Bâlehoo

When I moved to Basel exactly three years ago, I looked at an apartment down the street from the Spalentor. The apartment was gorgeous, but it was on a busy corner above a musty old card shop. Faded unicorn and kitten posters filled the beautiful arched windows (just 75 CHF according to the equally ragged price tags). Our relocation person told me she remembered going to this shop with her grandmother when she was a kid and I recall thinking it was a shame that such a prime corner location and beautiful old building was home to such a stodgy store.

Well, no longer. After an ill-advised and (thankfully) brief stint as a clothes store, the space has been transformed and reopened just a few days ago as ONO, a “deli café and bar.”

When I stopped in yesterday, it was clear they were still working out a few kinks. The service was slow and my white wine wasn’t properly chilled. Their extensive drink menu features a host of specialty mixed drinks as well as wines by the glass or bottle, beer, and a wide range of non-alcoholic drinks (juices, coffees, etc).

My wine might have been warm but the atmosphere is definitely cool, with slate-grey marble floors, modern furniture and sleek lighting contrasting nicely with the building’s traditional architecture and an enormous crystal chandelier over the bar.

An inexplicable item that appeared to be a string of salamis coated in Elmer’s glue hung over the second floor’s open balcony (the bar is downstairs and food will be served upstairs) and was the only nod toward the ‘deli’ that I could find. When I asked the friendly bartender, she said the food menu will change daily and will feature a couple of different pastas and other light fare, using fresh ingredients. (Give it a try and let me know how it is or head across the street for some tried and true food at Restaurant zur Harmonie

While it is still early days, the stylish bar is already bustling and, if they can get past a few opening-week issues, it is clear that ONO will quickly become a popular meeting place. So, hop off the 3 tram (which stops right outside its door) sometime soon, enjoy a few cocktails and soak up the atmosphere.

ONO Deli Café Bar
Leonhardsgraben 2
Basel 4051
+41 61 322 7070

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

If you think “wurst”salat (essentially a salad garnished with bologna-channeling sausage rings) is the “best” salat, then you’ll want to visit Restaurant Zur Harmonie.

A casual neighborhood eatery, Zur Harmonie’s extensive and reasonably priced menu features an excellent wurstsalat mit pommes (french fries) as well as other tasty traditional Swiss fare like rösti and one of my personal favorites - kaeseschnitte (essential fondue on a plate). They also serve good pasta and seafood dishes, all at a decent price.

But whether or not you’re into wurst, Zur Harmonie is worth the trip for one reason alone: the french fries. A plate of Zur Harmonie fries and a cold beer is indeed one of best treats in town.

Restaurant Zur Harmonie
Petersgraben 71
Basel, Basel-Stadt
4051
Tel: 41 61 272 0718