Melissa Morris & Silka Rittson-Thomas Insider guide to Zurich
Designer Melissa Morris, founder of Métier & Art Advisor Silka Rittson-Thomas are often on the road. For business or for pleasure, they are no strangers to discovering new destinations. Both based in London, they found themselves in an endless love affair with Zurich.
Melissa Morris (left) / Silka Rittson-Thomas (right)
You are both based in London, tell us about your love affair with Zurich.
Melissa Morris: I visit twice a year. It's always a treat for me, something I reward myself with. I fell in love with the city the first time I went. I love this merging of a picturesque quintessential European city with this gorgeous lake that everyone swims in like you are in the country. The city is like heaven to me. Everything is just perfectly in place.
Silka Rittson-Thomas: I go to Zurich about 10 -15 times a year for work and also in transit. I visit Basel every year since I have worked in the arts - probably since 2003 And I go to other exhibitions there too. At the Kunsthalle the Kunstmuseum and of Course the Beyerle.
Kunsthaus Museum_Image via Travel and Leisure
Where would we find you on a day off?
MM: Morning in the lake, followed by a visit to the Rietberg, then a long lunch at the See Rose. Then a walk around the lake, then cocktails and dinner at the Kronenhalle.
SRT: All day long at the Seebad Enge for dips in the lake and swim under the fountain and meetings. (Yes! Meetings!) It’s my favourite work spot and cocktails and dinner at the Kronenhalle, of course, and a nightcap or dive to the somewhat seedy Old Fashion bar.
One thing to bring back from Zurich?
MM: Sprüngli treats!
SRT: Same!! Luxemburgerli from Confiserie Sprüngli!
How would you define the city’s style?
MM: Timeless, elegant, practical, classic.
SRT: Relaxed but precise and orderly, but individualistic and occasionally eccentric.
Where would you find the most creative people in Zurich and why?
MM: In the many art galleries around the city.
SRT: Kreis 4 and Kreis 5 are the areas with the most creatives. Favourite galleries are Galerie Gregor Staiger run by Gregor Staiger and his partner Marie Lusa, who is also my favourite graphic designer and Karma International run Marina Olsen and Karolina Dankov and the GTA program run by Niels Olsen and Fredi Fischli.
Where should we explore to get a good sense of Zurich artistic identity?
MM: In the many art galleries and museums around the city. See Silka's list!
SRT: The Museum fuer Gestaltung is an incredible resource of Design history and part of the University Faculty. The Kunsthaus Zürich with its recent extension by David Chipperfield. The collection spans from the Middle Ages to contemporary art, with an emphasis on Swiss art.
Zurich’s best kept secret?
MM: The outdoors! The lake,walking around the city with the air so clear... A quick drive to the mountains... It's magic.
SRT: Agree with Melissa, and the forest! My favourite place somewhat is the Bahnhof as it connects you so quickly to the most incredible mountain places and the airport.
Melissa’s all-time favorite spots in the city
Kronenhalle Bar. One of my favorite places in the world. It is just the quintessential European dining room - with the most incredible design and art. It is just so elegant and so delicious and lacks any pretension while being utterly sophisticated. The bar is also very dangerous. It's much darker than the restaurant - and the design lent a lot of inspiration for the design of the Métier flagship.
Seerose for a long lunch with a crisp bottle of white and sea bass in a salt crust. Its on the lake and a bit of a drive out of the center- which feels like a getaway in and of itself. Make sure to sit on the water outside.
Terrasse for lunch (sitting outside on the terrace!)... and overlooking the chocolate box city!
Sprungli for chocolates and nibbles- its touristy and not cheap- but its magic to me. Its just delicious and so heavenly. Those little sandwiches... its just that quintessential European dream that feels so decadent and civilized.
Galerie Gregor Staiger- Silka introduced me and I really am a fan. I have a small girl crush on Marie Lusa, who runs the gallery and is a close friend of Silka's. She has such perfect taste. I bought a Lucy Stein piece from this gallery last year. I am really excited to start collecting.
I also love the Rietberg- its that perfect small museum that's hidden away up in the hills and has incredible antique ceramics and tapestries.It's stunning.
But the ultimate is THE LAKE! Diving in after a long night out with Silka is the only remedy to be able to keep up with her from gallery to gallery... it is magical to wake up in the morning, a bit foggy, muster up the energy to put your bathing suit on, run out of your hotel and straight into the lake. Silka and I especially like to break rules (the swiss do NOT appreciate a jay-walker) but even less so did they appreciate 2 women swimming in the mens area! But in our defense, that was wear the diving board was! For hotels I love the Alex Lake or the Marktgasse.
Silka’s all-time favorite spots in the city
The Lake - and the Badi so-called "baths" and public "swimming pools". And also the Utoqai Bad, I normally stay at the Staigenberger right opposite - the morning dip during gallery weekend clears all sins in a beat
Best galleries - favorites are Gregor Staiger Gallery and Karma International then there is the powerhouse of Hauser and Wirth, Eva Presenhuber etc. one of the hidden gems is GTA exhibitions founded by Freddi Fischli and Niels Olsen, at the faculty of Architecture at the ETH Zurich
Favourite bars/ restaurants - of course, the Kronenhalle designed by the iconic designers Trix and Robert Haussmann, Bar 63 at the seedy Langstrasse - best cocktails and around the corner from another favourite place; the design studio Studio Marie Lusa- great after a day of work - and I love a little Japanese place called Ikoo
Favourite museums - Kunsthaus with its recent extension by David Chipperfield. The Migros Museum, The Kunsthalle and the Rietberg Museum of incredible Chinese and Oriental treasures and exceptional thematic etymologic exhibitions. Another gem is the Johan Jacobs Museum dedicated to exhibitions about interdepencies of the world. The architecture is fantastic and I first saw a Lina bo bardi exhibition there in 2014 and now try to go as much as possible. The Museum fuer Gestaltung- its an incredible resource of Design history and part of the University Faculty.
Favorite shops - IKOUTSCHUESS handcrafted objects - best scarfs and pillows - cofounded by my amazing friend and LA-based artist Carmen’ D Appollonio and Guya Marini- they finally opened a shop in 2010 after knitting on the beach for years. Then a few years back the wonderful sisters and collectors opened TASONI - completely fantastic.