Who’s it for? Anyone who likes pretzels and wants to sample more Alsatian delights.
What should I order? The pear and thyme Puits d’amour pastry (€7).
When should I go? For the €15 two-course lunch menu.
Enter Café Mirabelle and you will be greeted by a mouth-watering cake counter, a fireplace and vintage furniture abound. Headed up by the young chef from Strasbourg, Marion Goettle, this tea room/restaurant/patisserie a stunning morning spread: croissants (€2), gianduja chocolate brioche (€2.50) and granola with yoghurt and fresh fruit (€5.20). Warm up with a gianduja hot chocolate or excellent De Thé en Thé teas from the 14th (€4.50).
When lunchtime comes, don’t miss the Alsatian bibelskäs: a combination of sautéed potatoes (soft on the inside, crispy on the outside), lardons, onions, fromage blanc and chives. The bouchée à la reine (a type of vol-au-vent) is formidable, with chicken, mushrooms and beautifully cooked puff pastry. But that comes as no surprise – this chef trained with Jean-François Piège (ex-Brasserie Thoumieux and now Clover Grill). It goes without saying that you shouldn’t pass up dessert. An orange and grapefruit tart was super smooth, with pistachio custard cream to balance the acidity of the fruits.
As for drinks, there’s a concise wine list, with a few wines from the region (bottles €21-40, by the glass €4-8). More fitting are the spirits, an Alsatian walnut cocktail (€7), eaux-de-vie from the Hagmeyer artisanal distillery (€8), or an Elsass Cola, made with water from the Lisbeth source and natural flavourings (€3.50).