The SWISS Senator Lounge in the E Gates of Zurich Airport (ZRH) is a fantastic Star Gold lounge with delicious food and a lovely terrace.
SWISS Senator Lounge Zurich Review (ZRH – E Gates)
We hit roadwork on A1 on the drive into Zurich and ended up with only 20 minutes in this lounge, a shame considering it a nice place to relax
Hours + Access + Location
The lounge is located in Gate E area (Dock E), which serves as the dedicated satellite terminal for non-Schengen, long-haul international flights. Access is offered to Star Alliance Gold and Star Alliance First Class (SWISS and Lufthansa First Class travelers have a true class longe nearby), with each passenger allowed one guest. It is open daily from 6:00 am to 10:30 pm and located just above gate E37. You can take stairs or an elevator up to the lounge.
Seating
As you enter the lounge, you can turn left for the bar (which I’ll detail below) or right for the main part of hte lounge, with seating down a corridor opening into the main lounge area (divided into seating clusters and a dining area), and a relaxation area in the rear of the lounge with easy chairs divided by curtains.
There are also four phone booths, though they do not have doors:
Terrace
There’s a lot I like about this lounge, but my favorite part is the terrace outside, open when the weather isn’t bad. Yes, you will smell jet fuel, but I love the sounds of plane taking off and landing and we enjoyed out lunch out here.
Food + Drinks
Speaking of lunch, I really enjoyed the food in this lounge: the menu is constantly excellent.
I really enjoyed my mixed salad with beets and the two main courses, a chicken with mushroom sauce and a beef in a red wine sauce served with roasted potatoes and green beans. Delicious food and excellent quality.
In the buffet area, beverages include soft drinks, tea, coffee, water, juice, and spirts, all self-serve.
On the other side of the lounge, the Whisky Club 28/10 features over 200 different varieties of whisky from around the world (plus all sorts of other liquor). I wasn’t in the mood for whiskey, but I’d like to try a whiskey flight if I ever have a long layover there. Then again, it’s often not wise to drink before you fly…
Restrooms + Showers
This lounge has restroom and shower facilities as well.
My original review, published on October 24, 2017, is below.
Located next to the beautiful first class lounge, the SWISS Senator Lounge in the E-Gate (non-Schengen) area of Zurich (ZRH) is worthy of a visit.
It’s a huge lounge, built to accommodate hundreds of passengers at once and bigger even than some of the large Lufthansa Senator Lounges in Frankfurt and Munich.
You know a lounge is large when it has a map overviewing all its features:
SWISS Senator Lounge ZRH – Whiskey Bar
As you walk in, turn left for what I consider the most unique part of the lounge, a bar area called Whiskey Club 28/10.
I love the design elements of the lounge (the white wall design mimics the runway layout of ZRH) and if you are into whiskey, this lounge gives the Lufthansa First Class Terminal a run for the money.
SWISS Senator Lounge ZRH – Seating
Proceed down the hall for another unique design feature: beautiful wood-carved chairs and benches on one side and magazine racks on the other. When the weather is nice, the terrace outside is also open.
Four “phone” booths also provide privacy so others do not have to hear your telephone conversation.
SWISS Senator Lounge ZRH – Work Rooms
If you need more space, there are larger work rooms available past the dining area.
SWISS Senator Lounge ZRH – Dining
Turn right and you’ll find a large dining area, including more drink stations and a variety of food ranging from breads, salads, soups, to hot chef’s specialities such as. Plenty of dessert as well.
A dining area easily sits 100.
SWISS Senator Lounge ZRH – More Seating
Behind the dining area is a huge open sitting area. Power is provisioned at seats throughout the lounge.
I wonder how much Brietling paid for this?
SWISS Senator Lounge ZRH – Relaxation Area
Finally, a rest area does not include beds, but a row of comfortable pre-reclined chairs that you may wish to avail yourself to during a longer stay in the lounge.
The lounge is quiet. There is no canned music playing.
CONCLUSION
I love the quality of this lounge and the thought that went into its design. While I always hope to be at the next-door first class lounge when traveling from Zurich, this is not a bad consolation prize before your longhaul flight.
> Read More: SWISS First Class Lounge Zurich Review
Breitling?
Correct. The picture below is actually a fancy watch display.
Who can access the lounge? Senator/*A Gold only, or also pax traveling in business class?
Senator *A Gold only.
There is a business class lounge in the same complex, though, that is largely similar (minus some of the food and drink options).
Matthew, with a same day arriving first class boarding pass from Asiana, am I’m allowed to access this lounge? My route is ICN-FRA-ZRH-GRU, first flight in First Class, the others flights in Business Class.
Unfortunately, you will not have access to the Senator lounge. At least the business class lounge is nice. You can try to access the Senator lounge, but I don’t think they will let you in and the rules say no.
Is all of that premium whiskey complimentary?
Also, as much as I enjoy the “world’s longest airport lounge bar,” this lounge seems nicer and newer.
Yes, everything is complimentary.
BTW, the “world’s longest lounge bar” in the A-Gate area at ZRH is currently closed undergoing remodel. It will be re-opened next spring and be just as beautiful, if not more, than the lounge pictured above.
ZRH desperately needs more lounge capacity in terminal A. My wife and I were there a few days ago and it was jam packed in the late afternoon. We ended up lucking into a table in the “Quiet” area where a South Asian gentleman was speaking loudly into his phone, the North Asian couple next to us spoke loudly to each other then stole their dishes, and a German gentleman who had no concept of inside voice. Not exactly a relaxing or comfortable experience. Good food though.
What time were you there that it was so empty? When I was there before the LAX flight, there were no seats.
7pm. After all the USA flights but before the late-evening Asia flights.
What a beautiful lounge and that is quite possibly the chicest magazine rack display I have ever seen.
Kudos too to the ample supply of bottled water!
I am a huge fan of this lounge. Usually go in the morning before flight back to the USA. The views of the tarmac are awesome – especially as there are so many different carriers at ZRH. I love the design motif with the use of wood throughout – very Swiss. Big fan of the open cooking station! It is rather odd that when flying United (for example) if you have Gold Status you can access the Senator Lounge even when seated in economy. Whereas Polaris flyers that do not have Gold Status are relegated to the neighboring business class lounge. The Whiskey Bar is awesom.
They let you bring in both of your kids as guests?
One of my favorite *A lounges!
If I had the chance to spend 3-4 hours in an admirable lounge like this with my drafts, I could finish about 25-30% of a new poetry book… Kudos to LX!
A lovely lounge with superb design, incredible views, and an abundant selection of food & drinks.