POP OF THE YEAR. SAY IT WITH US
Bunzai is GaultMillau's «POP des Jahres 2027».
We're going to need a minute.
GaultMillau has named Bunzai its POP of the Year 2027. If you don't know the POP list: it's the restaurant guide's lifestyle ranking, the places that don't chase points in the classic guide but win people over with young, uncomplicated concepts, a lot of passion and serious quality. More than 260 spots across Switzerland are on it. Once a year, one of them gets the title. This year, that's us. We're only the eighth place ever to hold it.
How we got here
Bunzai started small, a little burger shop near Stauffacher, back when "smash burger" still needed explaining in Zurich. Our founder Mao swapped a finance job for a flat-top grill, and the idea was never complicated: great beef, pressed hard onto a screaming hot plate, a proper crust, a soft brioche bun that holds everything together. No shortcuts.
Then came the queues. Out the door, down the sidewalk, in the rain. So we moved to Lochergut, into the old Rosi, with a bigger dining room, a summer terrace and a fresh look. The queues came with us. We're not complaining.
What the jury saw
GaultMillau put it better than we could: Bunzai didn't just ride the smash burger wave, it helped start it here. And they pointed to the thing we obsess over every day, how we handle the meat. The Classic with our secret sauce. The Bibimchi with Korean bacon, kimchi and gochujang mayo. The Oklahoma, for those in the know. Smashed potatoes instead of fries. Homemade craft cola. Every single one, every single day, exactly the same.
The party
We celebrated with 150 guests at Lochergut, burgers cut in half so everyone could try every one, bubbles, and more than a few happy tears. Mao held the award in one hand, the karaoke mic in the other, and promised not to sing. (He kept that promise. Barely.)
Thank you
To our team, who smash, flip and serve through every rush with a smile: this one is yours. To every guest who ever waited in that line: you made this happen. And to GaultMillau and American Express: thank you for seeing what we see in a burger.
Come celebrate with us. Sihlfeldstrasse 89, Lochergut. The grill's hot.
💜 Team Bunzai
Check the original posts by Gault&Millau
https://www.gaultmillau.ch/POP27
https://www.gaultmillau.ch/starchefs/pop-party-burger-bubbles-freudentranen-948818
