NPR Reports on the Oldest Vegetarian Restaurant

As meat-free eating enjoys a rise in popularity, NPR looked back on the forbears of vegetarianism in an online article that tells the story of Hiltl, a vegetarian eatery in Zurich, Switzerland that’s more than a century old. Originally called the Vegetarians’ Home and Teetotaller Café, the Swiss restaurant was purchased by a Bavarian cobbler in 1903 named Ambrosius Hiltl, who was advised by a doctor to give up meat to alleviate his rheumatoid arthritis joint pain. According to NPR, Hiltl was taken over by Ambrosius’ daughter-in-law in 1951, who learned new cooking techniques in India and infused them into the menu, starting Hiltl’s penchant for diverse and exotic cuisine. Hiltl is still a thriving mainstay in the Zurich dining scene; it offers more than 100 different dishes, and its three floors accommodate at least 500 omni- and herbivore foodies.