Café Bretelles: the speciality coffee pioneer
Strasbourg's first coffee shop (2014), Mokxa beans you choose by origin and real home cooking to go with them: the pioneer has not been caught.
The verdict
In March 2014, barista Olivier Wernert opened the first coffee shop in Strasbourg on rue de Zurich. Ten years on, Café Bretelles is still the benchmark, with a second address in La Petite France. The recipe has not moved: beans from the roaster Mokxa, chosen by origin (Ethiopia, Brazil, Bolivia), four slow brewing methods alongside espresso, and proper home cooking, vegan options included.
What to drink
Coffee taken seriously: single origin espresso, V60, precise filters, flat whites worth the name. They ask which origin you prefer, and that is exactly the standard the city lacked before 2014. On the plate: brunch, pastries and daily dishes made on site.
Visiting tip
The original address in the Krutenau (57 rue de Zurich) for the neighbourhood feel, the Bain-aux-Plantes one for a break in the middle of La Petite France. Both are full late on a weekend morning: aim for before 10.30am, or the afternoon.
Frequently asked questions
What was the first coffee shop in Strasbourg?
Where are the two Café Bretelles in Strasbourg?
Camille Roth
Born in Schiltigheim, Camille spent ten years working in Strasbourg kitchens before swapping the apron for a notebook. She writes about winstubs, the city's newer tables and Alsatian produce. Her rule: never recommend an address she would not send her own parents to.
