The Best Restaurants in Bern

The "Myle" was recently reopened and is now run by Markus Arnold and his team, formerly of the "Steinhalle". The ambience is spacious, elegant and modern. Water and an aperitif are quickly brought to the table, followed by an aperitif with fresh bread and various snacks. The motto is "Cuisine Voyage" and Arnold drew inspiration for the current menu from a trip to São Paulo. Before the first course, the sommelier asks if we would like a wine pairing, but we choose the non-alcoholic pairing - a good decision! The yellowtail mackerel with tamarillo and aji amarillo is accompanied by a drink with apple, lime and pepper. A fresh combination that leaves you wanting more. The second course consists of black hake with herb mole and hollandaise, accompanied by asparagus with lardo - and a drink made from pear, kombu seaweed and rice vinegar that tastes surprisingly like sake. The Norwegian king crab with beurre blanc, garden peas, cocoa and preserved pumpkin is paired in a rather wild but exciting way with lots of turmeric. For the main course, braised beef rib meets Belém pepper jus and a cabbage wrap, while a beef tartare with sweet corn polenta and pitanga chilli is served in a separate bowl. The desserts - a crème with cocoa fruit and passion fruit and guava with dark chocolate, Samaroli rum and açaí ice cream - are a perfect end to an enjoyable evening. Another nice touch is the personal touch: the dishes are presented by the chef, Arnold himself enjoys chatting with the guests and the service staff are extremely attentive and friendly.

Markus Arnold invites guests to the historical museum and takes them on a gastronomic journey in his Steinhalle. The chef enjoys travelling himself and translates these new impressions and inspirations from Asia or America into creative and delicious gourmet menus.

A theater takes place on the upper floor. The Salon d'Or is full. Every chair at the bar is taken and the elegant "casino" is buzzing. We are seated and start with bread, whipped butter, champagne and Negroni. Bill Stooss, Stefanie Siegenthaler and Samuel Dober are in charge of the kitchen. The surprising start: white chocolate in the starter! This velouté is poured into a cauliflower mousse ring, topped with cauliflower shavings, grapefruit fillet, pickled jalapeño rings and pea shoots, accompanied by a cauliflower sorbetto on a bed of almond slivers. This course showcases all the pleasures of the palate: we taste bitter, sour, crunchy, nutty, buttery, cold, warm, salty, sweet and herbal. The main course is a succulently prepared saddle of pork with leek, deep-fried leek greens and a jus made from 13-year-old aceto. Then comes the vegetarian stunner: a pumpkin millefeuille with black garlic, candied ginger, cut-out napkin dumplings, glazed pumpkin rondelles, spicy pumpkin chutney, black salsify puree and a vanilla-ginger foam. This course is far more complex than the meat. Finally, there are works of art by patissier Samuel Dober: vanilla pannacotta, sablé breton, cinnamon blossom ganache and hibiscus cream are layered on an almond financier, accompanied by a blood orange and hibiscus sorbet. The second dessert is no less complex: the tree nut sablé is accompanied by caramel cream, white chocolate leaf and rosemary ganache, with Granny Smith apple balls and an apple and rosemary sorbet on top of the puff pastry hips.

A turquoise-blue stove dominates the “Zoe” dining room; we’ll see this color again throughout our meal. Maël Hêche and Joel Coray, who were already working in the kitchen, are stepping into the rather large shoes of former head chef Fabian Raffainer. The amuse-bouches promise a spectacle: a fennel tartlet with puffed amaranth, a wild mushroom basket, and a crispy potato ball with lovage powder and pickled onions. The next course is a Williams pear purée served with fermented red cabbage, quinoa, and mustard sorbet. Hêche and Coray source their delicious sourdough bread from the Sicula bakery. We try it with a beet, carrot, and tomato tartare, leek oil butter, and olive oil—wonderful. The appetizer pairs perfectly with the bread: two varieties of pumpkin, surrounded by chestnuts, sea buckthorn, and sea holly. The ingredients are brought together with an exquisite sauce made from pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, and ginger. For the main course, the chefs pull out all the stops: potatoes from the Albula Valley with savoy cabbage, sauerkraut, roasted onion purée, salty quince gel, and a jus made from fermented garlic. Then cannelloni with goat cheese, Calvados foam, cauliflower florets, compressed apple pieces, balsamic gel, and smoked almond chips. We can’t help but let out sighs of delight. After the pre-dessert—magnolia mousse, fennel salad, and fig leaf oil—comes a baked apple served as sorbet and purée on a salt-lemon gel, crème fraîche espuma, cinnamon crackers, and cinnamon oil. All courses are served on spectacular turquoise plates, making you hesitate for a moment before destroying these works of art. But only for a moment.

Bowls in all variations are just as much a theme in this elegant eatery in the heart of Bern as the "Grand Tavolata", where chef Domingo S. Dominigo serves up the finest world cuisine. Exciting selection of drinks, including sake from the Camargue.

Innovative contemporary dishes are prepared here without frills using regional, seasonal produce. Those who opt for the carte blanche have a vegetarian option. Recommended, as some of the vegetables are grown in the restaurant's own garden.

Jack's Brasserie is a Bernese institution with classic French cuisine and legendary schnitzel. The Art Nouveau architecture creates an elegant setting that is reminiscent of the great brasserie tradition and characterises the restaurant's special character.

Chef Pascal Melliger has talent, as every plate that leaves his kitchen proves. In the evening, he cooks in several acts, in which he likes to use meat from the Jaun family butchery. His partner and owner Daniela Jaun always finds the right wine.

To get to "Zum Blauen Engel", you pass through a pretty little garden and head straight for a historic wooden bar. If you look into the kitchen on the right, you will see Martin Krebs and his team at work, while the restaurant's dining room is on the left. You can't expect clean lines and modern design here, but it is romantically furnished in a brocante style. We order a veggie and a meat menu. Martin Krebs greets us from the kitchen with a brioche with waxed egg and truffle. We greet him back, the start is successful. For the vegetarians, we continue with smoked burrata and tartare. The meat eater gets a pink taco with an Alpine pike-perch tartare. The kitchen brigade is straightforward, many of the numerous components are the same in both menus: roasted endive, figs, diced kohlrabi, sea asparagus, blood orange and herb sorbet and a decorative flower. The starters are not only fireworks in terms of color, but also in the mouth. The vegetarian main course consists of a duo of purple cauliflower, roasted porcini mushrooms and a sophisticated leek and parmesan flan with verbena foam. The whole thing is topped with deep-fried angel hair, every bite crunchy. Meanwhile, only sighs can be heard from the meat eater: He eats venison in the form of crépinette and chamois pepper, accompanied by chestnuts, spaetzli and numerous vegetable variations. The playful menu continues with cheese and chocolate mousse with pumpkin seed oil and pretzels. We only share a cheese course with hyper-regional varieties and fruit bread. The atmosphere in the restaurant is now lively, even at our table. Pretty much everything is right here, we conclude.

The name lives up to the restaurant's name: it is beautiful and green around the "Schöngrün". We start with a greeting from Alexis Jauregui's kitchen. The salmon appetizer is topped with yuzu sesame and finely chopped herbs. The starter follows soon after: a gazpacho of yellow tomatoes, smoked labneh and basil sorbet. Perfect for the summer month of July. The companion is also happy with the French toast with tomatoes, Freiburger mozzarella and sunflower seeds. Although the kitchen is understaffed - when we arrive, two cooks are working to feed the whole restaurant - we are served an intermediate course: a cool cucumber and melon aguachile and summery pepperoni gnocchi. Both bites are terrific. Our companion finds the veggie main course - falafel made from Swiss lentils - a little dry, but still delicious when dipped in courgette sauce and pico de gallo. The brioche burger is elegantly small and accurately presented: The plucked Duroc pork goes well with the blackberry BBQ sauce, rocket, pickles and cabbage. Then a predessert: Jauregui loves tea, which is why she has turned an iced tea into a dessert. It goes like this: peach compote and sorbet, Earl Grey panna cotta, lemon and thyme gel and mint fritters. Creative, refreshing and good. Two childhood memories come together for dessert: picking cherries from the tree in summer and munching on cinnamon rice pudding in winter. The rice is topped with sugar and flamed, the fruit - halved and as coulis - are literally the cherries on the cake.

Having moved from Biel/Bienne to Bern, the hosts are now located in the beautiful Marzili neighbourhood in the even more beautiful former Marzer restaurant. The evening programme is a multi-course menu with a Mediterranean influence, but the gourmet restaurant is also open for cosy lunch breaks.

At the Essort restaurant, Ben and Sara Jann's team are guided by the seasons. The small menu guarantees the freshness of the dishes. Guests choose whether they want their menu with or without meat and whether it should consist of three, four, five or six courses.

Here you can start the evening with Spanish tapas, after which chef and owner Dirk Wagner offers top-quality dishes. The Casa Novo scores points in summer with its terrace overlooking the River Aare and in winter with the elegant ambience of its wine bar.

You feel at home here because the dishes are placed in the centre of the table for sharing. Only seasonal, local and sustainably produced ingredients are used in the pots and pans. A fine selection of natural wines is served in the cosy pub.

The Hellys restaurant welcomes its guests in a sober and purist style. Selected wines and fantastic cocktails are served in the bar at the front, while the restaurant offers elegant dining at the back. The pasta courses are unforgettable and the baguette tastes as fresh as in France.

First a butcher's shop, then a pop-up and now a permanent "bistro and juice store": Lehmanns" serves constantly changing market cuisine, natural wines and ciders. The restaurant, whose white tiles are reminiscent of its former existence, is uncomplicated - no reservations are taken and the food is served on crockery from the Brockenhaus. Head chef Florian Stalder sources meat, vegetables and flour from regional, organic farmers and butchers. We start the evening with marinated olives and homemade bread with tzatziki. A glance at the wine list with almost 100 items reveals an unconventional concept: the wines are arranged according to direction and distance from the restaurant. One focus is on wines from the Swiss winegrowers' collective Satellites of Love, while there are also ciders from Heftig Cidre and interesting non-alcoholic alternatives such as a tart cuvée cassis or a lemony hop water. In addition to canned sardines, pickles, charcuterie and cheese for the aperitif, there are around ten dishes to choose from, which are easy to share. We opt for deep-fried quark balls served with a fruity tomato chutney. Served with polenta with plenty of cheese and chopped herbs. The eggplant cordon bleu served at the next table also looks tempting. But we leave some room for dessert: a cream slice, elegantly layered with millefeuille, berry jam and vanilla filling, and an oven-warm clafoutis with mirabelle plums. Our verdict: simple dishes that taste good and impress with the quality of their products.

In this restaurant, the name says it all. With a marvellous view of the mountains, you can enjoy classic brasserie cuisine with modern elements. From beef tartare to bouillabaisse and rack of lamb, everything is served exactly as it should taste.

Kirchenfeld in Bern offers Italian bistro cuisine in a relaxed setting. The food is uncomplicated and prepared with a sense for good ingredients - with a style reminiscent of a trattoria and, thanks to the friendly service, also in the garden, makes you want to socialise.

Cappuccino and espresso are also available, but wine plays an even bigger role here than coffee. Dynamic, often biodynamic winegrowers supply the bottles, while the kitchen prepares classics and novelties. The entrecôte in the pan is a firm favourite.

The Kornhauskeller in Bern, affectionately called "Chübu" by the locals, impresses with its mighty vaults and unique atmosphere. The cuisine focuses on Swiss classics and skilfully interprets them. A place that shows that tradition can be very much alive.