Food and Dining in Strasbourg

There is no shortage of good restaurants in Strasbourg, from Asian and Eastern cuisine (Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Turkish, Pakistani and Indian) to traditional Alsatian, from haute cuisine to burgers and pizzas. The selected 25 restaurants have been divided into five categories: Gourmet, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments.

Most restaurants in Strasbourg include tax and a 15% service charge within their prices. If service is good, guests will often leave an extra €2-3 tip or the small change
from their bill, if they pay in cash. If service charge is not included, it is customary for guests to leave a 15% tip. The prices quoted below are for a three-course meal and a bottle of house wine or equivalent, including tax and service charge unless otherwise indicated. Opening times are fairly standard - 1200-1400 for lunch and 1900-2230 for dinner.

Gourmet

Au Crocodile

Chef Emile Jung combines his love of haute cuisine and regional cooking at his top Strasbourg restaurant, blessed with two Michelin stars. Born in Masevaux, in the foothills of the Vosges Mountains, Jung built his experience in the culinary capital of Lyons (where he was inspired by the great Paul Bocuse) and at renowned Parisian restaurants, Fouquet’s, Ledoyen and Maxim’s. Each year, Monsieur Jung and his team create recipes based on themes - for example, the 2003 theme pays homage to five great French authors (Proust, Malraux, Beauvoir, Gary and Duras) by revisiting the culinary traditions of the places in which the novels were set. House specialties include truffle surprise and duck liver in Baeckeoffe (a traditional Alsatian dish of meat, vegetables and potatoes cooked in white wine and herb sauce). Guests should expect a long and well-chosen wine list, attentive service and a relaxed atmosphere in which the cuisine and customer satisfaction hold the highest priorities. Located near the Cathedral and place Kleber, Au Crocodile is decorated in a classical style with ochre tones and artifacts that reflect the current ‘theme’. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Buerehiesel

With three Michelin stars to his name, Antoine Westermann serves refined and regional cuisine at Buerehiesel, a 17th-century country house that was originally located in Molsheim, then uprooted and reinstated in its present location at the heart of the Parc de l’Orangerie, for the 1895 Industrial Exhibition. The chance to dine in a timber-beamed room overlooking the lush greenery of the park, on dishes such as les schniederspaetle et les cuisses de grenouilles poelees (ravioli with onions and chervil served with frogs’ legs) and la poularde de Bresse en Baeckeoffe aux truffes fraîches (chicken and vegetable casserole with rosemary and fresh truffles), is an expensive but memorable experience. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Julien

Julien, located in an elegant 1900s building with Belle Epoque decor, overlooks the Ill River. Eric Lestuzzi’s cuisine and the attentive service assured by owners Françoise and Jean-Paul Schaller has won the restaurant its Michelin star. Popular for working lunches with European Parliamentary members, this gastronomic restaurant is renowned for its scallops and oysters, roast lamb, duck foie gras and bitter chocolate ice cream. Closed Sunday and Monday.

La Vieille Enseigne

Jean-Christophe Langs serves regional cuisine in this cosy but classic restaurant, located in the heart of Strasbourg. His excellent cooking has won a star in the Michelin guide. Specialties include pike-perch braised in Gewurztraminer (regional wine), pigeon, and braised veal. Closed Saturday lunchtime and Sunday.

Restaurant Zimmer Sengel

Georges and Daniele Sengel serve traditional Alsatian cuisine mixed with the flavors of Southeast Asia at the picturesque Zimmer, situated in a building close to place Broglie and place Kleber, which has served as a restaurant since 1312. In summer, the terrace (on the corner of rue du Temple Neuf and rue du Sanglier) is perfect for alfresco dining, while private rooms are available for banquets, business lunches and parties all year round. Specialties include crab ravioli and lobster medallions. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Business

L’Ami Schutz

Located between the two forks of the Ill River, next to the Ponts Couverts (covered bridges), this is one of Strasbourg’s most picturesque bierstubs, with a wooden beamed interior. Open every day, it is an excellent place for visitors to try regional specialties, such as chef Erve Nachbauer’s rendition of choucroute au Riesling (regional cabbage dish, not unlike sauerkraut) and caramelized pork knuckle in beer and pine honey sauce. The lunch menus are particularly popular with businesspeople and the shady terrace is perfect for alfresco dining during summer.

Le Panier du Marche

This centrally located restaurant, situated between place Kleber and place Gutenberg, is decorated in a simple Parisian bistro style. Offering exceptional and imaginative cuisine that, on a grander scale, would earn this modest eatery some very serious accolades, this back-street bistro is deservedly popular. Making a reservation, particularly for an evening meal, would be a good idea; those who want lunch should be there at 1200. Fixed-price menus offer a wide choice of delicious entrees, main courses and desserts, making this a good venue for an economical but delicious business lunch. Specialties include black pudding, tuna steaks, monkfish tails with macaroni, and bouillabaisse. A good wine list complements the dishes. Closed Saturday and Sunday.

Le Pont des Vosges

This trendy Parisian-style brasserie is a favorite with Strasbourg’s jet set and business community, largely due to its location near the city’s business district. Owner Annie Voegel ensures that the service is impeccable, while chef Jean-Philippe Schnubnel offers a menu based on the region’s best seasonal produce, which could include classic interpretations of veal, duck, lamb, scallops and sole. Closed Saturday lunchtime and all day Sunday.

Maison des Tanneurs

Located in the heart of the Petite France district, the riverside Maison des Tanneurs (also known as the Gerwerstub) must be one of Strasbourg’s most picturesque restaurants. The building, built in the late 16th century, is where Nancy Reagan chose to dine during her Strasbourg visit in 1985. With its rustic, wooden interior, the restaurant is still a firm favorite with locals and visitors alike. The specialties, created by chef Rene Breitel, include Alsatian favorites, such as choucroute and foie gras. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Maison Kammerzell

The local business community, in particular, have a soft spot for the Maison Kammerzell, situated in a stunning 16th-century building, complete with wooden beams and frescoes, on place de la Cathedrale. The food matches up to the restaurant’s fabulous setting and specialties include Alsatian favorite choucroute au poisson. The restaurant not only is a must for all fish connoisseurs but also offers an excellent selection of non-seafood courses.

Trendy

Cinecitta

After seeing a film, this cosy cinema restaurant offers up pizza, pasta, fresh salads and ice cream, all named after film stars and blockbuster movies, from Peter Pan to American Beauty. Posters of film stars decorate the walls. Advance booking is recommended at this trendy venue, which stays open until midnight. Closed all day Monday and lunchtime on Saturday and Sunday.

La Cloche a Fromage

Visitors follow their nose to this temple to cheese, situated near place Gutenberg and serving more than 100 different cheeses - there is a bewildering choice of cheeses and cheese dishes on the menu, accompanied by delicious homemade breads. The restaurant has a quirky decor, with a large mural along one wall and a wooden interior. Guests are strongly advised to book ahead to guarantee a seat. Closed Tuesday.

L’Art Cafe

This trendy restaurant, decorated by Yves Taralon (who designed the Cafe Marly under the arcades of the Louvre in Paris) is just as contemporary as the modern art museum it serves. Visitors can side step the museum and head straight for this colorful, modern cafe. The cuisine is seasonal and innovative and, unlike many French restaurants, the restaurant is open non-stop Tue-Sun 1100-2300. Dishes include good mixed salads, fish and meat dishes. During summer, it is best for one to dine on the terrace, which offers fabulous views of the Ill River, the Cathedral and the rooftops of the Old Town.

Le Plum’art

For those who tire of Alsatian cuisine, Le Plum’art, located in a quiet street in the lively Krutenau quarter, is a wise restaurant choice, offering food from a different French region every week; the duck foie gras is a house specialty. The decor is simple and unpretentious; sombre ochre walls lend an intimate atmosphere. Monthly exhibitions display contemporary art.

Mille Pâtes

Tucked away in a corner of the diminutive Place Saint-Etienne, Mille Pâtes does not really have a thousand pastas, as its name suggests, although those it does have are made fresh on the premises. It offers an excellent choice of inexpensive dishes, with or without pasta, which carry a France-meets-Italy flavor, such as tagliatelle with veal kidneys, filet mignon of pork and a wide range of tortellini, cannelloni, spaghetti and lasagne. This brightly decorated hideaway provides an intimate escape from the bustle of city center restaurants and has, as a result, become deservedly popular. Hopefuls should arrive early or make a reservation. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Budget

Fink’Stuebel

This perennially popular winstub (pronounced ‘veenshtub’ and meaning a winebar-restaurant serving local specialties), located in the Petite France district, excels in Alsatian dishes, including onion tart, cheese dumplings with cream and bacon, and noodles with warm duck liver. The decor is conventional, nondescript and neutral yet agreeable, allowing patrons to concentrate on their food. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Hippopotamus

The Hippopotamus chain offers sumptuous steaks and decent salads in a young, fun environment and is perfect for families (children’s menus are available €7.50) and large groups. This restaurant is located in the heart of Strasbourg’s shopping district, close to the place des Halles.

L’Alsace a Table

Located near place Kleber, this 1920s Parisian brasserie is decorated with paintings on the wall, wooden tables and sea scenes. Chef Guy-Pierre Baumann masterminds this excellent restaurant, which applies Alsatian culinary traditions to fish and seafood. The house specialty is a dish invented by Baumann some 20 years ago - choucroute aux trois poissons. The first floor is tailor-made for business meetings or banquets.

Le Medicis

This Italian restaurant, a stone’s throw from the IECS business school, offers up high-quality dishes in a friendly environment and is popular with students prepared to exceed their standard budget for a high-class meal, as well as locals not wishing to break the bank. Pasta dishes include tagliatelle with salmon and fresh cream or penne in a spicy tomato sauce. For city center-based visitors, it is a bit on a limb but well worth tracking down. Closed Sunday.

Munsterstuewel

Located in the vicinity of the Cathedral, this traditional winstub (pronounced ‘veenshtub’ and meaning a winebar-restaurant serving local specialties) is one of the best places in Strasbourg for one to try the local gastronomy. The atmosphere is very pub-like, with outdoor seating, wooden beams and features such as ornate brass lamps and old paintings. Chef Patrick Klipfel (founder of the Michelin-starred Auberge du Kochersberg) reinterprets regional cooking with his own light touch. House specialties include queues de crevette a peine poelees sur choucroute caramelisee au miel ou curry (shrimps’ tails lightly fried in a caramelized honey or curry sauerkraut) or pied de porc desosse maison en Baeckeoffe farci aux trois viandes (boned and stuffed pig’s trotters). Closed Sunday, Monday and the first Tuesday in each month.

Personal Recommendations

Bistrot de la Gare

A popular city center bistro, situated mid-way between the place Kleber and place Gutenberg. Down-market elegance is this bistro’s style, with flock wallpaper dotted with old paintings, with a few too many tables for real comfort. Despite lacking Italian features in its decor, Bistro de la Gare offers conventional Italian cuisine plus some imaginative concoctions like whole duck foie gras with fig compote and bitter orange, or marinated scallops with dill and lemon, and pasta with beef strips, mushrooms and peppers (grande pasta Vasco de Gama), as well as giant portions of Niçoise salad, tapas, chicken salad and prawn risotto. This popular restaurant offers quick food at value-for-money prices.

Fujiyama

Traditional Japanese dishes (agemono (fritters), teriyaki (grills), sashimi (fish courses), maki (rice rolls) and, of course, sushi) are served in an attractive setting in this recently opened Japanese restaurant, decorated in traditional Japanese style with lacquered wooden tables and chairs. Fujiyama is under the same ownership as Strasbourg’s other excellent Japanese outlet, L’Osaka, 50 rue du Jeu des Enfants. Closed all day Monday and lunchtime Sunday.

La Bolee… de cidre

This typical Breton creperie is a wise budget option, as well as being an intimate little restaurant, decorated with a sea theme. Sweet and savoury pancakes are served with their perfect accompaniment - cider from Brittany. There are over 120 different pancake fillings, including spinach and cheese, mushroom, ham and egg or seafood. The cellar is available for group bookings. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Le P’ti Max

Le P’ti Max is a Strasbourg institution, open non-stop from 1130 to 0100. Situated on three levels, with a terrace on place de l’Homme de Fer, there is space for everything from a tete-a-tete to group bookings for 40. The restaurant has its own distinctive decor - bistro style with flowered tablecloths on the lowest level, feminine style on the intermediate level and arty style on the top level, where a large painting in the style of Toulouse-Lautrec dominates the interior. The cuisine is traditional, with many local dishes on the menu. The house specialty is beef carpaccio; there are also many other beef dishes.

Poeles de Carottes

Grated carrots is not the only dish served in this bright and airy vegetarian restaurant, where 80% of the ingredients are organic. House specialties include various vegetable gratins, bread baked on the premises, pizzas and fresh juice drinks. Prior booking is recommended, particularly at lunchtimes. Closed Sunday.

2 place des Meuniers
Tel: (03) 8832 3323. Fax: (03) 8844 0722.
Price: €15. Wine: €11.

Nightlife:

The student population keeps Strasbourg’s nightlife vibrant. Many of the regular hotspots are clustered around the Cathedral and along rue des Juifs, however, it is worth considering other options - such as an evening tour on a bateau-mouche or the son et lumiere performances at the Cathedral in the summer.

Bars stay open until at least 2330 and often until 0400. The legal drinking age in France is 16 and the average price of a beer is approximately €3. Dress code and admission requirements are not an issue in Strasbourg.

Visitors proficient in the mother tongue can refer to Strass’Night, published by the tourist office, for nightlife listings and information. There is also an excellent online source of useful information, also in French , compiled by knowledgeable local students.

Bars: Le Zurich, 59 rue de Zurich, is a sparse but comfortable cafe, very popular with students during term time. Decorated with faded photographs, it has a certain old-world charm and draws a mixed bunch, who gather to chat, read the newspaper or play cards. The relaxing Academie de la Biere, 17 rue Adolphe Seyboth, is open daily until 0400, serving over 70 varieties of beer (including beer cocktails) in gorgeous, wooded interiors.

Le Schluch, 3 rue de l’Outre, is a large, friendly and centrally located bierstub, not far from place Kleber, while the Quai des Bieres, at the pont du Corbeau, is best visited for happy hour (1730-2000). It offers a large choice of beers and cocktails. Another must is Les Freres Berthom, 1 place des Trippiers, with attractive decor, friendly staff, a good variety of beer and excellent cocktails - small wonder it is so popular.

Murphy’s House, 9 rue des Freres, is the obligatory Irish pub, although not the only one in the city. It comes complete with Celtic music and pop and British television. Irish Times, 19 Rue St Barbe, also has live music, and is popular with students. They have a quiz night on Wednesdays and an open mike sessions on Tuesdays.

Pub Nelson, 20 rue des Couples, is another anglophile hangout, with a wide choice of beers from England, Ireland, Belgium, Holland, France and Germany. The popular Tapas Cafe, 16 rue de Bain Finkwiller, is an ideal place to sink a jug of Sangria with friends. Designed by cutting-edge architect Jean Nouvel, Le Schutzenberger, 29-31 rue des Grandes Arcades, is a hyper-trendy, futuristic, three-levelled bar that serves good tapas and snacks and is open daily 1000-0200 (later at the weekend).

Perennial favorites include Les Aviateurs, 12 rue des Soeurs, and La Java-Le Village, 6 rue du Faisans. More dignified evenings are in order at the Hilton Hotel, avenue Herrenschmidt, which draws the business community with its ever-so-British Churchill Bar.

Casinos: Casino de Niederbronn, 10 place des Thermes, Niederbronn, is the region’s one and only casino, situated to the north of Strasbourg. Games include the traditional roulette and blackjack, as well as slot machines. The dress code is smart, the minimum age is 18 years and a passport is required for entry.

Clubs: Le Divan, 6 impasse de l’Ecrevisse, features Latin music, house, groove and salsa (Tue-Sat). A mixed crowd dance the night away at Le Chalet, 376 route de la Wantzenau (Wed-Thu 2200-0400), with two dancefloors, karaoke, restaurants and bars in a large, flash complex. Another mammoth venue, Le Colysee, route de Mommenheim, in nearby Brumath, is open Tue-Sun 2200-0400 and Wed 2030-0400, boasting one of the largest dancefloors in the region, along with lasers, restaurants, and frequent themed evenings.

For a more intimate evening, La Cascade, 17 rue des Moulins (Thu-Sun 2200-0400), is an attractive little discotheque, situated in the heart of the Petite France district. Le Joker, 7 Simenstrasse (Fri-Sat 2200-0500), is located in the industrial Kehl district and the venue of choice for fans of RnB. Two-level bar-club Le Cafe des Anges, 42 rue de la Krutenau (Tue-Sat 2100-0400), plays salsa with tango, as well as jazz and groove. Le Blue B, 1 rue du Miroir (Tue-Sun 2200-0400) is a good all rounder, with friendly staff, star-studded decor, a well-stocked bar and good music. For a student vibe, Le Caveau, 1 place de l’Universite, situated under La Gallia student canteen, is about as studenty as it gets. For those who just want to keep partying, Le Rock City, 24 rue des Poules, has after-parties on Saturday and Sunday 0400-0700, with the emphasis very much on rock.

Live Music: La Salamandre, 3 rue Paul-Janet, open Wed-Sunday 2100-0400, is a popular venue that hosts around 40 major concerts every year. International stars to have graced the stage include The Stranglers, Les Negresses Vertes, Pulp and Tri Yann. With space for around 500 people and reasonable prices, early booking is advisable.

In the absence of major performances, check out salsa, 60s, 80s, student, flexigroove and reggae evenings. The older members of the community are treated to ballroom dancing on Sunday nights. Another top venue for live performance is La Laiterie, 10 rue du Hohwald. Le Griot, at the impasse de l’Ecrevisse, just opposite the Hotel de Ville, on place Broglie, is one of Strasbourg’s best jazz clubs.