APR '26ENFRESPTIT
Bar✻Zurich✻2 hostels✻Handpicked✻Real reviews✻Bar✻Zurich✻2 hostels✻Handpicked✻Real reviews✻Bar✻Zurich✻2 hostels✻Handpicked✻Real reviews✻
Zurich BarRanked guide

Best Hostels with a Bar in Zurich

A built-in hostel bar in Zurich is the difference between a CHF 7 beer at a Niederdorf bar and a CHF 4 beer at the hostel happy hour. Two Zurich hostels run real bars: Jugendherberge Zürich with the daily 6-8pm happy hour and the after-hike Wollishofen pour, and Oldtown Hostel Otter with the Wüste Bar at street level — a Zurich pub that happens to own a hostel, with locals at the bar and a Tuesday quiz in English. Together they cover the full price-vs-atmosphere spread.

◉ Ranking · 2 picks
  1. 01Zurich Youth Hostel (Jugendherberge)€50
  2. 02Oldtown Hostel Otter€55
§ 01 — Traveler's take
“The Zurich hostel-bar value play: drinking three nights at the hostel happy hour saves you CHF 30-40 vs the equivalent Niederdorf bar tab. Over a 4-night trip that's the price of one Lake Zurich day-pass plus a Sternen Grill bratwurst plus enough left for a Frau Gerolds Garten beer. Plus the social: Jugendherberge's happy hour is the easiest place in Zurich to meet other backpackers, Wüste's Tuesday quiz is the easiest place to meet locals. Both beat the alternative of drinking solo at a Niederdorf tourist bar paying CHF 8 a beer.”
§ 02 — The ranked list

Our Top 2 Picks

Zurich Youth Hostel (Jugendherberge)
01
★ 8.53,540 reviews€50/night

Zurich Youth Hostel (Jugendherberge)

Zurich Youth Hostel (the Jugendherberge) is the city's largest, longest-running, and most institutional hostel — 8.5 from 3,540 reviews, run by Swiss Youth Hostels (HI), and the only Zurich property that bundles a real Swiss breakfast, a bar with happy hour, organized walking tours, and bar crawls under one roof. The trade-off: it sits in residential Wollishofen, 12 minutes by tram 7 from Hauptbahnhof.

  • Swiss breakfast included in the room rate
  • Hostel bar with daily 6pm to 8pm happy hour
  • Walking tours and bar crawls organized in-house
  • 24-hour front desk, family rooms, full disabled access
Oldtown Hostel Otter
02
★ 8.31,838 reviews€55/night

Oldtown Hostel Otter

Oldtown Hostel Otter is the dead-centre Niederdorf hostel with a built-in pub — the Wüste Bar at street level — and an actual shared kitchen upstairs (a rarity at this address). 8.3 from 1,838 reviews, EUR 55 bunks, and the convenience of being inside walking distance of literally everything in central Zurich.

  • Wüste Bar on the ground floor (street-level Zurich pub, not a tourist trap)
  • Shared kitchen with stovetop and fridge
  • Niederdorf Old Town address, Stadelhofen station 3 min
  • Coffee house on site, board games in the lounge
§ 03 — Tips

Tips for Choosing a Hostel with Bar in Zurich

Tip Nº 01

Jugendherberge's happy hour fills up fast in summer — arrive at 6pm to grab the terrace seats, or sit at the bar (always available) for the same prices.

Tip Nº 02

Wüste Bar's Tuesday quiz is in English, runs 8:30-10:30pm, and requires no booking — just show up at 8pm to grab a table. The questions skew Zurich-trivia heavy, so pair up with a local at the bar before it starts for the assist.

Tip Nº 03

Both bars take cards, but the Wüste Bar prefers cash for the under-CHF 10 rounds (faster service). Bring a CHF 50 note in 10s for a smooth round-buying flow.

Tip Nº 04

After 11pm both hostel bars wind down. The next move is Langstrasse — Plaza Klub (commercial), Helsinki Klub (alternative), or Acapulco (mixed). Walk from Niederdorf is 12 min, from Wollishofen take tram 7 to Bürkliplatz then walk.

§ 04 — Other vibes

More Vibes in Zurich

Shared KitchenBoard Games & Game Room
§ 05 — In other cities

Bar in Other Cities

Germany
Berlin
See Bar →
Italy
Rome
See Bar →
France
Lyon
See Bar →
Slovenia
Ljubljana
See Bar →
Estonia
Tallinn
See Bar →
Germany
Hamburg
See Bar →
Slovakia
Bratislava
See Bar →
Lithuania
Vilnius
See Bar →
§ 06 — FAQ

Quick answers.