Bon Appetit

top

• Piandina Bar read more ›
  (78 Gerbergasse. Tel. 061 261 0651)
  The authentic grilled Italian sandwiches are perfect for a quick meal. Conveniently located in the centre of town, with outdoor seating.
• Holzofenbäckerei Bio Andreas read more ›
  (14 Andreasplatz. Tel. 061 261 8486)
  Tucked away on a sunny courtyard off the Geberstrasse, this bakery sells simple, healthy lunches. Choose from spinach and feta pocket-breads, quiches and wholemeal veggie pizzas served with salads.
• Cantina e9 read more ›
  (9 Eulerstrasse, Basel. Tel. 061 274 0141)
  This cheerful restaurant offers three filling lunch menus on a daily basis.
• read more ›
  
  Next to Basel Theatre, this Japanese soup bar is a hit. Large steaming bowls of noodles, seafood and vegetables are just the thing on a rainy day.
• Zum Roten Engel read more ›
  (15 Andreasplatz, Basel. Tel. 061 261 2007)
  With a quiet courtyard to enjoy on warm spring days, Roten Engel is one of the best places in town for soup and sandwiches or simply some Swiss muesli for breakfast.
• Patisserie Clergue read more ›
  (21 Place de la Cathédrale, Colmar. Tel. 03 8941 8260)
  Simple quiches and salads, together with much more sophisticated desserts, are the speciality at this cosy patisserie, centrally located in the shadow of the cathedral.

• Nooch read more ›
  (73 Gerbergasse. Tel. 061 261 6780)
  Serving Asian noodles, sushi, and other pan-Asian dishes, Nooch is Basel's newest quick, tasty and healthy dining choice. Try the Bento boxes for a little bit of everything. On two floors with outdoor seating on the pedestrian Gerbergasse.
• read more ›
  
  Conveniently close to the art fair, Lily's serves pan-Asian cuisine in an informal and bustling lounge, as well as outside on the terrace.
• Le Petit Zinc read more ›
  (15 Rue des Bonnes Enfants, Mulhouse . Tel. 03 8946 3678)
  You'll know you've arrived in the Alsace when you enter this lovely eatery that seems straight out of a movie. Just the place to try escargots (snals), truite au Riesling (trout in white wine) or Munster cheese.
• Restaurant Pic-Vit read more ›
  (8 Rue des Bons Enfants, Mulhouse. Tel. 03 8945 7117)
  This cosy restaurant is one of Mulhouse's treasures for those seeking authentic Alsatian cuisine, from Munster cheese to poached trout, all at a very reasonable price.
• Auberge au Vieux Mulhouse read more ›
  (Place de la Reunion, Mulhouse. Tel. 03 8945 8418)
  Under the cathedral, this old inn couldn't be more central. Its check tablecloths and pots of sauerkraut and stewed meat will leave no doubt that you're in Alsace.
• Restaurant Bartholdi read more ›
  (2 Rue des Boulangers, Colmar. Tel. 03 8941 0774)
  Grand Alsatian cooking in a not overly pricey restaurant on the main thoroughfare through Colmar's Old Town. Try the mussels or veau sauté au madre (veal).

• L'Arpège read more ›
  (24 Rue Marchands, Colmar. Tel. 03 8923 3789)
  Escape the tourist haunts at this gem hidden away down a dark alley. Traditional Alsace favourites mixed with more popular French cuisine, served with great local wines. A quiet terrace for warm summer evenings makes this one of Colmar's top choices.
• Winstub Henriette read more ›
  (9 Rue Henriette, Mulhouse. Tel. 03 8946 2783)
  This cosy restaurant near the cathedral offers Alsatian cuisine a cut above that served by many other restaurants, with a selection of local wines to match.
• Chez Donati read more ›
  (48 St Johanns-Vorstadt, Basel. Tel. 061 322 0919)
  Piedmont's representative in Basel for more than half a century, Donati serves excellent Italian food, from simple pastas to the filet de veau Maria Stuart.
• Hotel Parc Le Steinbach read more ›
  (26 Rue de la Sinne, Mulhouse. Tel. 03 8966 1222)
  The stunning art-deco dining room is the perfect accompaniment to elegant Alsatian food that's more modern than some of the broiled duck and sauerkraut restaurants in town. Between the train station and the Old Town.
• Restaurant aux Trois Poissons read more ›
  (15 Quai de La Poissonnerie, Colmar. Tel. 03 8941 2521)
  In a town that can be overrun by tourists, Trois Poissons manages to stay understated and focused on the simple task of providing great food. The best spot in town for oysters and fish.
• Restaurant Besenstiel read more ›
  (2 Klosterberg, Basel. Tel. 061 273 9700)
  Top of the list for the after-theatre crowds, this newly renovated Basel standby serves Mediterranean cuisine with seasonal products, such as a field salad with fried quail's eggs followed by a nut-crusted pork fillet.

• La Maison des Têtes read more ›
  (19 Rue des Têtes, Colmar. Tel. 03 8924 4343)
  This elegant restaurant in a spectacular 17th-century house is one of Colmar's finest, serving Alsatian specialities such as home-made foie gras and roasted duck. Next to the Unterlinden Museum.
• La Poste Kieny read more ›
  (7 Rue Général de Gaulle, Riedisheim. Tel. 03 8944 0771)
  One of Mulhouse's top restaurants, Kieny won't disappoint. From amuse bouche to dessert, accompanied by wines from France and far beyond. The Kieny family have served fine food at this old inn for six generations.
• Poste Kieny read more ›
  (7 Rue du Général De Gaulle, Riedisheim. Tel. 038 944 0771)
  Six generations of Kienys have run this gorgeous restaurant in Riedisheim. Alsatian cuisine in all its glory, whether you're after foie gras, succulent Alsatian veal and beef, or fish flown in from Argentina.
• Gundeldingerhof read more ›
  (56 Hochstrasse, Basel. Tel. 061 361 6909)
  The Gundeldingerhof's proud combination of French artistry and Italian accents is Swiss cuisine at its best: try the veal with local truffles, or the perch saltimbocca. It's hidden away behind the main train station.
• Restaurant St Alban-Eck read more ›
  (60 St Alban-Vorstadt, Basel. Tel. 061 271 0320)
  This restaurant, in a 500-year-old house on one of Basel's quietest, quaintest corners, offers French cuisine with local flair. Try the locally raised organic veal or cheese from Alsace.
• Restaurant Bel Etage read more ›
  (47-49 Leonhardsgraben, Basel. Tel. 061 261 1010)
  Top restaurant near the university, serving elaborate lunches and dinners in an even more elaborately decorated dining room. More than 450 wines, many available by the glass.

After Dark

top

• Le Poussin Vert read more ›
  (37 Route Neuf Brisach, Colmar. Tel. 03 8941 1858)
  This bar, where the young artists of Colmar hang out, has lots of outdoor seating in a private garden on hot summer nights.
• Bar Rouge read more ›
  (Messeplatz, Messeturm, 31st Floor. Tel. 061 361 3031)
  Thirty-one floors above Art Basel, Bar Rouge is the best places to get a bird's eye view of the crowds below. Quiet during the day, rambunctious at night.
• Bar Rouge read more ›
  (Messeplatz, Messeturm, 31st Floor. Tel. 061 361 3031)
  Thirty-one floors above Art Basel, Bar Rouge is the best place to get a bird's eye view on the crowds below. Quiet during the day, rambunctious at night.
• Le Poussin Vert read more ›
  (37 Route Neuf Brisach, Colmar. Tel. 03 8941 1858)
  This bar, where the young artists of Colmar hang out, has lots of outdoor seating in a private garden for warm spring evenings.
• Café Leffe read more ›
  (17 Rue Henriette, Mulhouse. Tel. 03 8945 2874)
  Serving the famous monastery brew in all its variations, this is a great place to stop for a pick-me-up and a snack.
• Eoipso read more ›
  (192 Dornacherstrasse, Basel. Tel. 061 333 1490)
  In an old factory complex, this is one of Basel's roomiest and hippest bars, with Basel's own Unser Bier (Our Beer) on tap.

• Café des Arts read more ›
  (6 Barfüsserplatz. Tel. 061 273 5737)
  Live piano or jazz music, an eclectic interior, plus a location in the heart of the Old Town makes this a hot spot. Arrive early, the outdoor seats fill up long before work gets out.
• Kaserne Basel read more ›
  (1B Klybeckstrasse. Tel. 061 666 6000)
  At the several venues in the Kaserne (Barracks), in addition to dance and theatre, you can hear many of the best alternative and indie bands from Switzerland and from further away. It hosts concerts four or five nights a week.
• Gare du Nord read more ›
  (200 Schwarzwaldallee, Basel. Tel. 061 683 1313)
  A restaurant, bar and 'train station for new music', the Gare du Nord - in Basel's German train station - is the city's top experimental music venue.
• Bar Café des Arts read more ›
  (6 Barfüsserplatz, Basel. Tel. 061 273 5737)
  The interior may look a little too eclectic and the music is a bit hit or miss, but the atmosphere is always lively and the location couldn't be better.
• Cargo Bar read more ›
  (46 St Johanns-Rheinweg, Basel. Tel. 061 321 0072)
  Basel's best-loved alternative to the larger venues. Three nights a week this bar fills up to capacity and spills out onto the riverbank as jazz and rock acts keep the neighbours up.
• Le Charlie's read more ›
  (26 Rue de la Sinne, Mulhouse. Tel. 03 8966 1222)
  In its lovingly restored art-deco lounge, Le Charlie's stages live jazz every night of the week.

• Bar Lounge nt*/Areal read more ›
  (21 Erlenstrasse. Tel. 061 683 3322)
  This funky place has it all: DJs, dancing, mixed sounds, performances, reasonably priced drinks and good food. With its industrial ambience, nt/Areal is a haven for party animals.
• Club 1900 read more ›
  (3 Rue des Halles, Mulhouse. Tel. 03 8946 1100)
  Retro Club 1900 is the place for those who believe there's too much rap music in France these days. Get ready for rock, disco and funk, the way it used to be.
• Club 1900 read more ›
  (3 Rue des Halles, Mulhouse. Tel. 03 8946 1100)
  Retro Club 1900 is the place for those who believe there's too much rap music in France these days. Get ready for rock, disco and funk, the way it used to be.
• Aha! read more ›
  (35 Steinentorstrasse, Basel. Tel. 061 281 6114)
  Amid Basel's cinemas, fast-food joints and sparkling bars, Aha! may not be Europe's most exciting club, but the crowds that pack it full find it a lot of fun.
• Kuppel read more ›
  (14 Binnigerstrasse, Basel. Tel. 061 283 0070)
  Long-known by the younger crowd, Kuppel is starting to make a name for itself as a more grown-up party venue. Music is mostly DJs with the occasional indie band.
• Allegra Club read more ›
  (31 Aeschengraben, Basel. Tel. 061 275 6149)
  Basel's top Latin dancing club. Salsa and tango four nights a week, with the lively music drawing a crowd until 3am.

This month...

top

Tips

top