Winstub S'Burjerstuewel (Chez Yvonne), Strasbourg
Chez Yvonne is the winstub that defines the genre — a low-ceilinged, wood-panelled Strasbourg institution open since 1873, where politicians, artists and hungry locals have always shared elbow-to-elbow benches for choucroute garnie and Pinot Gris poured from ceramic pitchers. It is as close to eating in a living museum of Alsatian culture as you will get, without any of the stuffiness.
What to Order
The choucroute garnie royale is the non-negotiable order: a mountain of slow-braised sauerkraut buried under smoked pork belly, Strasbourg sausages, bacon and a Montbéliard sausage, all cooked in Riesling. It is a two-person dish served to one person — pace yourself.
Follow with a slice of kougelhopf glacé for dessert, a lightly iced Alsatian yeast cake studded with raisins and almonds. Pair everything with a glass of Sylvaner from the house list — crisp, low-alcohol and made for cutting through pork fat.
The Winstub Culture
A winstub (literally 'wine room') is a specifically Alsatian institution: part wine bar, part hearty restaurant, governed by unwritten rules of conviviality — you share long tables with strangers, speak at normal volume and linger. Chez Yvonne at 10 Rue du Sanglier is the most famous example, but the format is alive across Strasbourg and the Route des Vins villages.
Reservations are essential for dinner (book at least a week ahead in summer); lunch walk-ins are more forgiving if you arrive at 12 pm sharp. Prices are honest: a full three-course lunch with wine runs €35–45 per person.
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