My wife and I spent one month in Strasbourg, France, exploring the city and its food culture. Below, I identify the best restaurants in Strasbourg, France, commonly referred to as Winstubs, as well as one other.
Restaurant Au Pont Corbeau
Restaurant Au Pont Corbeau was the first Winstub I visited in Strasbourg. The atmosphere and food are quintessentially Alsatian, and both the welcome and service were exceptional. Although it was a warm summer day, I chose to sit inside near a window to soak in the Winstub vibe alongside the French regulars rather than outside in the breezeway. I highly recommend this experience.
As a starter, I ordered the “Herring fillets marinated lentil salad.” My wife ordered the “Tomato gazpacho with basil.” For her main course, my wife ordered the “Homemade chicken paupiette with mushrooms, gravy, and sautéed potatoes.” A paupiette is a piece of meat that has been beaten thin and rolled with a stuffing of vegetables, fruits, or sweetmeats. I ordered the “Rabbit confit with olive oil and ratatouille,” see the picture below.
For dessert, we shared the “Alsatian rhubarb tart with meringue” and the “Rhubarb compote, strawberries, mousse de fromage blanc, crumble.”
Address: 21 Quai Saint-Nicolas, 67000 Strasbourg
Phone: 03 88 35 60 68
http://www.aupontcorbeau.fr/
Chez Yvonne
Chez Yvonne was the second Winstub I visited in Strasbourg. Like “Restaurant Au Pont Corbeau,” the atmosphere and food are quintessentially Alsatian. It has a downstairs and upstairs section. Both are beautiful.
They initially tried to seat me in the upstairs section, which was lovely. I could imagine how enjoyable it would be during a busy winter day with the Christmas market in full swing. However, I insisted on sitting downstairs in the main section with the French regulars, where all the action was happening. I highly recommend this experience.
For my starter, I ordered the “Homemade goose foie gras marinated in Cognac and Vendanges Tardives wine, with toasts.”
My wife ordered the “Young Rooster cooked at low temperature with cream and mushrooms, spaetzle” for her main course. I ordered the smoked “Braised knuckle, sautéed þotatoes,” as shown in the picture below. For dessert, we shared the “Kouglof with Marc de Gewurztraminer” and “Alsatian Cherry Tart.”
UPDATE: I am now in Bordeaux, France, attending the CAFA Wine School (see my post titled “Go to Wine School in Bordeaux, France“). As I read and revise this post, my mouth waters at the memory of the smoked “Braised Knuckle” from Winstub Chez-Yvonne. It was the best braised knuckle I have ever had, and I would love to have it again.
While we were enjoying our lunch, we noticed that a few French locals were being served a special off-menu dish called Bouchée à la Reine (The Queen’s Bite). It looked delicious, so we spoke to the chef and placed an order for it for the following week. We then returned to the restaurant.
“Bouchée à la reine,” or the “The Queens Bite),” is a classic French dish. It is an individual “vol-au-vent” puff pastry bowl filled with various ingredients, bound by a thick sauce, as shown in the image below.
A vol-au-vent is created by cutting two circles from rolled-out puff pastry. One of these circles has a hole cut out of its center, forming a ring. This ring is then placed on top of the solid circle and baked. The final result is a light, hollow case made of puff pastry.
Patisseries like Naegel in Strasbourg sell vol-au-vents that you can take home and fill with your choice of ingredients, such as soup (Think of Boudin‘s, a historic sourdough bakery in San Francisco, which offers sourdough bread bowls.)
Address: 10 Rue du Sanglier, 67000 Strasbourg
Phone: 03 88 32 84 15
https://www.restaurant-chez-yvonne.net/
Restaurant Chez Tante Liesel
Restaurant Chez Tante Liesel was the third Winstub I visited in Strasbourg. It is tiny, located in Petite France, the main tourist section of Strasbourg. But Quintessentially Alsatian. It is run by a husband-and-wife team and their daughter, who commands the front of the house. There are many typical Alsatian dishes from which to choose. The service is pleasant and casual.
To start, I ordered the “Alsatian snails (Schneke).” My wife ordered the “Caramelized onion tart with lardons.” For her main course, my wife ordered the “Salade d’après pot-au-feu,” a slow-cooked beef in bouillon served over a green salad with vinaigrette dressing, cornichons, carrots, and sautéed potatoes (see picture below). Think American pot roast served on top of a salad. My wife loved it. I ordered the “Choucrouterie garine (Saurcroaute): meats accompanied by knack sausage, gendarme sausage, smoked lard, salted lard, a slice of pork rack, and boiled potatoes.”
For dessert, we shared the “Alsacian apple pie with crumble” and the “Alsacian cheesecake made with fromage blanc.” Both were excellent.
Address: 4 Rue des Dentelles, 67000 Strasbourg
Phone: 03 88 23 02 16
https://chez-tante-liesel-strasbourg.fr/fr
Restaurant Les Chauvins
Restaurant Les Chauvins is not a “typical” Winstub. The Chef takes classic Alsatian dishes and transforms them into tapas.
My wife and I ordered and shared “Saucisson du moment (Bergkäs ou Munster… selon arrivage) de la boucherie Degert, Pickles,” “Grumbeerekiechle et bibeleskäs (4 pièces),” Fleischkiechle mini-burger style with Lapoutroie fresh cheese,” “Hot-dog alsacien (2pièces),” “Fleischschnäcke et raifort (5 pièces),” as pictured below, Asperges blanche d’Alsace, sauces maison (5 pièces), “Gratinée à la tomme bio, lard et oignons,” “Au munster, lard et oignons,” the “Kougelhopf façon pain perdu, fruit du moment et boule de glace,” for dessert.
I enjoyed my experience at Restaurant Les Chauvins. It was a lot of fun, and the food was decent. I came away with many great ideas for serving family and friends. The chef also owns “Ô 30 restaurant,” considered by many to be the best Afro-fusion cuisine restaurant in Strasbourg, France.
Address: 3 Rue du Faisan, 67000 Strasbourg, France
Phone: +33 3 88 16 13 61
https://www.restaurant-les-chauvins.fr/
Wistub Brenner
Wistub Brenner is located in Colmar, France, not in Strasbourg. If you’re spending time in Strasbourg, you can easily take a train to Colmar, which takes about 26 minutes.
Colmar is a beautiful and charming town, although its center has been transformed into a shopping area, similar to many other picturesque towns.
I can only spend about an hour and a half walking around and taking pictures in a place like this. After that, I need to find lunch. Similar to other tourist towns, Colmar is filled with restaurants that seem to be tourist traps, at least judging by their reviews.
Wistub Brenner is recognized online and has even been featured in the Michelin Guide as a “Selected Restaurant” in Colmar. Given its high recommendations, Michelin endorsement, a Google rating of 4.3, and its central location in “La Petite Venise,” I decided to give it a try for lunch. The reservation was easy to make online. The Winstub offers pre-fix menus for lunch.
My wife ordered the “Starter and Main,” while I chose the “Starter, Main, and Dessert.” The highlight of the meal was the “Famous Munster Cheese Salad with Pork Filet” (see pictures above and below). I’m not entirely sure why it’s called “famous,” but I appreciate the concept as it inspired me with ideas for hosting family and friends.
It is a large cheese stick, much like the American mozzarella cheese stick, invented by Wisconsin cheesemaker Frank Baker and served at restaurants across the United States. The French fry a variety of cheeses, such as Camembert and Saint-Marcellin, that are often accompanied by a salad. So, I imagined this to be the famous Alcase version.
When prepared properly, this dish can serve as either a starter or a main course, paired with a glass of wine, and accompanied by a variety of cheeses, such as breaded Camembert and Saint Marcellin, and served with a salad.
The outdoor seating was lovely on a warm July day. It’s first-come, first-served, so arrive early if you want to sit outside. The meal was expensive for the quality, but Wistub Brenner provided a welcoming atmosphere, comfortable seating, and excellent service in a location away from the overcrowded tourist restaurants in Colmar.
Address: 1 Rue Turenne, 68000 Colmar, France
Phone: +33 3 89 41 42 33
https://wistub-brenner.fr/?utm_source=gmb