Must-see restaurants in Alsace

  • JY'S

    Colmar

    Jean-Yves Schillinger runs the stove at this two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Petite Venise. Behind a trompe-l'œil façade lies an urban-cool, lounge…

  • Table du Gourmet

    Alsace

    Jean-Luc Brendel is the culinary force behind this Michelin-starred venture. A 16th-century house given a slinky, scarlet-walled makeover is the backdrop…

  • 1741

    Strasbourg

    A team of profoundly passionate chefs runs the show at this Michelin-starred number facing the River Ill. Murals, playful fabrics and splashes of colour…

  • Chez Auguste

    Alsace

    Overflowing with regulars, this casually sophisticated bistro always has a good buzz. The concise menu excels in classics including scallops with orange…

  • La Table du Brocanteur

    Colmar

    Tucked down a backstreet, this half-timbered house is decorated with milk pails, clogs and an attic’s worth of other rustic knick-knacks. Bright flavours…

  • 64°

    Alsace

    Chef Oliver Nasti helms this two-Michelin-starred restaurant at Le Chambard. Bronze-kissed chairs and lime drapes create a chic, contemporary backdrop for…

  • La Fourchette des Ducs

    Alsace

    A great believer in fastidious sourcing, chef Nicolas Stamm serves regional cuisine with gourmet panache and a signature use of herbs to a food-literate…

  • Auberge du Parc Carola

    Alsace

    Quaint on the outside, slick on the inside, this auberge (country inn) is all about surprises. Much-lauded chef Michaela Peters is behind the stove, and…

  • L’Atelier du Peintre

    Colmar

    With its art-slung walls and carefully composed cuisine, this Michelin-starred bistro lives up to its ‘painter’s studio’ name. Seasonal masterpieces such…

  • Le Gavroche

    Strasbourg

    Nathalie and Benoît Fuchs give food a pinch of creativity and southern sunshine at intimate, softly lit Le Gavroche, awarded a Michelin star. Mains like…

  • Le Caveau Saint Pierre

    Colmar

    Squirrelled away in the canal-laced heart of Petite Venise, this half-timbered restaurant is enticingly rustic, with low beams, stone walls and checked…

  • Perles de Saveurs

    Strasbourg

    Tucked away in a Petite France courtyard, this cheerful restaurant is vibrantly graced with the comical paintings of local artists Elisa and Marie-Hélène…

  • Wistub du Sommelier

    Alsace

    Behind an ornate 18th-century façade lies this traditionally elegant bistro, where parquet floors, wooden beams and a Kachelofen (tiled oven) create a…

  • Le Quai 21

    Colmar

    This canalside restaurant on the edge of Petite Venise is a winner, with its trad-meets-contemporary decor of exposed stone, clean-lined bistro…

  • L'Eveil des Sens

    Strasbourg

    With a name pledging to awaken your senses, this Petite France bistro promises great things – and it delivers. Tables draped in white linen and flowers…

  • Winstub S'Kaechele

    Strasbourg

    Traditional French and Alsatian grub doesn't come more authentic than at this snug, amiable winstub (wine tavern), run with love by couple Karine and…

  • Zum Sauwadala

    Alsace

    Two little pigs guide the way to this snug bistro – the very essence of Alsace quaintness with its dark timber, checked tablecloths and roll-me-out-the…

  • À l'Agneau

    Alsace

    Market-driven menus and a cocoon-like setting of dark-wood panelling and lamp lighting draw locals to À l'Agneau. This family-run affair serves…

  • Wistub Zum Pfifferhüs

    Alsace

    If it's good old-fashioned Alsatian grub you're after, look no further than this snug wine tavern, which positively radiates rustic warmth with its beams,…

  • L'Alchémille

    Alsace

    As the name suggests, you can expect culinary alchemy at this strikingly minimalist Michelin-starred restaurant, with its bare wood tables, slate floor…

  • L'Arpège

    Colmar

    Discreetly tucked away at the back of a courtyard in a 15th-century house and with pretty garden seating when the weather is fine, L'Arpège places the…

  • Winstub Le Freiberg

    Alsace

    Brimming with warmth and bonhomie, this winstub is a rustic ensemble of timber beams, red-checked tablecloths, heart-carved wooden chairs and stone walls…

  • Le Petit Bidon

    Colmar

    What a delight this nouveau-rustic bistro is, with its friendly welcome and bright interior sporting bare wood tables and milk-pail-lined shelves. The…

  • Le Schatzy

    Alsace

    Contemporary backlighting and furnishings put a modern spin on a beamed bistro at Le Schatzy. The vibe is laid-back and the menu foregrounds fresh…

  • La Soi

    Colmar

    A winstub (wine tavern) in the best of Alsatian traditions, La Soi whips up mighty fine Flammekueche (tarte flambée) with just the right amount of crunch…

  • La Cuiller à Pot

    Strasbourg

    Run by a talented husband-and-wife team, this little Alsatian dream of a restaurant rustles up fresh regional cuisine. Its well-edited menu goes with the…

  • Au Trotthus

    Alsace

    Lodged in a 16th-century winemaker's house, this snug wood-beamed restaurant is overseen by a chef with exacting standards. The market-driven modern…

  • Umami

    Strasbourg

    Simplicity is the ethos at Michelin-starred Umami, loosely translated as ‘savoury’, the fifth taste in Japanese cuisine. A starkly minimalist, art-strewn…

  • Au Crocodile

    Strasbourg

    This hushed temple of French gastronomy is named after a stuffed toothy critter brought back from Egypt by one of Napoléon’s generals. Artistically…

  • A l’Agneau d’Or

    Alsace

    Brimming with bonhomie, A l’Agneau d’Or is a fine choice for robustly seasoned, attractively presented Alsatian dishes, such as choucroute au gratin with…

  • La Cloche à Fromage

    Strasbourg

    Au revoir diet. Loosen a belt notch or three for Strasbourg’s gooiest fondues and raclette at this temple to fromage, saving an inch for the 200-variety…

  • Pâtisserie Gilg

    Colmar

    Bitter-chocolate cake, desserts with fresh fruit, nuts or caramel, rainbow-hued macarons, magnificent millefeuilles – however will you choose? Gilg is…

  • Fleur de Sel

    Colmar

    With its terrace perched above the canals of Petite Venise outside and cheek-by-jowl seating inside, this staunchly Alsatian bistro is known for its…

  • L'Épicurien

    Colmar

    Hidden in a Petite Venise backstreet, this is a wine bar/bistro in the classic mould, with cheek-by-jowl tables and a good buzz. Whatever's fresh at the…

  • Cinnamon

    Strasbourg

    Fancy a change? Your taste buds will do somersaults with the flavours at Cinnamon. Banquettes and white tablecloths create a slick, minimalist backdrop…

  • Au Relais des Ménétriers

    Alsace

    Exposed beams, stone walls, bistro-style tables and soft lighting create an intimate ambience at this central pick. The kitchen prepares good honest…

  • Crêperie Le Moulin du Diable

    Strasbourg

    Ah oui, there are crêpes and then there are proper Breton crêpes – and this nicely snug bolthole definitely falls into the second camp. Filled with a…

  • Auberge de la Paix

    Alsace

    Behind a half-timbered façade, this friendly, unfussy restaurant has been run by the same family since 1947. The menu is classically French. Begin, say,…

  • La Table Gayot

    Strasbourg

    Sitting on one of Strasbourg's prettiest squares, surrounded by a veritable feast of half-timbered houses, this bistro is a fine pick for an alfresco…

  • A La Soupe à Mémé

    Alsace

    Old-fashioned portraits hang on the walls of this quirky, colourful cafe. The food is simple but satisfying, whether you opt for one of the many tartes…

More destinations you need to see