Basel guide · Food & coffee
Where to eatin Basel.
Restaurants, cafés, sweet stops and bars, each with its address, official website and what it is good for.
In short
For Swiss classics such as fondue and raclette, go to Walliser Kanne in the Old Town. For a quick weekday lunch, try Green Bento, Nón Lá or Unternehmen Mitte. For a special evening, book LA. Popular places fill up at weekends and during fairs, so reserve ahead.
Addresses and links checked on each venue’s own website on 27 September 2026. Opening hours change often, so check before you go.
Eat
Where to eat
From a quick weekday lunch to a special evening, with each restaurant’s address and official links. For the popular places, book ahead.
Walliser Kanne
Valais specialities in the Old Town: cheese fondue in three versions, raclette, and a Wiener schnitzel prepared at the table.
Why we like it: The classic choice if you want a Swiss dinner in the centre.
Gerbergasse 50
Good for: Worth booking ahead
Website: Walliser KanneMenu: Walliser KanneReservations: Walliser KanneMap: Walliser Kanne
Trattoria Antichi Sapori
A small Italian trattoria on the first floor of an Old Town house, near the Marktplatz.
Why we like it: Italian cooking that goes beyond pizza and pasta, a few steps from the market square.
Za Zaa
Warm and cold Lebanese mezze for sharing, many of them vegetarian or vegan. A second branch, Za Zaa Barfi, is at Gerbergasse 87.
Why we like it: Easy for mixed groups: for six people or more the kitchen serves mezze selections to share.
Petersgraben 15
Good for: Vegetarian-friendlyGood for groups
Green Bento
Thai dishes that change every day, eaten in or taken away in a bento box. Open at weekday lunchtimes.
Why we like it: A quick, light lunch between sights on Gerbergasse.
Nón Lá
Vietnamese noodle bowls, soups and curries by the Spalenbrunnen fountain, with a weekday lunch offer.
Why we like it: A good lunch stop before or after the Spalentor city gate.
Schützenmattstrasse 1
Good for: Quick lunch
KLARA
A food hall on Clarastrasse with nine kitchens and a bar under one roof.
Why we like it: Everyone chooses their own dish, which makes it easy for groups.
LA
A surprise tasting menu from chef Matthieu Judenne, listed in the MICHELIN Guide, in the elegant St. Johanns-Vorstadt.
Why we like it: Our pick for a special evening. Reserve well ahead.
St. Johanns-Vorstadt 13
Good for: Special eveningWorth booking ahead
Concordia
A vegetarian tasting menu of dishes to share, with vegetables at the centre, in a former neighbourhood pub. Smaller versions at lunchtime.
Why we like it: A vegetarian meal worth crossing the river for.
Haltingerstrasse 11
Good for: Vegetarian-friendlySpecial evening
VITO
Pizza by the slice or whole to share, with vegan, vegetarian and seasonal options, at several branches in Basel.
Why we like it: Quick, relaxed and easy with children or a group.
Good for: Quick lunchVegan optionsGood for groups
Coffee & treats
Coffee, cake and something sweet
Cafés and sweet stops, most of them in the Old Town lanes. Several sell out or close early, so go in the morning if you can.
Cream Cakery
A café and bakery best known for its cheesecakes, with bagels on the menu.
Why we like it: A good pause halfway up Spalenberg, between the Marktplatz and the Spalentor.
Unternehmen Mitte
A large coffee house in a grand old building on Gerbergasse, with an organic lunch menu on weekdays and organic brunch at weekends.
Why we like it: Central, spacious and easy to drop into at any time of day.
bhoch³
A small barista bar on Schneidergasse with speciality coffee and vegan pastries.
Why we like it: Good coffee on the way between the Marktplatz and Spalenberg.
Mystifry
Handmade vegan brioche doughnuts and coffee from a tiny shop. It closes for the day once the doughnuts are sold out.
Why we like it: A sweet stop on the Rheinsprung, on the way up to the Münster.
Cinnamood
Cinnamon rolls in many flavours, with coffee to go with them.
Why we like it: An easy sweet stop on Basel’s main shopping street.
Drinks
An evening out
From a glass of wine in the Old Town to cocktails and DJs across the river in Kleinbasel.
Spale Bar
A wine bar with a wide choice of wines by the glass, gin and single malts, and cold platters to share.
Why we like it: An aperitif in the Old Town before dinner.
Blaupause
Cocktails made by hand, with house-made syrups and liqueurs and regional ingredients.
Why we like it: For carefully made cocktails in a relaxed setting.
Baltazar
A cocktail bar with a 1970s-style interior and a large, raised terrace near the Steinenvorstadt.
Why we like it: A terrace drink in the centre on a warm evening.
Steinenbachgässlein 34
Good for: CocktailsOutdoor seating
KaBar
The bar of the Kaserne arts centre, with paninis, aperitifs and large terraces. On Tuesdays it becomes the queer ZischBar.
Why we like it: Good before or after a show at the Kaserne.
Grenzwert
A long-running Kleinbasel bar with food in the evenings and DJs every Friday and Saturday.
Why we like it: For a late night out.
Hirscheneck
A collectively run restaurant and bar with vegetarian and vegan dishes and concerts in the cellar.
Why we like it: An alternative Basel institution with a busy music programme.
Questions & answers
Where can I eat Swiss food in Basel?
Walliser Kanne on Gerbergasse serves Valais specialities: cheese fondue in three versions, raclette and a Wiener schnitzel prepared at the table. It is popular, so reserve a table.
Are there vegetarian and vegan options?
Yes. Concordia serves an entirely vegetarian tasting menu, Za Zaa has many vegetarian and vegan mezze, and Hirscheneck cooks vegetarian and vegan dishes. For something sweet, Mystifry’s doughnuts are vegan and bhoch³ has vegan pastries.
Where can I get a quick lunch in the Old Town?
Green Bento serves Thai dishes at weekday lunchtimes, Nón Lá by the Spalenbrunnen has a weekday lunch offer, Unternehmen Mitte has an organic lunch menu on weekdays, and VITO sells pizza by the slice.
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