I went this summer for a few days so my info is fairly up to date.
Zuerich is ridiculously expensive. Especially now that CHF is strong against EUR and USD. I have decent cash flow but did not feel I was getting very good value there; and I was watching my spend when going out.
Girls take good care of themselves, remind me of German girls in many respects, but definitely more unassuming. The Swiss girls I know are good, polite and a bit reserved. Feminine and attractive. They range from natural blondes to mediterranean French/Italian features.
Zuerich appears dead during the week. Didn't go out on weekdays. My impression is that on weekdays (Sunday-Wednesday) there is usually one venue where there's something going on but you won't have a lot to choose from. On weekends nightlife goes on till late, with the last places closing up at 5am. Locals pregame at home and head out at midnight.
Not sure where would be good for daygame. One option could be Rote Fabrik slightly outside the centre. It's a cultural centre in an old industrial space by the lake. Has a bar, cafe, people working on their laptops or playing backgammon. It's about a 10 minute bus ride from the Bellevue bus terminal. Otherwise the high end shops on Bahnhofstrasse attract a steady stream of talent.
Here we go, Caligula's breakdown of Zuerich nightlife
Zukunft - My favourite in Zuerich. Very cool two-floor venue in the red light district. There's a bar and dancefloor in the basement and a lower key bar upstairs. I was even approached by a girl there and got almost entirely positive responses to my approaches. Very good vibe apart from some rowdy drunks who spilled my drink. Had great approaches there and was only defeated by poor logistics in the end. Hard techno downstairs and mellower music upstairs (hiphop) means you can switch between them. You are allowed to smoke anywhere inside the place. Ratio started off very good and got very poor towards the end of the night. Costs 20 CHF to get in; beer is about 6 CHF and cocktails 10 CHF.
Kaufleuten - MASSIVE electro club. Position yourself just inside near the main entrance. Here you can catch the passing traffic and rack up tons of approaches. My hit rate was lower here as some of the hot girls were extremely bitchy and quick to shoot me down. The crowd is peroxide fake tan bombshells, high school girls and hipster/fashion girls. Some of the girls I spoke to there complained of the 'stuck up' crowd but it suited me fine apart from the heightened bitchiness. The guys are guido types or yuppies; a lot of them have a very Italian look going on. They have a strict door policy (which also means they keep a decent girl/guy ratio), but I believe it's possible to get in without guest list. Better check ahead before heading over there.
It has an indoor smoking area. Has a great VIP on the top floor with a less crowded bar and a view of the main dance floor. It's a great venue to isolate or switch places in since it's so big, you can wander around for quite a while without getting bored. There's also a sofa area by the entrance where the music is lower key and you can approach or have conversations. I just sat on the sofa for half an hour and hollered at the passing talent. This place is pricy, with bottled beer going for 12 CHF and the cover at the door is 20 CHF.
Stald 6 - Cool club in converted stables. There's a long bar and a big dancefloor inside. Hipster heavy crowd, good ratio and fun music on Saturdays (Balkan night). It's 20 CHF to get in on weekends and drinks. Friendly crowd, lots of dancing, big groups of people outside at the back and at the front smoking. Not that big a venue. Ratio was a bit too cock heavy for my liking, but I'm sure it can be fun.
Long Street - low key bar on Langstrasse that gets rowdy late at night. Didn't get up to much in there, but seemed like a cool place. The Red Light District around Langstrasse seems like a good place to bar hop, though there are a lot of strip joints and seedy pubs that you'll want to avoid unless you're in the market for a 50 year old ex-streetwalker. Prostitution is legal there so the area isn't too shady, though I'd use caution if there alone late at night as there are some odd characters about. There are also a bunch of hipster heavy places there.
On Langstrasse there are some good kebab joints if you need a late night snack.
Cafe Odeon - Bohemian spot with friendly crowd. Great date venue in the evening. Also good place to start off a night in civilised surroundings. Open till 4am on weekends.
Zuerich is ridiculously expensive. Especially now that CHF is strong against EUR and USD. I have decent cash flow but did not feel I was getting very good value there; and I was watching my spend when going out.
Girls take good care of themselves, remind me of German girls in many respects, but definitely more unassuming. The Swiss girls I know are good, polite and a bit reserved. Feminine and attractive. They range from natural blondes to mediterranean French/Italian features.
Zuerich appears dead during the week. Didn't go out on weekdays. My impression is that on weekdays (Sunday-Wednesday) there is usually one venue where there's something going on but you won't have a lot to choose from. On weekends nightlife goes on till late, with the last places closing up at 5am. Locals pregame at home and head out at midnight.
Not sure where would be good for daygame. One option could be Rote Fabrik slightly outside the centre. It's a cultural centre in an old industrial space by the lake. Has a bar, cafe, people working on their laptops or playing backgammon. It's about a 10 minute bus ride from the Bellevue bus terminal. Otherwise the high end shops on Bahnhofstrasse attract a steady stream of talent.
Here we go, Caligula's breakdown of Zuerich nightlife
Zukunft - My favourite in Zuerich. Very cool two-floor venue in the red light district. There's a bar and dancefloor in the basement and a lower key bar upstairs. I was even approached by a girl there and got almost entirely positive responses to my approaches. Very good vibe apart from some rowdy drunks who spilled my drink. Had great approaches there and was only defeated by poor logistics in the end. Hard techno downstairs and mellower music upstairs (hiphop) means you can switch between them. You are allowed to smoke anywhere inside the place. Ratio started off very good and got very poor towards the end of the night. Costs 20 CHF to get in; beer is about 6 CHF and cocktails 10 CHF.
Kaufleuten - MASSIVE electro club. Position yourself just inside near the main entrance. Here you can catch the passing traffic and rack up tons of approaches. My hit rate was lower here as some of the hot girls were extremely bitchy and quick to shoot me down. The crowd is peroxide fake tan bombshells, high school girls and hipster/fashion girls. Some of the girls I spoke to there complained of the 'stuck up' crowd but it suited me fine apart from the heightened bitchiness. The guys are guido types or yuppies; a lot of them have a very Italian look going on. They have a strict door policy (which also means they keep a decent girl/guy ratio), but I believe it's possible to get in without guest list. Better check ahead before heading over there.
It has an indoor smoking area. Has a great VIP on the top floor with a less crowded bar and a view of the main dance floor. It's a great venue to isolate or switch places in since it's so big, you can wander around for quite a while without getting bored. There's also a sofa area by the entrance where the music is lower key and you can approach or have conversations. I just sat on the sofa for half an hour and hollered at the passing talent. This place is pricy, with bottled beer going for 12 CHF and the cover at the door is 20 CHF.
Stald 6 - Cool club in converted stables. There's a long bar and a big dancefloor inside. Hipster heavy crowd, good ratio and fun music on Saturdays (Balkan night). It's 20 CHF to get in on weekends and drinks. Friendly crowd, lots of dancing, big groups of people outside at the back and at the front smoking. Not that big a venue. Ratio was a bit too cock heavy for my liking, but I'm sure it can be fun.
Long Street - low key bar on Langstrasse that gets rowdy late at night. Didn't get up to much in there, but seemed like a cool place. The Red Light District around Langstrasse seems like a good place to bar hop, though there are a lot of strip joints and seedy pubs that you'll want to avoid unless you're in the market for a 50 year old ex-streetwalker. Prostitution is legal there so the area isn't too shady, though I'd use caution if there alone late at night as there are some odd characters about. There are also a bunch of hipster heavy places there.
On Langstrasse there are some good kebab joints if you need a late night snack.
Cafe Odeon - Bohemian spot with friendly crowd. Great date venue in the evening. Also good place to start off a night in civilised surroundings. Open till 4am on weekends.
"A flower can not remain in bloom for years, but a garden can be cultivated to bloom throughout seasons and years." - xsplat