Josef

Josef is a restaurant and bar on Gasometerstrasse in Zurich, combining composed small-plate dining with an evening drinks programme. The kitchen presents a broad selection of vegetable-led dishes, seafood, fish and meat, alongside desserts and cheese. The menu is suited to sharing or to a meal assembled across several courses, with around four plates suggested for a regular appetite.

The cooking has a contemporary, ingredient-focused character. Vegetable dishes are treated as substantial options rather than side dishes, and the restaurant offers a dedicated vegetarian menu as well as a broader set menu. This makes Josef a practical choice for mixed groups, where different preferences can be accommodated around the same table. The food ranges from lighter, finely balanced plates to more substantial main-course portions, followed by restrained desserts and house-made ice cream.

The restaurant is designed for evening dining, while the bar provides a separate reason to stay for drinks. Its drinks culture is connected with music and art, with cocktails and other mixed drinks forming part of the experience. The atmosphere therefore shifts naturally from dinner to a later bar visit, without requiring the venue to be treated solely as either a restaurant or a nightlife space. Music-focused late-evening programming has also formed part of Josef’s identity.

Reservations are recommended, particularly for dinner. Tables for smaller parties can be arranged online or by telephone, while larger groups are handled through a set Josef menu arranged by email. The restaurant’s format works especially well for diners who enjoy trying several plates, for vegetarian guests seeking more than a token option, and for groups looking to combine dinner with drinks. It is an evening-oriented address rather than a casual daytime café, with restaurant service and bar service beginning later in the day.

Josef’s concise format gives the meal a sense of structure without limiting it to one culinary category. The combination of shared plates, dedicated vegetarian choices, set menus and a bar with a music-and-art focus gives the venue a character that extends beyond straightforward dining. Gasometerstrasse 24 places the restaurant in Zürich’s 8005 district, making it suited to an evening planned around food, conversation and drinks.