Kornhauskeller, Historic restaurant in Old Town, Bern, Switzerland
Kornhauskeller is a restaurant inside a large vaulted cellar beneath the Kornhaus building in Bern's Old Town. The ceiling is decorated with frescoes, the walls are sandstone, and the main hall is wide enough to seat a large number of guests with room to spare.
The building was constructed in the early 18th century to a design by Hans Jakob Dunz, and it originally served as a grain storage house for the city of Bern. At some point in the 20th century the cellar was converted into a restaurant while the upper floors became a cultural center.
The restaurant sits beneath the Kornhaus, which now serves as a cultural center with rotating art exhibitions on the floors above. Diners eat surrounded by painted arches and stone walls that give the space a feel quite different from an ordinary restaurant.
The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner but closes on Sundays, so it is worth planning your visit around that. For larger groups or special occasions, booking ahead is a good idea.
The bar keeps a selection of single malt whiskies alongside a wine collection stored in a separate cellar room below the main dining hall. It is an unusual combination for a place better known for its painted arches than for its drinks list.
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