Switzerland Tea Rooms
From Mystic Tea Room
In this installment of "From the Land of Tea," we take a sneak-peek look at an upcoming page that will eventually be on display to the public. As a Patreon supporter, you have access to the page one full year before the public does.
- Patreon Release Date: May 14th, 2025.
- Public Release Date: May 14th, 2026.
As much as i love tea leaf reading, i also love old tea rooms as found on vintage postcards. I clean these up in Photoshop and give each one a caption explaining it as best i can. These images will eventually be on display at the Mystic Tea Room web site. As a Patreon supporter, you have access to them one full year before the public does.
To place this work in context, please read the following introductory pages
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Switzerland
The Tea Rooms of Switzerland exist mostly for the amusement and enjoyment of tourists and travellers from Anglophone nations who come for the skiing and mountain climbing. Switzerland is well-known for its neutrality in war and for its cuckoo clocks, but less known is the way its restaurateurs catered to the tea room trade. Being a multicultural and multilingual nation, Switzerland has given rise to tea rooms what resemble those of Italy and France, as well as tea rooms underground, like German ratskellers. The aesthetics of British fireplaces and American barn antiques did not make the transition to Switzerland, but there are still potted palms and rattan furnishings to be found in the unlikely heights of the Alps.
Switzerland Tea Room Gallery, in alphabetical order by name of city or town.
Basel
Ringhallen Alkoholfreies Restaurant Tea Room, Basel, Switzerland, RPPC postcard front; as is common in European establishments, the term "Tea Room" is given in English, presumably to attract English or American tourists. The name Ringhallen literally means "Ring-Hall," and it may refer to a place where members of a particular social or political group -- often called a "Ring" in German or Yiddish -- could meet. The fact that this establishment advertises itself as "Alkoholfreies" ("Alcohol-Free") would seem to indicate a further interest in attracting customers who were friendly to the Temperance Movement. The date is not given on the card, but it is probably prior to the First World War.
Grindelwald
Grindelwald Tea Room, 1974. Here we have a press photo from the 1974 Swiss TV movie "Eiger" starring the Austrian actor Hans Brenner (2938 - 1998). This action-adventure drama was filmed on location in the town of Grindelwald and at the north face of the Eiger mountain. In this fortuitous shot we see Brenner following a woman (Ingeborg Schoner) across the street in front of a clearly marked Restaurant Tea-Room Bar. On the back of the photo is some information about the movie -- but not the tea room.
Grindelwald Tea Room, 1974. Back of the press photo for the TV movie "Eiger." The working title "Wer wird der Nächste sein?" ("Who Will the Next One Be?") has been crossed out, and the title "Eiger" added in pencil. According to IMDb, the film was also released as "Eiger -- Wer wird der Nächste sein?" The next block of text reads, "Warend sein freund Simmi in der Wand ist, geht Tiger (Hans Brenner) in Grindelwald spazieren. Gedankverlorgen verfolgt er ein hilbsches blondes Madchen (Ingeborg Schoner)." This translates more or less to, "While his friend Simmi (Werner Asam) is in the Wall (in the Eigerwand; the railway in the north face of the Eiger), Tiger (Hans Brenner) goes for a walk in Grindelwald. Lost in thought, he follows a pretty blonde girl (Ingeborg Schoner)."
Alas, IMDb, which rates the film at 7.6, has no plot or synopsis listed, and there are no user reviews. So to understand the references to being "in the Wall" and the title, "Eiger," i can only add the following: The Jungfrau massif is flanked by the Grindelwald and Rhône river valleys in the south-central Swiss Alps. Its main peaks are the Jungfrau ("Maiden"), 4,158 meters in altitude, the Mönch ("Monk"), 4,099 meters high, and the Eiger ("Ogre"), 3,970 meters high. The Eiger is famous for its sheer north face, the Eigerwand or Eiger Wall, 1,500 meters tall, whose extreme difficulty is legendary in mountaineering circles. More than 60 climbers have lost their lives attempting the ascent since the first try was made in 1934. The Wall has been tunnelled out to create the Eigerwand railway, from whose "windows" passengers can look down to the valley below. Which tells us exactly nothing about the tea room in Grindelwald. Sorry.
Alas, IMDb, which rates the film at 7.6, has no plot or synopsis listed, and there are no user reviews. So to understand the references to being "in the Wall" and the title, "Eiger," i can only add the following: The Jungfrau massif is flanked by the Grindelwald and Rhône river valleys in the south-central Swiss Alps. Its main peaks are the Jungfrau ("Maiden"), 4,158 meters in altitude, the Mönch ("Monk"), 4,099 meters high, and the Eiger ("Ogre"), 3,970 meters high. The Eiger is famous for its sheer north face, the Eigerwand or Eiger Wall, 1,500 meters tall, whose extreme difficulty is legendary in mountaineering circles. More than 60 climbers have lost their lives attempting the ascent since the first try was made in 1934. The Wall has been tunnelled out to create the Eigerwand railway, from whose "windows" passengers can look down to the valley below. Which tells us exactly nothing about the tea room in Grindelwald. Sorry.
Locarno
Künzi Cafe Tea Room, Locarno, Switzerland, proprietor, E, Künzi oversized linen postcard / business card, 1940s. Printed like a oversized linen-finish postcard, this is non-mailable, so it may also be considered a very large business card. The view from the outdoor seating area, encompassing Lake Maggiore, is gorgeous. Note also the inlaid words in the flooring: "(Pa)sticcerie Cafe K(ünzi)" -- Switzerland is a multi-lingual nation and Locarno is in the Italian speaking canton of Ticino, Switzerland. "Pasticcerie" is Italian for "Patisserie," the French word for "Pastry Shop."
Künzi Cafe Tea Room, Locarno, Switzerland, oversized postcard / business card, back. The text is a mix of German, French, Italian, and English: "Café - Tea - Room. Confiserie Künzi Locarno. Bekannte Hausspezialitäten: Pralinées, Fruits Confits, Amaretti, Caramelle Mou, Glaces, Petits Fours, Nougat Torrone, FF Patisserie, Cakes. FF Weine - Likore - Bier. Lieferung ins Haus und Postsenduhgen. Es empfielt sich der Bestizer E. Künzi, Tel. 6.43" ("Café - Tea - Room. Candy Shop Künzi Locarno. Famous house specialties: Pralines, Fruit Preserves, Amaretti, Soft Italian Caramels, Ice Creams, Petits Fours, Toronne Nougat, Pastries, Cakes. Wines - Liqueurs - Beer. Home delivery and mail order. We recommend the owner, E. Künzi, Tel. 6.43."
Lucerne
Confiserie au Lac - A. von Tobel - Lucerne. Lunch - Cafe - Tee - Glaces - Liqueres - Coupes - Opened till 24 o'clock. Signage also indicates that it is a Tea-Room Patisserie Cafe. Undated RPPC front. This "Candy-Shop on the Lake" was obviously the pride and joy of the proprietor, A. von Tobel. Located on beautiful Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, it served lunch, coffee, tea, ice cream, liquers, pastries, baked goods, and fancy deserts featuring ice cream and fruits -- and it stayed open till midnight! What an amazing establishment!
Montana
Peris Freres Restaurant Tea Room, Montana, Switzerland, exterior, RPPC postcard, front, postmarked August 24, 1956 at Montana-Vermala, Switzerland. The town of Montana, and its adjacent hamlet Montana-Vermala (since 2017 known as the municipality of Cran-Montana) is a ski resort area in the French-speaking canton of Valais, Switzerland. The Peris Freres ("Peris Brothers") have a nice place, with outdoor seating and what seems to be a radio transmission antenna built into their small hotel.
Peris Freres Restaurant Tea Room, Montana, Switzerland, RPPC postcard back, postmarked August 24, 1956 at Montana-Vermala. The card is addressed to Miss J. Bradley, The Cottages, Woodboorough, Nottingham, England, and the message reads, ""This is the little hotel we are staying at. We had a very good journey and have been out [skiing] most of the time although we have not had as much sun as they usually do here. I hope you found everything alright at 'Honbeck' including Sam and Pussy! Kind regards to your sister and yourself. Emmaline Norfolk."
Schwyz
Haug Tea Room / Conditerei Haug / Confiserei Tea Room Haug, Schwyz Mit Mythen, Switzerland, 1938, linen postcard front. "Schwyz Mit Mythen" means the town of Schwyz (in the canton of Schwyz), with the Mythen Mountains. There are two Mythen peaks, the Grosser (Bigger) Mythen and the Kleiner (Smaller) Mythen, and they make Schwyz a popular tourist destination. The Haug Tea Room is located inside the building, with outdoor dining at street level and also on the rooftop of the Conditorei Haug, under orange umbrellas. The establishment is also titled Confiserei Haug at the lower right of the post card. A conditerei is a bakery that makes and offers a wide variety of elaborate pastries and also has seating and beverage service. A confiserei is a candy shop where bonbons, truffles, and other fancy candies are made, and it may also have seating and offer beverages to patrons.
Vevey
Hotel Château Tea Room, Vevey, Switzerland, interior, RPPC postcard front. The town of Vevey is on the shore of picturesque Lake Geneva, and the use of the English name "Tea Room" to describe this delightful establishment indicates that it catered to Anglophone tourists during the era before World War One. The potted palm, white rattan chairs, and beautifully painted floral garlands add an aesthetic touch.
Le Chateu (Hotel-Pension) Tea Room, Vevey, Switzerland, postcard front. This is another shot of the same interior shown above, with a better view of the stunning art nouveau rug on the wood marquetry floor. On this card the establishment is also described as Hotel-Pension. A Pension or Pensione is a small hotel or boarding house, where meals are included in the price of the room.
Zurich
Teestube zu Gunsten des Roten Kreuzes Zurich, Bhanhofstr. 57 ("Tea Room for the Benefit of the Red Cross of Zurich, 57 Railroad Station Street"), postcard front, postmarked February 8, 1915. There are seven women in white nurse's uniforms to act as servers, and one woman in darker street clothes, whose role is not indicated. This was the American Red Cross Volunteers Tea Room, as explained on the back of the card. It is very likely that one of the woman in this photo was the writer and sender of this card and another was her friend, with whom she co-founded the enterprise. The style of this tea room is quite American, with a potted palm, square tables set on the diagonal for parties of four, small circular tables for parties of two, and a vase of flowers on every table.
American Red Cross Volunteers Tea Room, Zurich, Switzerland, postcard back, postmarked February 8, 1915. The card was addressed to Miss Laura Reiner, "Hillside," Kingston, New York. The message reads, "Dear Laura, Many thanks for your letter. I'll write it right away -- really I will be better than I have been. This is a picture of "our" tea room. Another girl & I opened it to help the Red Cross. It's going beautifully & we are making lots of money. Here I'm learning skiing too which is a wonderful sport. Love, Bea." From the message, the context, the time, and the fact that Bea and her girlfriend actually got postcards printed of their enterprise, it would seem that they were wealthy Americans who had volunteered for the Red Cross around the outbreak of World War One, which had started in 1914.
Because Bea's last name was not signed, i could not find out anything about her, but the addressee of this card, Laura M. Reiner of Kingston, New York, was quite easy to trace. According to an article in the Kingston Daily Freeman (Volume XLI, Number 151, 12 April 1912), Laura M. Reiner had graduated in the class of 1909 from Kingston Academy. She had written the lyrics, and her fellow student Samuel M Scudder had composed the music, for a Kingston Academy graduation anthem, as follows:
In the shadow of the Catskllls, By the Hudson's shore,
Stand the halls of dear old K. A., Famed since days of yore.
Stand, mountains, roll, waters, Guard her walls for aye,
While we sing for Alma Mater. Hail! All, Hail! K. A.!
In that fair Colonial City, There she holds her sway.
And her subjects, loyal ever. Love our old K. A.
We will honor her, yes, always, Wherever we may stray.
She's our Inspiration ever, Alma Mater, dear K. A.
In 1912 Reiner and Scudder won a monetary prize for their composition when their song was chosen to be the official anthem for their former school. By that time, Reiner was already enrolled in Baltimore Women's College, and Scudder was at Cornell University. They both donated their prize money to two Teacher's Memorial Funds for "dear K.A."
As of 1913, Reiner had transferred to Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, where, according to the Vassar College Miscellany News (Volume II, Number 7, 6 November 1914), "Phoebe Briggs, [class of] 1916, has been awarded a silver medal by the Carnegie Hero Commission for rescuing Laura M. Reiner, Annie J. Oldham, and Myra M. Hulst from drowning. The accident occurred on the night of Feb. 5, 1913."
In February 1915, when Bea sent this postcard to Laura, these adventurous young women were in their mid-twenties, and well-embarked on lives of self-directed achievement.
Because Bea's last name was not signed, i could not find out anything about her, but the addressee of this card, Laura M. Reiner of Kingston, New York, was quite easy to trace. According to an article in the Kingston Daily Freeman (Volume XLI, Number 151, 12 April 1912), Laura M. Reiner had graduated in the class of 1909 from Kingston Academy. She had written the lyrics, and her fellow student Samuel M Scudder had composed the music, for a Kingston Academy graduation anthem, as follows:
In the shadow of the Catskllls, By the Hudson's shore,
Stand the halls of dear old K. A., Famed since days of yore.
Stand, mountains, roll, waters, Guard her walls for aye,
While we sing for Alma Mater. Hail! All, Hail! K. A.!
In that fair Colonial City, There she holds her sway.
And her subjects, loyal ever. Love our old K. A.
We will honor her, yes, always, Wherever we may stray.
She's our Inspiration ever, Alma Mater, dear K. A.
In 1912 Reiner and Scudder won a monetary prize for their composition when their song was chosen to be the official anthem for their former school. By that time, Reiner was already enrolled in Baltimore Women's College, and Scudder was at Cornell University. They both donated their prize money to two Teacher's Memorial Funds for "dear K.A."
As of 1913, Reiner had transferred to Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, where, according to the Vassar College Miscellany News (Volume II, Number 7, 6 November 1914), "Phoebe Briggs, [class of] 1916, has been awarded a silver medal by the Carnegie Hero Commission for rescuing Laura M. Reiner, Annie J. Oldham, and Myra M. Hulst from drowning. The accident occurred on the night of Feb. 5, 1913."
In February 1915, when Bea sent this postcard to Laura, these adventurous young women were in their mid-twenties, and well-embarked on lives of self-directed achievement.
Grüner Heinrich Tea Room am Bellevueplatz, Zurich, Switzerland, postcard front, 1946. I know nothing about the Grüner Heinrich ("Green Henry") Tea Room on Bellevue Square in Zurich, but it looks charming, with its columns painted as abstract trees bearing a variety of fruits, and a mural of old building facades on the wall.
Grüner Heinrich Tea Room am Bellevueplatz, Zurich, Switzerland, postcard back, 1946. Oddly enough for a card mailed in ostensibly neutral Switzerland, the postmark reads "Verwendet nur radiostörefreie apparate" -- "Use only radio-interference-free devices" -- which seems to be a left-over from the recently ended Second World War, or perhaps a comment on the newly-begun Cold War. I cannot read the message (but i would welcome a translation!); the card was addressed to Mr. Emil Herzog Junior, Hefenhausen, Müllheim, Switzerland.
Thanks to my husband nagasiva yronwode for helping with scans and cleanup. I couldn't have done it without you, dear.
catherine yronwode
curator, historian, and docent
The Mystic Tea Room
