Brasserie Bärengraben

Not a fan. We first walked in and there was a woman who spoke clear English and I asked if it was a place to have a quick bite or appetizer and a beer. It was immediately obvious it was not...but she assured us it was fine. There were two separate gentleman servers who were quite evidently annoyed we weren't ordering full meals and spending a long time in. 2 beers and a salad to split later and it cost us 50 francs for a mediocre quick salad. Pass if you're not prepared to spend a few hours. (In their defense, the entrees looked quite impressive).

Soup was excellent but not very hot (just warm) and the meat was served almost raw (not asked how we would like our meat done). We asked for it to be cooked a bit more (not over cooked). It was immediately taken away, but without asking again how we would like it. A new plate of food was served and the meat very good second time round. Desserts were really outstanding, and the portions huge. Only one option for children meals, so not really recommended for young picky eaters.

Restaurant is small and packed. Once they assign you a table even other tables are available, you could not request to change table as the elderly waiter said they were all reserved and put the reserved sign immediately. By the time we finished lunch after one hour later no reserved tables are occupied. The Duck breast was cooked too rare and we cannot chew and swallow it. However, the Sea beam and vegetables were good though. May be it was close to tourist spot so it is kind of over priced.

The food was absolutely great. I had the duck leg and the entire dish was absolutely special. My only complaint is the time it took for the food to get there, the kitchen is very small and the chefs are incredibly good which means you're going to have to wait.

Almost forgot, the lemon tart is great!

Update: Yeah, so I went back during the Bern Fest and had the Sweetbread (ris de veau, dish in the photo). Absolutely stellar. Didn't have to wait as long. Definitely a great restaurant. The Altes Tramdepot is a bit more trendy but this is the restaurant you go to to eat fine cuisine.

The location of Brasseria Barengraben is great. It is right at the bridge that leads you to the old city of Bern. The food selection is extensive and the plates are delicious . We had a steak tartare, which tasted great but in my opinion had too much tomato sauce. The vibe there is definitely worth it.

Decent food but extremely rude staff. Giving two stars as one female staff working on evening of 22/09/21 was more accommodating than everyone else. The person who seated us and took our orders was the most rude.

Night started by being seated (party of 4) right by the entrance in two small tables in front of the ‘bar’ and steps away from the toilet door. This was not such a big deal but the hallway was very tiny and we had to keep adjusting our seats as other customers and restaurant staff used this walkway to go back and forth the kitchen and the dining area.

The restaurant had a sign in front indicating “trip advisor recommended” but when told by the waiter that the menu was only in French and German, he offered no further explanations or recommendations.

He offered no water. No small plates for starters. Ignored requests to clean up spilled water. And when the daily special was sold out, he came back with a menu and simply said ‘no more’ pointing to the special then walked away.

Overall decent place for food but probably not an enjoyable experience for foreigners who cannot understand French or German.

Excellent dishes, great service. Will visit again.

Had lunch there, outside. Service was fast, friendly and attentive. I really liked the food and its presentation too.