Restaurants in Basel

Chef Peter Knogl serves up almost faultless Mediterranean haute cuisine supported by an extensive wine list and not one, not two but three Michelin stars. On fine summer days, the romantic terrace on the Rhine provides the perfect setting for couples. Beware - you'll need to get dressed up to dine here; the surroundings are stately and formal. But what would you expect from a restaurant housed within Les Trois Rois hotel?

This elegant Michelin-starred restaurant uses art and design to create a 1930s-style atmosphere – but there's nothing outdated about the dishes. Seasonal degustation menus feature everything from yellowfin mackerel with melon and nasturtium to Black Angus steaks with amaranth and celeriac. Service and presentation both earn regular plaudits.

This two Michelin-starred restaurant offers stylish, Asian-influenced haute cuisine in an elegant, modern setting, with three separate dining rooms. The dishes are veritable works of art, and the excellent wine list complements the menu perfectly. In fine summer months, it is possible to dine in the garden.

Seasonal, market-fresh ingredients underpin the first-rate Mediterranean food served at the Besenstiel, which recently underwent a change of owners. The pasta, fish and meat dishes are classy and high on flavour. The restaurant has a fine selection of Portuguese wines.

If you enjoy imaginative modern cuisine, Les Quatre Saisons is the place to go. This luxurious restaurant offers a wonderfully creative menu based on seasonal ingredients and the flavours of the region, combining French, Italian, Swiss and German culinary elements to great effect. The lunch menus are good value.

A charming restaurant with stacks of atmosphere, Safran Zunft is located in an ornate old guild house with a history dating back to the Middle Ages. The food on offer is very good, with an emphasis on Swiss and regional dishes such as the house speciality, the indulgent Bacchus Fondue.

Proclaiming itself as "influenced by Viennese coffee-house culture with a modern twist, and by simple Mediterranean cuisine", this café-cum-restaurant-cum-bar is one of Basel's best options for an informal lunch. Fresh baguettes are the speciality, with salads and cheeses also on offer.

A lovely Lebanese restaurant on Barfüsserplatz, Aladin has a wide-ranging menu incorporating both meat dishes and vegetarian options. Lebanese cuisine is a mix of several influences, in particular Arabic and French. The grilled skewers are excellent.

Housed within an old, narrow, medieval-looking building, the Hasenburg offers a cosy atmosphere in its two small restaurants rooms, with the additional option of al fresco dining. The kitchen serves a variety of specialities, including calf liver with hash browns.