Le Tire-Bouchon: the regulars' winstub by the cathedral
Open seven days a week two minutes from the cathedral, 4.3 on nearly 5,700 reviews, and one rule in December: no bookings, everybody queues.
The verdict
Le Tire-Bouchon ticks every box of the city centre winstub, the Alsatian tavern, that actually works: two to three minutes from the cathedral, open seven days a week straight through from late morning to late evening, with a 4.3 from nearly 5,700 Google reviews, which is rare consistency at that volume of footfall. Its December policy is blunt and published on its own website: during the Christmas market there are no bookings, everybody queues.
What to eat
The Alsatian classics in an old fashioned room: choucroute (sauerkraut with cured pork), baeckeoffe (a slow cooked meat and potato casserole), pork knuckle and tartes flambées (thin, crisp bacon and onion tarts), served without a break from midday to closing. That matters for a late lunch after a long morning of sightseeing.
Visiting tip
In December, use the strategy for places that take no bookings: arrive as service opens at lunchtime, or late in the evening, once the chalets have finished their 11.30am to 9pm day. Out of season, ordinary booking works and the place returns to its regulars' rhythm.
Frequently asked questions
Can you book Le Tire-Bouchon during the Christmas market?
What do you eat at Le Tire-Bouchon?
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.
