Eating/drinking options in Basel

Food & Drink, Events and Entertainment
1
I will be in Basel all next week for a course and staying at the Dorint hotel on Schönaustrasse. Firstly, can anyone recommend any good bars/restaurants in the general vicinity? Secondly, would any EFers dare venture out for a couple of beers during the week, or even a bite to eat; it would be nice to put some names to faces (as it were). Despite my online persona, I'm still a bit of a twat in real life . If so, I can head into town, I know Paddy Reilly's and Mr. Pickwicks (from football visits) and that's about it.

2
If you like cocktails (and who doesn't?) there's a bar tucked into the corner next to Cafe Hugenin at Barfusserplatz. I can't remember what the place is called but know that the staff don't bat an eyelid when a frazzled parent takes her baby in mid-afternoon mid-week and orders a margarita. The kid has juice and bar snacks.

I don't eat out too much for small person reasons but the Brown Bear (Brauner Mutz) also Bar Fusserplatz does good beer and fairly straightforward food, but the veggies were a bit school dinnerish.

3
Thanks. Any decent Asian or Indian restos in the area?

4
There must be. Will pick Mr Rufus' brain. There's the generic Mr Wong near SBB station and a decent Japanese (according to OH) near the German station. If you're out and about at lunch time you can get a decent Thai in the Markthalle (tram 16 or 3 I think or easy walk from SBB or Heuwage) and various other international choices there too.

If you're stuck, sling me a PM and I'll do a curry!

Remembered there's a My Thai at the migros at Bankverein but I've not been.

5
Cafe des Arts.

6

Thanks. That explains the naked gold statue dude near the bar.

7
Are there any in the whole country?

Thai Family is OK. Nooch is (currently) my personal preference. Lily's was OK but we don't go there anymore. Mr Wongs are everywhere but I usually hear bad things. Avoid the indian at the mega junction near Paddy's. There's a Japanese restaurant near the Badischer Bahnhof which was good the one time we tried it.

I find it hard to find good food in Basel. Currently I'm only frequenting Brown Bear, Nooch, sometimes the Union diner, and an italian "Artigiano" or something like that.

Loads of bars on the main pedestrian street up from Pickwick's, some of them new, but Klein Basel is also popular, if you dare (which you do). The street between the river and Manor seems to be popular. The bars on the other side of the main road are, um, different.

8
There's a passable and expensive Japanese restaurant opposite the "German" station (Basel Badischer Bahnhof) - Minamoto.

There's a cheaper and ok Japanese place the other side of town on Reiterstrasse - Kyoto.

Unless you're on expenses and can burn through the menu at Minamoto I don't recommend either unless you're really desperate for Japanese food.

Basel does OK for Indian restaurants, and the following are about 80% good and 20% shit (it's random, you take a gamble walking inside):

Mandir - Schützenmattstr

Indian Tandoori Palace - Petersgraben

For lunch, loads of generic stir fry and curry dishes (from a myriad of Indian and Thai places), plus lots of other choices, we have a food court at Markthalle (not far from the main SBB station).

9

Basel isn't that big and the tram system is spectacular, so "in the area" is relative. These are about 15 min away from you hotel:

My favorite Indian:

https://goo.gl/maps/XKv8adaUgmL2

My #2 favorite Indian

https://goo.gl/maps/7aVq9SVAxon

10
I don't live in Basel, but have been to this place two or three times. They even brew their own beer.

http://www.restaurant-fischerstube.ch

11
Thanks for all the suggestions. Another quickie, has the Basel Xmas market kicked off yet?

12

GTFY

https://www.basel.com/en/Christmas-i...ristmas-Market

13
No, they like to have a week's break between the Herbstmesse and Christmas Market so the stall holders can count their money.

14
You don't say.

15
On the other side of the river is this bar that I think is quite nice: http://www.bibliothekbar.ch/

On the Kleinbasel side, I also like this one: http://www.consumbasel.ch/ Bit old-fashioned, but comfy in a way.

Restaurants: the Union Diner (there's two) gets good reviews: http://uniondiner.ch/?page_id=31 Of course it's not Asian food though.

There's also this place: http://www.gojibasel.com/contact Haven't been yet, but it's supposedly very good. Granted, not the place to go for a "quick bite" given the prices.

16
Stopped here for drinks with my neighbors once. Good old fashioned bar that you can saddle up to. $$$+

http://grace-restaurant.ch/

17
I think this used to be Flanagan's. Had a drink there once. They do pints/half litre beers at normal Basel prices. Many 'fancy' places, such as Cafe des Arts only serve small beers but at large beer prices.

18
It was a different Irish Pub, but I don't remember the name.

Flanagan's is still around I think, somewhere near Aeschenplatz?

19

Yes. Picassoplatz.

https://goo.gl/maps/9ctZowpCgSt

20
McGuinness's. Flanagan's is the new one.