Zum Isaak

At first glance, it may look like a tourist trap, but don’t be fooled—it’s a genuinely good restaurant. The food is exceptionally flavorful, the staff are friendly and efficient, and the atmosphere is cozy with a traditional interior. It’s exactly the kind of place I enjoy dining at. If there’s room for improvement, it would be slightly larger portions and perhaps the addition of schnitzel or cordon bleu to the menu. Overall, the taste, the ambiance, and the service are all excellent. I’ll definitely be coming back.

We chanced upon Zum Isaak on a late Sunday afternoon walking through Basel. Aside from being beautifully located on the square opposite the minster; we were looked after so nicely by all the staff. We have a 1 year old as well who was catered for and entertained by the team at Zum Isaak too. Our meal was delicious, the wine was exquisite & the poir William & ice cream desert was heavenly. Thank you for making our stay in Basel so lovely.

Terrace facing the church and internal garden terrace. Läckerli is a traditional spiced biscuit from Basel, made from honey, almonds, candied citrus peel, and a blend of spices like cinnamon and cloves. The dough is baked, cut into rectangles, and typically coated with a sugar glaze. Dense and chewy in texture, Läckerli is especially popular around holidays. The name comes from Swiss German: “läcker” means “tasty” (related to Standard German lecker), and “-li” is a diminutive suffix, so “Läckerli” roughly means “little tasty thing.”

Nice place for dinner, the food was well prepared with a couple of fusion touches and flavours. Unfortunately the place was way too hot (not just my opinion, but the majority of our large group) l, with insufficient ventilation, making for an uncomfortable dinner experience.

I had an incredible dining experience at Zum Isaak recently! From the moment I walked in, I was greeted with warmth and professionalism by the staff, setting the tone for an enjoyable meal. The ambiance was cozy and inviting, perfect for a relaxing evening. The menu had a great variety of dishes, and I was impressed with the quality of the food, and it exceeded my expectations—it was cooked to perfection, and the presentation was top-notch. The flavors were well-balanced, and the ingredients felt fresh and of high quality. The service throughout the meal was attentive, but not overbearing, which really made the experience feel personalized. To finish, I had a desert and it was the perfect sweet ending to a great meal. Overall, I highly recommend Zum Isaak for anyone looking to enjoy delicious food in a welcoming atmosphere in the old part of town. I’ll definitely be coming back!

We waited 30min and no one really cares about us. I have to go inside and complain about it. Curiously, it was not the case of the other tables were people spoken german. Service was really awfull. One of the worst in my life. If I could I would have set 0 star. One of the waitresses was really lost, didn't know what to do. Other tables were served and the other waitress came to take our order again. 1 hour to be served, no really excuse, no commercial gesture. Food was OK at least. Just go elsewhere especially if you are strangers

I recommend this restaurant for a mouthwatering (business) lunch in the garden or inside. They offer a daily dish (Tagesmenü) and a variety of menus e.g. fish with potatoes. It is also a great place to drop in on a Sunday afternoon after some activity with the kids for a cup of tea and a piece of homemade cake. The restaurant is located just next to the Basler Münster.

Nice restaurant in front of the cathedral. Had some meatballs, tasty dish but salty salty salty. I guess it was a mistake and that the chef can do better. Service was good. Otherwise, high prices, typically for the country.

We just arrived at Basel yesterday. We go to visit the Christmas Market today by the famous church in the old town. We are looking for a place for lunch and luckily we find this one right by the church. We don't really know what cuisine they are serving because we can't read German. However we see a lot of people eating inside so we take a chance with their lunch specials. We are very appreciated the server tries her best to explain the menu to us in English. We both love our dishes and we are so glad that we get a chance to try the local cuisine. Highly recommended!

Came in to eat dinner as the menu is posted outside. Tried to talk to hostess/waitress but she was too busy. Thirty minutes later caught up to her and asked for a food menu. It was then we were told the kitchen doesn't open until 6pm and even if we wanted to eat we couldn't as they are full. Outside the place looks wonderful, but inside it's cafeteria seating.

A nice restaurant with plenty of outdoor seating and a good view of Münsterplatz. I stopped by for a late lunch while exploring the old town. It wasn't too busy, and there were a few other cafés/restaurants nearby as well. Since it was so nice out, all the customers were sitting outside and I didn't get to see if there was much seating or atmosphere inside the restaurant. Service was a bit slow when I first sat down, but this wasn't far off from most of my dining experiences in Europe. The servers were polite and spoke German and English; the person who took my order defaulted to English when I addressed him in French. I got a bit of sticker shock when I saw the prices on the menu, although I understand food in Switzerland is generally expensive and the other restaurants I visited had similar prices. I got the main-size flatbread (the starter size was about 4 CHF cheaper) with greens and a carafe of sparkling water. The flatbread was okay, but not very memorable. There was complimentary bread but it was also unremarkable. I might have liked it more if it had come with butter. Although there were only 2 desserts on the menu, the server let me know the cake choices that weren't on the menu. I got the apple cake, which was really tasty and my favorite part of my meal, and a latte macchiato. I was at the restaurant for about 2 hours and was never rushed. There isn't any wifi, but you get a good location for people watching. My food and drinks came out to be about 38 CHF. Overall, I had a pretty enjoyable if unremarkable meal; the cake was my favorite part, and it looked like most of the other customers only came for dessert so that might be more the way to go. I probably wouldn't come back, but it was a nice place to people watch and just hang out on the square.

Chickpea cakes atop sweet veggies and served with fresh herb sauce were superb! And sitting in this plaza can't be beat.

Drinks : ok Starter : Grilled goat cheese :( too smelly for me. Main course : Egg plant also with goat cheese and the same smell and not that great. Dessert: cream Catalan was a disaster - would anytime go for creme brûlée (French equivalent ). Overall not very great for the price.

Not very special. We had the schnitzel as daily lunch menu. Be aware 0,5 liter of water has the same price as 0,5 beer

Best 'Gourmet' dinner in Basel for the money, and such an amazing location too.

Very nice place! We had the restaurant just for ourselves! The staff was very helpful and friendly. Price quality ratio is really good. Ask for the fried goat cheese starter!

Poor Kim, no wonder nobody served you. Zum Isaak is "self service", you have to order at the counter... Nice terrace and a very precious garden but nothing special apart from that.

Talk about a snobby waitstaff! I can't even comment on the food or drinks because we were never served here. We sat at a small table with only about 2 or 3 other groups and had to ask for drinks a couple times. The other tables were served and the waitress would just walk by us, look at us and wipe down already clean tables. I consider myself to be very patient and forgiving but we were obviously being discriminated against so we just walked out. Maybe Swiss people have better experiences here...