A Hidden Portuguese Gem in Switzerland | Oceano Restaurant
Author: Eat Well · Feel Well · Live Well Editorial Team
“Don’t write about this place!”
That was the response I got when I mentioned featuring Oceano Restaurant in our Swiss Dining series. It came from someone who loves this restaurant just as much as we do.
I can understand why.
About 10 minutes by SBB from Zurich Main Station, away from the busy tourist center, there is a Portuguese restaurant in Schlieren.
Oceano Restaurant.
It is not one of Zurich’s glamorous city-center restaurants, nor the kind of place you are likely to discover with a tourist guide in hand.
And yet, it is the kind of restaurant you want to return to again and again.
The Moment It Arrives at the Table: “Wow!”
What arrives at the table is impossible to miss: prawns, meat, and surprisingly thick pieces of octopus, all generously threaded onto long skewers.
And they are not simply laid across a plate.
The long metal skewers are suspended upright above the table.
The moment they arrive, the reaction is almost automatic:
“Wow.”
The presentation alone makes the trip feel worthwhile.
This is Portuguese food served with real drama.
Meat, prawns, and those impressively thick pieces of octopus are all served on long skewers, hanging directly above the table. It turns the meal into something more memorable and adds an element of fun before you even take the first bite.
But the reason we wanted to come back was not just the presentation.
Thick-Cut Octopus with a Bite You Won’t Forget
What stayed with us most was the octopus. These days, you often hear octopus described as “surprisingly tender,” but the appeal here is a little different.
Above all, it is thick.
The pieces have real substance, with a satisfying bite that lets the character of the octopus come through. It is not about making it as soft as possible; there is a proper chew to it, the kind that makes you feel you are really eating octopus.
Even alongside prawns and meat on such a bold skewer, the octopus never gets lost.
And that is exactly what makes you want to come back for it.
More Than Skewers: Portuguese Seafood to Share
There is more to enjoy at Oceano than its dramatic skewers.
On another visit, we ordered prawns served in plenty of oil with aromatic vegetables and herbs. The flavour from the shell-on prawns infuses the oil, making it almost impossible not to reach for the bread served alongside.
This is the kind of dish that feels best shared around the table rather than eaten too neatly — relaxed, generous, and made for enjoying together.
The meat dishes are equally straightforward, without any overly elaborate presentation. A steak arrives with a fried egg, French fries, and salad.
Compared with the dramatic hanging skewers, this feels almost home-style. The pleasure is in filling the table with different dishes, sharing them, and letting everyone enjoy whatever catches their eye.
It is relaxed, unpretentious dining — and that is part of Oceano’s charm.
When German and English Don’t Quite Get You There
There is one more thing we have come to enjoy about this restaurant.
Communication does not always go as planned.
There are moments when German or English does not quite get the message across. But somehow, that becomes part of the fun.
You order with a few gestures, wonder whether you understood each other correctly, and wait to see what arrives.
Then, a little later, an enormous skewer is hanging in front of you.
It is a different kind of enjoyment — one that has little to do with convenience.
For a moment, you almost forget that you are still in Switzerland. It feels a little like taking a short trip to Portugal.
Perhaps that, too, is one of the reasons we keep coming back.
Step Off the Tourist Trail for a Meal
Switzerland has no shortage of famous restaurants.
There are places where you can dine against spectacular scenery, and others celebrated with Michelin stars. But when you are spending the same money on a meal, sometimes what you really want is the surprise of discovering a place that makes you think,
“How did I not know about this?”
Oceano Restaurant is one of those places.
Take the train from Zurich Main Station and step just a little outside the usual tourist trail.
What awaits is thick-cut octopus, dramatically suspended skewers, and a table where even when words do not quite get across, somehow everyone still has a good time.
It is a restaurant we have returned to again and again.
Perhaps that is exactly why part of us would rather not tell too many people about it.
Once this article is published, I may be in a little trouble with the person who first told me, “Don’t write about this place!”
But when you like somewhere this much, it deserves to be remembered.
And that is exactly why Oceano Restaurant belongs in our Swiss Dining selection.
Restaurant Information
Oceano Restaurant
Zürcherstrasse 16
8952 Schlieren, Switzerland
※Please note that opening hours, menus, and prices are subject to change. We recommend checking the latest information before your visit.
Oceano Restaurant｜Schlieren, Switzerland
