room until the alarm clock sounded the next morning to remind us of the task that we had set for ourselves: testing the Middle East-inspired breakfast buffet…

But, not before I get under the rain shower first. So what if the shower head is not quite the size of a satellite dish, like the one in the Vals Thermal Spa? The shower stall still measures almost 2 meters across diagonally; it must be one of the largest of its kind. And it’s all glassed in.

Fantastic!

Wide awake and fresh, we set to the ample breakfast buffet. For “normal guests,” there are the usual muesli, bacon and eggs and the like. But, adventurers that we are, we go for something Middle Eastern: Having been turned on to the taste of menemen (a dish of eggs and tomatoes) for breakfast in Istanbul, this time I went for the shosushka! The Israeli variant of this egg dish measures up in every way.  But, that said, shouldn’t the skillet really be the same size as the shower head?

Well, ok; the portion in any event is enough to let me survive until lunch…

NENI restaurant breakfast buffet
NENI restaurant breakfast buffet
Mashawsha: Garbanzos and avocado
Mashawsha: Garbanzos and avocado from the breakfast buffet
Shoshuka egg and tomato dish for breakfast
Shoshuka egg and tomato dish for breakfast

Invigorated, we finally tore ourselves away to dive into the commercial bustle in the design oasis conceived by the Zurich architectural studio E2A. Like Pia Simmendinger, who heads up PR for E2A, we are curious how the district’s social scene will change: Will the 25hours hotel crowd, district residents, the red-light district denizens, the business people and Googlers hit it off? Add to the urban mix that the KOSMOS Culture Center right next to the 25hours hotel is slated to begin drawing visitors starting in September 2017…

Address

Restaurant NENI Zurich in 25hours Langstrasse Hotel
Langstrasse 150
8004 Zurich

To the restaurant’s website

Warm thanks!

Hearty thanks to Anita Vogler for the invitation! Thanks also go to Anke and the Molcho family for the memorable description of the restaurant’s business background: the chefs were trained at the Molcho headquarters in Vienna, some even flown to Tel Aviv to really absorb the culture in authentic fashion! Also, a great thank you to Pia Simmendinger for filling us in on the new construction for her architectural studio!

Lamp shade in the lounge
Lamp shade in the lounge
Lobby with kiosk
Lobby with kiosk
Corridor with room numbers
Corridor with knitted room numbers
Cinchona Bar 25hours hotel
Cinchona Bar with Middle Eastern love scene
Stairs to restrooms
Stairs to restrooms in the basement
Basement staircase 25hours hotel
Basement staircase
25hours Restaurant
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Previous ArticleRustico Castello del Sole – Lunching between Heaven and Earth
Next Article Locanda Barbarossa – farm to table in Switzerland’s Castello del Sole restaurant
Walter Schaerer
  • Facebook
  • X (Twitter)
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn

Walter’s extensive background in the travel industry, passionate enthusiasm for photography and a firm belief that luxury destinations can also be affordable; were some of the main factors that motivated him to create the travel blog travelmemo.com. In his day job, Walter is an online marketing manager based in Zurich, Switzerland.

Related Posts

Istrian Gourmet Experiences: 3 Stellar Restaurants + Our Wishlist for Next Time

May 28, 2025

Blausee – Trip tip for a mountain lake in Bernese Oberland

February 21, 2023

A mountain high on the Jungfraujoch, the Top of Europe

April 15, 2022
View 1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Timothy Walder on September 18, 2017 11:33 AM

    Also check http://www.lastminutetable.ch for more cool Restaurants in Zürich

    Reply
Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Travel along to inspiring destinations
Welcome to our travel blog! Katja & Walter are passionate about one-of-a-kind travel experiences.



We aim at inspiring you to travel, too, and see your own world with new eyes. Check out more about us here!

Travel blog on one-of-a-kind travel experiences.

About us
About us

Katja and Walter are passionate travel bloggers that care about design and boutique hotels and the personalised experience they offer. Their travelogues cater to discerning couples interested in a stylish atmosphere and romantic hideaways.

Walter & Katja founded the travel blog back in 2010.

Read more about us here!

Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube RSS
Our latest travelogues

Istrian Gourmet Experiences: 3 Stellar Restaurants + Our Wishlist for Next Time

What to Do Around Trieste: From Fairy-Tale Castles to Spectacular Caves, and Slovenia’s Capital

What to Do in Trieste: Explore Italy’s Coffee Capital One Cup at a Time

Madeira, the Island of Flowers: 19 Tips for Activities and Attractions.

Hiking in Madeira: discover the breathtaking beauty of the Island of Flowers

Sardinian Shores Unveiled: An Unforgettable Self-Guided Boat Journey Along the Rugged East Coast

Southern Sardinia Uncovered: From Cagliari’s Charms and Chia’s Flamingos to the Beaches of Costa Rei

Sardinia’s Eastern Shores: Discovering Orosei and the Hidden Beaches from Cala Liberotto to Cala Goloritzé

Our travel topics
Alps (54) Animals (15) Architecture (38) Beach (33) Boutique Hotel (73) City Trip (39) Contributions (30) Country House (17) Culture (26) Design (69) Dinner (23) Experience (38) Flight (9) Golf (18) Gourmet (35) Hiking (21) Itinerary (9) Lake (16) Landscape (74) Lodge (24) Luxury (63) Masseria (9) Mr and Mrs Smith (15) Museum (9) Nature (102) Puglia (13) Relais & Châteaux (16) Relax (13) Rental Car (26) Resort (31) Restaurant (42) Road Trip (9) Rural (23) Safari (21) Shopping (9) Singapore (9) Spa-Wellness (47) Summer (8) Swiss Deluxe Hotels (16) Sydney (11) Tour (28) Wilderness Safaris (8) Winter (22) Zermatt (12) Zurich (13)
Join us in inspiring destinations!

Welcome to our travel blog!

Katja & Walter are passionate about one-of-a-kind travel experiences.

We aim at inspiring you to travel, too, and see your own world with new eyes. Check out more about us here!

© travelmemo.com by Walter Schaerer & Katja Birrer
  • Home
  • About us
  • Media kit
  • Contact
  • Privacy policy
© 2010 - 2025 Travelmemo, Zurich, Switzerland
  • Home
  • About us
  • Media kit
  • Contact
  • Privacy policy

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.