La Binchstub: the farm tartes flambées worth queueing for
No booking, ever: you queue, and you understand why with the first tarte flambée out of the wood oven. 4.6 on Google, served until 1am.
The verdict
La Binchstub has one principle and sticks to it: no booking, ever, for anyone. You queue on rue du Tonnelet Rouge, and the queue itself has become an institution. What you get for it: the best farm tartes flambées in the centre, the tarte flambée being a wafer thin Alsatian tart of cream, onion and bacon, fired in a wood oven, with the producers named on the board and a cheerfully noisy counter atmosphere. The 4.6 on more than 1,500 Google reviews confirms that the queue is not lying.
What to eat
Flammekueche, the Alsatian name for that same tart, and almost nothing else, which is exactly right: the classic, the gratinée with cheese, the seasonal versions, and a short list of farm produce. Prices stay gentle, around €8 to €14 a tart, which also makes it the best cheap plan for an Alsatian dinner in the very centre.
Visiting tip
Service moves fast: the 8pm queue usually clears in under half an hour. The winning strategies are to arrive at opening, 6.30pm, or after 9.30pm when the pressure drops, knowing the kitchen serves until 1am. During the Christmas market the house also opens at lunchtime, but it shuts for a few days over Christmas and New Year, so check the dates before you set off.
Frequently asked questions
Can you book at La Binchstub?
How much is a tarte flambée at La Binchstub?
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.
