Bâlehoo

I am always in search of a great wine bar. You know the type…something a bit cozy with a relaxed atmosphere, an interesting wine selection, and tasty food options for when I inevitably lose the momentum to make dinner. We found Rosario’s on one of our first nights in Basel and it has remained one of my favorite haunts.

Its rose-colored walls and the glowing candles on the long wooden table add warmth no matter what the weather, as do the friendly people who work there. As the name might suggest, the wine selection and the menu (with great antipasti and a good vitello tonnato) are Italian.

Make sure to read the chalkboards lining the walls for daily specials. In spring and summer, there are a few tables outside, but any time of year you can sit at the high barrel tables just inside the window and sip at your wine while watching the world walk by.

Rosario’s Lo Spuntino
Spalenberg 53
4051 Basel 
Tel: +41 61 261 03 76

Cotton candy at an Alsatian restaurant? Yes! I am a sucker for all things sugary, so the minute I saw the fluffy, pink balls being served to our neighbors at JY’S (Jean-Yves Schillinger) restaurant in Colmar, I was hooked.

The good news (for the non-sugar-addicts among you) is that the food is just surprising. Inventive and fresh, the menu features everything from sushi and fois gras to grilled sardines and roasted venison dans une croûte.

With such an interesting and varied menu, it was hard to choose - so we didn’t. Instead, we opted for the six-course tasting menu (approximately 60 Euros) and it was worth every cent. (There is also a smaller, less expensive tasting menu.)

As if the excellent cuisine isn’t enough, the restaurant – from its sleek bar and leather banquette down to the stylish bread baskets and water bottles – also has a simple, chic aesthetic. And, of course, there’s cotton candy at the end to help sweeten your (not-too-sour) bill.

For more information visit the website: www.jean-yves-schillinger.com

Restaurant JY’S
17, rue de la Poissonnerie
68000 Colmar
France
Tel: +33 3 89 215 360
www.jean-yves-schillinger.com