Mats Klingberg’s perfect weekend in Zürich

“I always rise early on Saturday, have a coffee and some Bircher muesli, then go for a run from my place in Seefeld down to the lake. The forest scenery is beautiful and next to the water there’s a bathing club called Badi Utoquai: a swim there clears my head before the day starts. 

Areas 4 and 5 of Zürich, where I go shopping afterwards, are like London’s Shoreditch. Some of my favourite stores are around Helvetiaplatz, including Soeder*, which sells mostly products made in Switzerland, including the Swiss equivalents of Aesop. I buy its basic T-shirts, and soaps and shampoos. Nearby is Kazu Swiss, run by a woman who is half Swiss, half Japanese. Most of her designs use old kimono fabrics, and while they are mainly for women, her stuff is all bespoke, so she caters to men as well. I love the notion of mixing Swiss and Japanese styles. Limited Stock, in the Old Town, sells interesting objects that also combine these two influences. I might drop into Hochparterre Bücher, a bookshop that prints its own magazine and has lots of design material. 

Pelikamo is a favourite menswear store because of its focus on great products and great service in a great space. It sounds simple, but getting all these factors right is where lots of others fail. It sells primarily its own brand and has a nice range of wardrobe essentials – knitwear, jackets, trousers – ranging from casual to smart.

Over at Paradeplatz, which has a lot of the fancier stores, there’s a fragrance specialist called Spitzenhaus, which has offbeat, up-and-coming brands like Fueguia 1833. It also stocks Klubwasser, the latest fragrance from Vienna’s WienerBlut. It’s a blend of neroli, angelica root, banana leaf, ivy, nettle and smoked wood that feels warm and sensual, yet fresh and light – and the green bottle looks great on my bathroom shelf.

At lunchtime, I’ll go by boat with some friends for fresh fish and salad at Bürgli, by the lake. The place is typically Swiss – all white with green shutters and a pretty rose garden. Before I go to buy groceries, I’ll stop for coffee at Bauschänzli, a beer garden with great views of the surrounding countryside. Then I’ll go to a nearby branch of the department store Globus to pick up steaks, vegetables and wine from the big food hall. I like Swiss reds because they are lighter than Italian or French wines. Blauburgunder, which is like a Pinot Noir, is served slightly chilled, so it’s easy to drink. On the way home, I’ll stop at Martin Grossenbacher, my go-to florist: whatever they put together always feels lovely and fresh. 

For dinner, I might eat with friends at Kronenhalle, one of Zürich’s most famous restaurants. It’s nearly 100 years old and has an amazing art collection, with works by Miró and Chagall. The story goes that during the second world war artists living in the city paid for meals with their work, so the collection here is worth a fortune. The Kronenhalle geschnetzeltes, a traditional dish of veal in a creamy sauce with rösti, is one of the best things on the menu. We sometimes have a nightcap at Rimini Bar, which is a bathing club during the day.   

The shops are closed on Sunday, so it’s a day to do nothing – but I do go back to Badi Utoquai. It’s open to the public from April to October, but as a member of the sauna I can go all year round. I spend the afternoon reading, then cook dinner for friends before catching up on TV or a film. Anything with Julianne Moore is fine by me.”

Badi Utoquai, Utoquai 50, 8008 (stadt-zuerich.ch). Bauschänzli, Stadthausquai 2, 8001. Bürgli, Kilchbergstr 15, 8038 (restaurantbuergli.ch). Globus, Theaterstr 12, 8001. Hochparterre Bücher, Gasometerstr 28, 8005. Kazu Swiss, Ankerstr 122, 8004 (kazu.swiss). Kronenhalle, Rämistr 4, 8001 (kronenhalle.ch). Limited Stock, Spiegelgasse 22, 8001 (limited-stock.com). Martin Grossenbacher Blumen, Dufourstr 85, 8008 (martingrossenbacher.ch). Pelikamo, Pelikanstr 11, 8001 (pelikamo.com). Rimini Bar, Badweg 10, 8001. Soeder*, Ankerstr 124, 8004 (en.soeder.ch). Spitzenhaus Parfumerie, Börsenstr 14, 8001 (spitzenhaus.com).