The most beautiful vaulted cellars in Bern

This beautiful vaulted cellar in the middle of Bern’s old town serves up a touch of “italianità”: the traditional Italian restaurant is dedicated to Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi and his passionate music. There are different rooms, various cosy nooks and an impressive vaulted cellar for events of any kind in the wonderfully renovated and remodelled gem, where specialities like “bollito misto” (a meat stew from Northern Italy) and an impressive selection of wines from the in-house enoteca await. For the Tavolata in Verdi’s vaulted cellar, guests are served a four-course menu “all’italiana”: the group (eight or more guests) is seated at one long table and the food is served in large bowls and on platters, so everyone can take whatever they feel like having.

Denise, the outgoing owner of the vintage store at Kramgasse 21 that opened in 2013, has filled this vaulted cellar with carefully selected gems that she brought back from her travels to places such as the USA, the south of France, and Rome. The treasures from the past are all unique pieces that tell their very own story. You’ll find mid-century design classics surrounded by creative flower arrangements and colourful Murano glass art presented in antique display cabinets. One of the highlights is her selection of high-quality jewellery, which she makes from genuine freshwater pearls, among other things.

Bern’s old town is great for some underground “käfele” (having coffee). This charming vaulted cellar café at Kramgasse 8 serves coffee from a roastery in the Emmental accompanied by tasty scones. It’s also said to have the best Chai latte in town. Sit back into the huge cushions and treat yourself to something yummy. Perfect for a pit stop on an afternoon of shopping under Bern’s famous arcades! By the way: Marta is an insider’s tip for culture fans: for the format “Marta singt”, artists from near and far come to perform at the café.

The Kornhauskeller at Kornhausplatz 18 is Bern’s most magnificent vaulted cellar and, according to Tripadvisor, “one of the most beautiful bars in the world”. The sheer dimensions of the location alone are impressive, and the central nave and the two side aisles are reminiscent of church architecture and give the Kornhauskeller a sense of sacral grace. Whether you’re going for a single malt whiskey in the Kornhauskeller’s bar (it has 80 different varieties!) or an elegant dinner at the restaurant – an evening in the picturesque Kornhauskeller definitely deserves a spot on your Bern bucket list.

The picturesque vaulted cellar of the restaurant Tredici at Rathausgasse 25 offers a romantic ambience and lots of “italianità” – you will almost feel like you’re on holiday in Piedmont. Just like in Italy, the food is not ordered à la carte; there’s a set menu with antipasti, primo and secondo piatto, formaggio and dolce. The evening is rounded off with a fine wine from their wine shop Tredicipercento, located under the arcades one floor above the restaurant.

In the mood for good beer? Go down the steps at Rathausgasse 53 to enter the wonderful world of craft beer. There are always twelve different craft beers on tap in the old vaulted cellar, and as soon as one keg is empty, a new one gets its turn. From the Belgian blonde to the IPA with lactose and vanilla extract to the sour beer with mango and passion fruit – when it comes to flavour, the sky’s the limit. And if your favourite brew is not on tap at the moment, you’re sure to find something you like among the 60 different bottled beers. By the way: the impressive selection is also available “über d’Gass” (to go). Cheers!

Rarely do you see so much cultural diversity in such a small space. On 30 square metres, Bern’s cultural scene sings, laughs, makes music, philosophises, discusses and experiments. In 1954, the German version of Pablo Picasso’s play “Wie man Wünsche am Schwanz packt” (“Desire Caught by the Tail”) premiered in the vaulted cellar, then known as Kleintheater Kramgasse 6. Today, Ono serves up a colourful, rich cultural menu – from jazz concerts, photo exhibitions and improv theatre to PowerPoint karaoke and its well-established poetry slam event “Berner Altstadt-Slam”.

If you enjoy rummaging through CD and record collections, you should descend the stairs at Rathausgasse 25: in Serge Berthoud’s dimly lit vaulted cellar, you’ll find nothing but good music, selected by the boss himself. Serge and Peppers Records offers new releases in a wide range of styles, from indie to pop to country to electro to hip-hop to metal, and is restocked every week. If you can’t make up your mind, ask the sales staff for advice on what to get. Who knows, maybe your new favourite album is waiting for you in a vaulted cellar in Bern?

This vaulted cellar is home to some very special treasures: huge wheels of cheese are nurtured for years until they are sold in the shop on the ground floor. The Chäshütte started in 1894 and was run by the Heugel family until 2014, when the Bärfuss brothers took over. In addition to the large selection of cheeses, you can also find other local products in the traditional shop: syrup from the Sirupier de Berne, Bernese liqueurs such as Ingwerer and Chili-Schnouz, and homemade antipasti. The Chäshütte’s cheese cellar is not open to the public, but if you get chatting to the owners and are a bit lucky, you may get to take a peek inside.

Take off and dive in! If you descend the stairs at Gerechtigkeitsgasse 50, you will end up straight in the Abflugbar. Due to the arrangement of the seating area, bar and platform, this vaulted cellar feels like an airport lounge. But it would almost be a shame to only order airport classics such as Campari soda or tomato juice – many Bernese agree that the Abflugbar serves some of the tastiest and most creative cocktails in town. Our tip: order a Basil Smash, it’s said to be especially good! The drinks are accompanied by tasty olives and Parmesan shavings.

During the day, the entrance to the Zytglogge-Theater (Zytglogge theatre) is usually hidden under an inconspicuous cover. But when dusk falls, it’s time to open the doors and raise the curtain. There are 45 seats in the charming little cellar theatre, the 15-m² stage and the actors from the Bernese dialect theatre association “chäller-kumedi” (cellar comedy) are close enough to touch. Plays are not the only thing you can see: book readings, stand-up comedy and unplugged concerts are also on the programme. The Zytglogge-Theater is located at Kornhausplatz 10, just a few steps away from the Chindlifrässer fountain and directly across from the Leichtsinn bar.

On the corner of Brunngasse and Rathausgasse, a mecca for furniture fans, design enthusiasts and architecture aficionados awaits. You might have a hard time finding your way back out of the multi-storey Bernese furniture store Intraform – it is a wonderful labyrinth of small galleries, staircases, rooms and mezzanines. And you will probably want to spend hours there looking at the high-quality design classics and choosing your favourite piece for your home. Our tip: make sure you also visit the store’s vaulted cellar.

Lights, camera, action! In Bern’s Kellerkino (basement cinema) at Kramgasse 26, you can enjoy cinematic gems in a unique ambience. The Kellerkino is small (not for the claustrophobic!), cosy and simply charming. And measured in cinema years, it’s almost a venerable old lady. Founded in 1970, it is the first and oldest independent cinema in Switzerland. Films that would otherwise not be shown flicker across the screen here, with a focus on Swiss films. There is seating for 36 people and the cinema is open every day.