When it comes to finding a place to eat at a train station, the Brasserie at the Basel train station is hard to beat. I stumbled into this place recently.

This brasserie is located in the Basel SBB train station on the Swiss side of the border and not the Basel Badischer Bahnhof which handles the German train services. I (Chris) had passed through this station several times but did not have the need to wait for a train.

 

When I walked in, I did not expect such a space – the dining hall with a high ceiling enhancing the retro ambiance.

 

All four walls are covered with art or painting by Swiss artists – Dieter Roth, Pierre Haubensak – well-known locally.

The back of the dining room. The classic Swiss railway station platform clock is probably the only thing to suggest that this dining room might be located inside a train station.

The center section of the brasserie sits on a raised platform, illuminated by a skylight directly above. It could make one feel like the center of attention.

There are other dining rooms in adjoining wings, separated from the main room by heavy velvety curtains. What chandeliers!

 More art above the entrance.

The brasserie is almost a destination itself. The only other railway station I know that has something similar is Grand Central in New York. There were several bars and restaurants that share the magnificient space with the main waiting room at Grand Central. This place is more intimate than grand.

Unfortunately, the food is not what motivated me to write this place up.

The restaurant’s website is here.