Schloss Bottmingen: Fine dining in a Swiss castle that knows how to Rock

Fairytale castles in the modern-day are not all necessarily in ruins, located far off from cities or maintained as museums. In some, it is possible to fine dine quite like royalty, while spending time with your loved ones AND even party like a rock star once in a while! The Schloss Bottmingen, located just within 5 kms from Basel, is one such castle where you can enjoy a gourmet meal in a Michelin star restaurant and admire the architecture and history of a castle from the middle ages without having to travel far away from the city. If you happen to be in or around Basel, here’s how to plan a trip to Schloss Bottmingen and what to expect from a culinary experience.

If you are new to Basel, you might not be aware of the fact that historically, there were three castles along the Birs river: Benken, Bottmingen and Binningen.

The castle of Bottmingen is still, for the most part, in its original form. In the middle of the 14th century, it was owned by Episcopal family and in 1409 it was destroyed. A few hundred years later, it was renovated, and extensive restoration took place due to the efforts of the cantonal governments of Basel Land and Basel Stadt.

What to expect at Schloss Bottmingen

Elegant. Fun. Unpretentious Fine dining.

At Schloss Bottmingen, you are in for a culinary treat. The restaurant specializes in classic French cuisine. The castle houses a host of banquet halls and rooms across 2 floors and welcomes you with very friendly staff and chefs. On a beautiful day, you can choose to be seated outdoors and enjoy your 4- or 6- course meal. You can also walk around the gardens to enjoy the views. The property is located close to the Bottmingen outdoor pool, which is loved by kids and families. It looks like a perfect spot to celebrate a special occasion like an anniversary or birthday or just making any day perfect with your loved ones.

Group Activities At Schloss Bottmingen

It is also possible to arrange culinary experiences with the chefs and learn the art of cooking. In fact, one of the star chefs, Alain Schmidlin (@Albarock) is quite popular for his cooking lessons on social media too! Check out his popular Youtube channel for cooking videos. Currently, it is possible to organize events for up to 150 people in the castle, or just relish meals in the restaurant (outdoors near the lake in the summer).

Some of the public events include ‘Rock the castle’ and Crime Dinner ‘Jackpot Murder’.

To reach Schloss Bottmingen, take bus 34 from the city.

 

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Rock The Castle: VOL III.

Cassie from @expatinbasel attended the ‘Rock the Castle’ event recently, was in for a complete surprise as it was her first visit. The whole experience entailed discovering one room after the other inside the castle, savouring one delicacy at a time. The dress code was in line with the theme of the evening, Rock n Roll, as were the Harley Davidsons lined up outside for the night. It seemed like a perfect blend of ‘Elegant meets Rock’, a rather unique combination to come across. This annual event is definitely something to look out for and reserve your tickets in advance!

Food at Schloss Bottmingen

Whether you are a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian, be prepared for delicious dining with style.

Since the menu is seasonal, it varies. But, at any point in time, rest assured that you will be served the best dishes made from locally sourced ingredients.

The current menu offers a 6-course meal or you could go à la carte of course. From burrata salads and gazpacho to salmon, polenta, ravioli, specialities like duck or lamb and a variety of desserts and cheeses, you will have enough to choose from and relish.

At the recent ‘Rock the castle’ event, Cassie loved the Vichyssoise soup with a side of Tuna fish and recommends trying it out if you are into sea food. The soup in itself is made of leek, onions, potatoes, cream and chicken stock. She also recommends trying out their variety of cheese and desserts.

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Special offers for folks under-30

As a special offer, the Restaurant Schloss Bottmingen offers a Champagne-Apéro and a 3-course meal based on seasonal ingredients for 99 CHF every Tuesday.

Overall, if you are in the mood of fine dining, celebrating a special occasion or simply enjoying a culinary experience in Basel, put Schloss Bottmingen on your list! Will you be checking it out? Leave a comment and tell us your favourite finds in Basel.

P.S.- Do share this post on social media and with your friends/family in Basel.