Fischerstube Brewery,
Rheingasse 45,
Basel,
Switzerland
I know it’s late but it was really tough to pick a pub to start our crusade. After all, this is essentially the pub that all else will be measured by. We have to set our standards in this pub and adhere to the strict system from now on.
So we settled on the Fischerstube Brewery. I’d been there two or three times before (The Big Finn and Mrs. TBF introduced me to it!) and I’ve always had a good experience. It’s what I would consider a good Swiss pub and is generally filled with locals especially around Fasnacht time.
Date and time: 10/07/07 around 8.30 – 10.30pm
Location and ease of access: Very easy to get to. A five minute walk from the Mittlere Brucke and a major tram line. Central Basel in other words. 8/10
Beer selection and prices: Being a micro-brewery they only sell their own brews. There are three to choose from, the Hell (lager), the Dunkel (dark) and the Hell spezial. A big plus is the option to have 3 or 5 litre towers at your table and then you can pour your own. Prices are a little on the high side but well worth the extra few rappen. 6/10
Atmosphere: Packed. There were three or four spare seats when we arrived. I estimate their occupancy at maybe 40 in the pub and another 40 in the resturaunt section. Noisy, but not too loud, it felt friendly and fun. 7/10
Service: A big let down. Granted it was busy but our waitress seemed to buckle under the strain. We waited an average of fifteen minutes for each round despite sitting close to the bar. We also ordered pretzels that never arrived. She did see through our pathetic German and offered to speak English which was good but overall we were disappointed. 2/10
Smokiness: Bearable although present. 6/10 (10 means no smoking)
Snacks: Freshly baked pretzels which in the past have been very good. When we ordered ours, our waitress said they were waiting on a fresh batch, but they never arrived and so we can’t comment. They looked good though! 2/10
Furnishings: Comfortable. Large tables for multiple parties, wooden benches and chairs. Lots of Fasnacht memorabilia lines the walls and makes for interesting reading. Windows at the back look into the micro brewery and the beer fermentation tanks. 7/10
Music: No background music but there’s a piano there that anyone can “have a go at”. Nobody did! 8/10 (10 meaning no music which is good in my opinion)
“The John”: Considering I suffer from TB (tiny bladder) when alcohol is involved I didn’t actual have to visit the loo in this visit. But from previous visits I know they’re in the basement and could be a little cleaner. On the plus side, they did have a football game in the urinal! 5/10
Rated /5 on Jul 17 2007 by The Swiss Job
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The Swiss Job 
There’s also an outdoor, covered, seating area upstairs that seats thirty to forty people. It’s a nice place to sit during the summer, but the one drawback is that the Ueli Towers aren’t served up there.
Also, you forgot to mention that they have a Hefe Weizen beer (maybe it’s seasonal?). Otherwise, great review…I’m looking forward to the next one.
All good points TBF. I hadn’t realised how difficult it is to review these places! But now I have a system in place and an alcoholic streak, I should have a few more over the next few weeks!