Wartsaal Kaffee Bar is Bern's Coziest Waiting Hall

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The Wartsaal Kaffee Bar is located in the Lorraine, a former working class neighborhood in Bern. The area has resisted the kind of gentrification seen in places like Zürich's Seefeld, but more and more hipster boutiques are moving into the storefronts that once housed shoemakers. (This hood even has its own alternative currency.)

The Wartsaal Kaffee Bar

The Lorraine vibe lives inside the Wartsaal, which is German for "waiting hall". The name is quite appropriate as we are waiting for a friend to visit the Design Marché. This bazaar takes place a few times per year just next door to the restaurant. It is regularly organized by the lovely ladies of Château Viktoria:

Breakfast for Zvieri

I hear that the Wartsaal has a fabulous assortment of breakfast choices: "On the go", "Missed the train sweet/salty", or "Hung over". Even those of us who do not fit the label "morning person" have a chance, as croissants or scrambled eggs are served through 5 PM.

We are here for a cold one from the tap, though.

There is a small but fine assortment of Swiss beers, such as Trois Dames from Vaud or the local Burgdorfer or Egger:

The Wartsaal is probably the only waiting room in the world where waiting is voluntary - and fun! The colorful walls, vintage furniture and alternative flair of this place will send your thoughts on a trip... Because this coffee bar could just as easily be in Berlin or Rotterdam - were it not for the charming Bernese dialect of the waiting staff.

Our advice: Try a glass of the freshly brewed "Klassiker" ice tea in the summer, or a cappuccino on a cold winter day... And while you are waiting for a friend, ask for the WiFi password at the bar to post a picture of that perfect cappuccino on Instagram.