Cafe Bar Saint Louis

Saint Louis only serves and sells excellent, locally roasted coffee – Haenowitz & Page. Saint Louis only serves excellent, locally brewed beer – Unser Bier. Discovering S.L. on a meander through Basel felt like finding a four-​leaf clover. How lucky was I? The café, about a year old, opened in a neighborhood that seems more of a go-​through than a stay-​and-​chill area close to the French border. S.L. is housed in an old building replete with original floor to ceiling curved-​windowed store front. The place feels quite cozy with room for only a handful of tables lining its walls. There’s a wee bar (four or five stools) where one can sit, enjoy a drink and read one of the many papers S.L. has on offer. We sat at the bar in order to take a gander at the cakes and croissants on display. I was sorely tempted by the dense-​looking chocolate cake (in the form of a loaf), but opted for a ‘liquid diet’ of beer and coffee instead. The amber ale was just a bit sweet, but also a touch dry and I had to hold back from swigging it all in one go. The espresso ordered was neither sour nor bitter and went right down just as it should. As if that weren’t good enough, a little freshly-​baked, tasty bit of biscotti accompanied my beverage – nice touch.
In addition to sweet treats, S.L. also serves a variety of pasta, soups and meat dishes. Check out their rotating menu on Saint Louis’ own blog:
The young woman behind the bar tolerated all my questions with a smile and a ready response. I really appreciated that. Would that there were more of the likes of her here in ZH!