The first bar to offer champagne by the glass, Odeon is a cult Zürich bar with an illustrious list of former patrons, including Mussolini in  his anarchist days, James Joyce, Einstein, Lenin and numerous writers and musicians fleeing Nazi Germany.

Opened in 1911, bar has seen its fortunes ebb and flow. The initial building project ran over budget and was doomed to failure until a timely win in the Spanish Lottery restored its finances, then rioting in the early 70s closed the bar down, when it reopened a few years later half the space was given over to a neighbouring Pharmacy. No matter.

With an elegant Viennese coffee house feel, the scaled down Odeon retains its Art Nouveau décor, with a high ceiling, marble tables and an impressive glass chandelier. An all day sort of place, it has a steady traffic of friends catching up over coffee, lunch (they serve a decent menu of classic Swiss dishes) and a glass of Louis Roederer.