World City Guide

Restaurants

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: Gastronomic, 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.

Gastronomic

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 specialities 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 Kléber, Au Crocodile is decorated in a classical style with ochre tones and artefacts that reflect the current ‘theme’. Closed Sunday and Monday.

10 rue de l’Outre
Tel: (03) 8832 1302. Fax: (03) 8875 7201.
E-mail: info@au-crocodile.com
Website: www.au-crocodile.com
Price: ¬65. Wine: ¬25.

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 poêlées (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.

4 parc de l'Orangerie
Tel: (03) 8845 5665. Fax: (03) 8861 3200.
E-mail: westermann@buerehiesel.fr
Website: www.buerehiesel.com
Price: ¬95–150. Wine: ¬45.

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.

22 quai des Bateliers
Tel: (03) 8836 0154. Fax: (03) 8835 4014.
Price: ¬60. Wine: ¬32.

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. Specialities include pike-perch braised in Gewürztraminer (regional wine), pigeon, and braised veal. Closed Saturday lunchtime and Sunday.

9 rue des Tonneliers
Tel: (03) 8832 5850. Fax: (03) 8875 6380.
E-mail: ch.langs@mcf.fr
Website: www.la-vieille-enseigne.com
Price: ¬60. Wine: ¬35.

Restaurant Zimmer Sengel
Georges and Danièle Sengel serve traditional Alsatian cuisine mixed with the flavours of Southeast Asia at the picturesque Zimmer, situated in a building close to place Broglie and place Kléber, 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. Specialities include crab ravioli and lobster medallions. Closed Sunday and Monday.

8 rue du Temple Neuf
Tel: (03) 8832 3501. Fax: (03) 8832 4228.
Price: ¬30. Wine: ¬13.

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 specialities, such as chef Ervé Nachbauer’s rendition of choucroute au Riesling (regional cabbage dish, not unlike sauerkraut) and caramelised 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.

1 Ponts Couverts
Tel: (03) 8832 7698. Fax: (03) 8832 3840.
E-mail: ami-schutz@strasbourg.com
Price: ¬35. Wine: ¬22.

Le Panier du Marché
This centrally located restaurant, situated between place Kléber 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 entrées, main courses and desserts, making this a good venue for an economical but delicious business lunch. Specialities include black pudding, tuna steaks, monkfish tails with macaroni, and bouillabaisse. A good wine list complements the dishes. Closed Saturday and Sunday.

15 rue Sainte-Barbe
Tel: (03) 8832 0407. Fax: (03) 8823 6452.
Price: ¬25. Wine: ¬14.

Le Pont des Vosges
This trendy Parisian-style brasserie is a favourite 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.

15 quai Koch
Tel: (03) 8836 4775. Fax: (03) 8825 1685.
Price: ¬30. Wine: ¬23.

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 favourite with locals and visitors alike. The specialities, created by chef René Breitel, include Alsatian favourites, such as choucroute and foie gras. Closed Sunday and Monday.

42 rue du Bain-aux-Plantes
Tel: (03) 8832 7970. Fax: (03) 8822 1726.
E-mail: maison.des.tanneurs@wanadoo.fr
Website: www.maison-des-tanneurs.com
Price: ¬40. Wine: ¬18.

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 Cathédrale. The food matches up to the restaurant’s fabulous setting and specialities include Alsatian favourite choucroute au poisson. The restaurant not only is a must for all fish connoisseurs but also offers an excellent selection of non-seafood courses.

16 place de la Cathédrale
Tel: (03) 8832 4214. Fax: (03) 8823 0392.
E-mail: infomaison@kammerzell.com
Website: www.maison-kammerzell.com
Price: ¬35. Wine: ¬15.

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.

42 rue de Zurich
Tel: (03) 8837 9595.
Price: ¬20. Wine: ¬9.

La Cloche à 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.

27 rue des Tonneliers
Tel: (03) 8823 1319. Fax: (03) 8832 9960.
E-mail: tourrette@cheese-gourmet.com
Website: www.cheese-gourmet.com
Price: ¬25. Wine: ¬19.

L’Art Café
This trendy restaurant, decorated by Yves Taralon (who designed the Café 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 colourful, modern café. 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.

1 place Hans-Jean Arp
Tel: (03) 8822 1888. Fax: (03) 8822 0099.
E-mail: artcafe@mamcs.com
Website: www.culture-espaces.com/art_cafe
Price: ¬17. Wine: ¬12.

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 speciality. The decor is simple and unpretentious; sombre ochre walls lend an intimate atmosphere. Monthly exhibitions display contemporary art.

7-9 rue du Renard Prêchant
Tel: (03) 8825 7660.
Price: ¬20. Wine ¬14.

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 flavour, 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 centre restaurants and has, as a result, become deservedly popular. Hopefuls should arrive early or make a reservation. Closed Sunday and Monday.

8 Place Saint-Etienne
Tel: (03) 8835 5523.
Price: ¬25. Wine: ¬14

Budget

Fink’Stuebel
This perennially popular winstub (pronounced ‘veenshtub’ and meaning a winebar-restaurant serving local specialities), 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.

26 rue Finkwiller
Tel: (03) 8825 0757. Fax: (03) 8836 4882.
Price: ¬40. Wine: ¬19.

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.

40-42 rue du Vieux Marché aux Vins
Tel: (03) 8823 8490. Fax: (03) 8823 8491.
Website: www.hippopotamus.fr
Price: ¬15. Wine: ¬13.

L’Alsace à Table
Located near place Kléber, 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 speciality 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.

8 rue des Francs-Bourgeois
Tel: (03) 8832 5062. Fax: (03) 8822 4411.
E-mail: info@alsace-a-table.fr
Website: www.alsace-a-table.fr
Price: ¬25. Wine: ¬8.

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 centre-based visitors, it is a bit on a limb but well worth tracking down. Closed Sunday.

38 rue Wimpheling
Tel: (03) 8860 5880. Fax: (03) 8860 0571.
Price: ¬20. Wine: ¬18.

Munsterstuewel
Located in the vicinity of the Cathedral, this traditional winstub (pronounced ‘veenshtub’ and meaning a winebar-restaurant serving local specialities) 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 specialities include queues de crevette à peine poêlées sur choucroute caramélisée au miel ou curry (shrimps’ tails lightly fried in a caramelised honey or curry sauerkraut) or pied de porc désossé maison en Baeckeoffe farci aux trois viandes (boned and stuffed pig’s trotters). Closed Sunday, Monday and the first Tuesday in each month.

8 place du Marché aux Cochons de Lait
Tel: (03) 8832 1763. Fax: (03) 8821 9602.
E-mail: munsterstuewel@wanadoo.fr
Website: www.strasnet.com/munsterstub.htm
Price: ¬30 Wine: ¬14.

Personal Recommendations

Bistrot de la Gare
A popular city centre bistro, situated mid-way between the place Kléber 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.

18 rue de Vieux Marché aux Grains
Tel: (03) 8832 7698.
Price: ¬20. Wine: ¬12

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.

19 rue des Veaux
Tel: (03) 8824 5829. Fax: (03) 8875 1647.
Price: ¬15. Wine: ¬15.

La Bolée& de cidre
This typical Breton crêperie 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.

55 rue du Fossé des Tanneurs
Tel: (03) 8875 9975.
Price: ¬15. Bottle of cider: ¬6.10.

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 tête-à-tête 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 speciality is beef carpaccio; there are also many other beef dishes.

4 place de l’Homme de Fer
Tel: (03) 8823 0500. Fax: (03) 8823 9909.
E-mail: info@pti-max.com
Website: www.pti-max.com
Price: ¬15. Wine: ¬14.

Poêles 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 specialities 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.