Update to what is still good & what is new:

I am painfully aware that I have not written about the Olten-Aarau region’s fine dining scene for ages. And this despite the fact that it is where I come from. Hence, I want to catch up on this now. While I would like to be as comprehensive as possible, I will refrain from going into each and every restaurant I have mentioned so far on this blog in this context. Instead I will give an overview of the fine dining scene in the Olten-Aarau region. You will learn what is still good and what is new. And it will include casual and “regular” fine dining as well. The most important thing in this regard is that it is about seriously good food. Before delving into concrete dining spots, a few lines what this does mean. And I will also give some indications on the region in question.

What makes good food

Being a good restaurant involves first and foremost the food quality. The ingredients have to be first-class, fresh and seasonal, preferably also regional. What I am not so sure about is that they also must be socially acceptable. For example, I am not opposed to foie gras – quite the opposite, it is one of my favorite ingredients – , trusting that renowned restaurants source from respectable producers. And I still think that eating meat, fish and any other animal produce is not a bad thing to do. At least if you limit the consumption of this food to a reasonable level.

Okay, the basis has to be perfect, and so has to be its handling. A good chef has to know how to tackle the various ingredients and to combine them in a skillful manner. The final product has to be convincing in terms of flavor and taste, above all. It must allow a complex flavor and taste experience. Textures are important too. There must be some sort of mix between softer and harder, crunchier and chewier parts. And the whole has to be well composed and balanced. Last but not least, it must include unexpected elements.

When it comes to food presentation, the pleasure you get from eating is affected by it. Food must be a feast not only for the palate but also for the eyes. Therefore, appearance is critical, however it must not result in style over substance. The portions should not be miniscule. You must be able to really savor a dish. And this is only possible if the serving size is large enough.

After this digression on (good) food, here some remarks to the region of Olten-Aarau.

Olten-Aarau region

Olten and Aarau are two small towns in northwestern Switzerland and part of the Swiss Mittelland. Both have about 20,000 inhabitants each. While Olten used to be a working town – it is known as place where all the railway workers jobbed and lived – , Aarau always was more on the posh side – it was an industrial town.

Nowadays, both towns are commuter towns too. Olten is located within half an hour of Zurich, Bern, Basel and Lucerne. It is a central rail hub and has rents that are far lower than each of those cities. Aarau is even closer to Zurich but features not that favorable train connections as Olten. Furthermore, it is the capital of the canton of Aargau.

In case you are wondering which place is more beautiful, then I have to admit without hesitation that Aarau is the winner. Its old town is not only much bigger than it is the case in Olten, it is also definitely more picturesque. From what I hear, it even boasts the most beautiful eaves in Switzerland.

In terms of fine dining, Olten has more to offer than Aarau, which might come as a surprise, given its somewhat “underdog status”.

(Casual) fine dining in Olten-Aarau region

This post is the start to a mini-series about the fine dining scene in my home region of Olten and Aarau. As indicated, it will cover all the restaurants that I consider offering truly good food in this part of northwestern Switzerland. It will include not only the traditional fine dining establishments – think of sophisticated white tablecloth dining – , but also casual fine dining spots. This is about restaurants where gourmet food is served in a more relaxed ambiance. You will encounter most probably bare tables and no silverware at such places.

I do not claim my overview to be complete. If you think that I missed one of the really hot spots, please let me know.

The beginning makes my list of all the good dining venues in the Olten-Aarau region, divided by category and region. I will comment it no further at this point of time – with one exception. But do not worry, there will be more details in my next three posts! The first will be about Olten, the second on Aarau and the third about the rest of the Olten-Aarau region. I will provide short descriptions of all the eateries with details to food, ambiance, service and prices.

My list of where to dine in style in Olten-Aarau

UPDATE – Schlosserei Genussfabrik Olten: out of business in Mai 2022 / Zollhaus Olten: change of management in October 2022 / Loohof Oftringen: change of management end of 2022 / Kreuz Obergoesgen: out of business end of October 2022

Only one short remark to the category of top restaurants. Since one of the two leading places in the region closed down (the former two-star Michelin Lampart’s in Haegendorf), there is only one left in the area on this high level. And this is Restaurant Traube in Trimbach, a one-star Michelin establishment (17 points Gault Millau).

Overall & looking forward

In this post, I went into the definition of good food and gave a short overview on my home region of Olten and Aarau. Furthermore, I provided a list of restaurants in this area where you get really good food. Soon on my blog, you will find three more posts about this topic. They will go in some details into the (casual) fine dining scene in Olten, Aarau and the rest of the Olten-Aarau region.

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