Qin
Rotes Quartier, Bern
Restaurant in Bern, Switzerland
Book with PearlThe Read
Dress
Casual
Why go
Qin works when you want an easy central Bern meal, not when you need a high-ceremony occasion restaurant. Its main strength is location and low planning friction around Speichergasse, especially for lunch or an early dinner near the old town.
About Qin
Qin is a casual venue in Bern with listed opening hours that include weekday lunch, dinner from Monday to Saturday, closure on Sunday. The safest way to evaluate it is by schedule and fit rather than by a more specific dining claim.
The case for considering Qin is strongest when its hours match your plans. Lunch is listed Monday to Friday from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM. Dinner is listed Monday to Wednesday from 6 PM to 8:30 PM, Thursday and Friday from 6 PM to 9:30 PM, Saturday from 5 PM to 9:30 PM. Treat it as a practical Bern option when those windows work for your meal.
Book it when location and ease beat ceremony
Qin works well as a straightforward Bern option: Bern location, casual dress, weekday lunch hours, evening service on most days except Sunday. If you are looking for an award-led, chef-driven, tasting-menu, or special-format destination, check directly with the venue before planning around that kind of experience.
For planning across the city, keep Qin in mind alongside other Bern dining options. If the goal is to compare the wider local field, start with our full Bern restaurants guide; if the meal is part of a longer stay, pair it with our full Bern hotels guide, our full Bern bars guide, our full Bern wineries guide, or our full Bern experiences guide.
Planning details
- Location
- Speichergasse 29, 3011 Bern, Switzerland
- Website
- qin-restaurant.ch
- Phone
- +41313122180
The take
The Take
The Vibe
Qin settles into Bern's compact, UNESCO-listed old town with a quietly confident presence. The restaurant occupies a stretch of Speichergasse where sandstone arcades and vaulted cellar rooms shape the dining experience: think low ceilings, close-set tables and the muffled hum of conversation beneath stone arches. Foot traffic here is local and purposeful rather than tourist-driven, which keeps the room feeling intimate and calm. The setting leans historic and charming rather than flashy, so the mood is more about focused, comfortable dining than spectacle.
Best For
Located steps from the Federal Palace and the Zytglogge, Qin is convenient for anyone exploring Bern's old town or arriving by public transit. Its position inside the covered Lauben arcades means steady year-round pedestrian flow, making it a reliable choice for a sit-down lunch or dinner during a day of sightseeing or local errands. The atmosphere favours diners who appreciate quietly atmospheric, place-based meals — locals on purposeful outings and visitors who want a grounded, old-town dining stop both find it fitting.
Ordering Tips
Focus on the house specialties highlighted for a direct introduction to the kitchen: order the hand-pulled noodles and the meat dumplings, and try the Xi'an-style pasta to taste the restaurant's regional Chinese influences. These signature items are the clearest guide to Qin’s menu priorities and represent the texture- and technique-driven dishes the kitchen emphasises. Given the intimate, vaulted setting, sharing a selection of these core dishes gives a good sense of the place in a single visit.
Venue details
Ambiance
Charming with a slightly Orientalist decor featuring a terra cotta warrior entrance and view into the lively show kitchen.
Tags
Vibe
Best For
Experience
At the Table
- Dress Code
- Casual
- Noise Level
- Conversational
- Service Style
- Upscale Casual
- Meal Pacing
- Standard
- Capacity
- Small
Signature Dishes
- hand-pulled noodles
- meat dumplings
- Xi'an pasta
Planning details
Location
Also consider
Also Consider
- Tenz Momo Speichergasse, Notable alternative
- Kurt&Kurt, Notable alternative
- Pangäa Moléson, Notable alternative
- Restaurant Röschtigrabe, Notable alternative
- gurtners, Notable alternative
Restaurant context
How Qin compares in Bern
Choose Qin when Speichergasse convenience is the priority and the meal needs to be easy rather than highly staged. Tenz Momo Speichergasse is the closest cross-shop on location, so it is the cleaner alternative when the group wants a more defined casual format nearby.
Kurt&Kurt and Pangäa Moléson make more sense if the brief is a more deliberate night out and the group is willing to plan around a different room. Qin is the safer pick for an easy table in the center; those two are better cross-shops when ambiance matters more than immediate location.
For a more Swiss-leaning Bern meal, compare against Restaurant Röschtigrabe. If the meal is tied to a broader view-led outing rather than an old-town stop, gurtners is the more occasion-oriented alternative. Qin wins on simple central utility; the others give you clearer reasons to plan the meal as the main event.
Explore Bern
Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full Qin guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare Qin
| Venue | Location | Awards |
|---|---|---|
| Qin | Bern | No published awards |
| Tenz Momo Speichergasse | Bern | No published awards |
| Kurt&Kurt | Bern | No published awards |
| Pangäa Moléson | Bern | No published awards |
| Restaurant Röschtigrabe | Bern | No published awards |
| gurtners | Bern | No published awards |
How Qin Bern compares with similar nearby venues.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I eat at the bar at Qin?
Do not plan around a specific bar-seating format without checking directly with Qin. The useful anchor is the schedule: lunch runs Monday to Friday from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, with dinner Monday to Saturday and Sunday closed.
Can Qin accommodate groups?
For groups, check directly with Qin before going. The listed hours are tighter at lunch and earlier in the week, while Thursday, Friday, Saturday dinner service runs until 9:30 PM.
Is Qin good for solo dining?
Solo dining may work if Qin's schedule fits your plan. A weekday lunch from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM is one listed option, dinner is available Monday to Saturday within the published hours. Tenz Momo Speichergasse is another Bern option to compare when planning a casual meal.
What are alternatives to Qin in Bern?
Other Bern options to compare include Tenz Momo Speichergasse, Restaurant Röschtigrabe, Kurt&Kurt, Pangäa Moléson, gurtners. Choose based on current hours, availability, the type of meal you want.
Is Qin good for a special occasion?
Qin may suit a low-key meal if the casual dress code and listed hours fit your plans. For anything more specific, check directly before making it the center of an occasion.
Is lunch or dinner better at Qin?
Lunch is available Monday to Friday from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM. Dinner runs Monday to Wednesday from 6 PM to 8:30 PM, Thursday and Friday from 6 PM to 9:30 PM, Saturday from 5 PM to 9:30 PM. Sunday is closed. The better choice depends on which of those windows fits your schedule.
What should a first-timer know about Qin?
First-timers should know that Qin is in Bern, the dress code is casual, the schedule includes weekday lunch, dinner Monday to Saturday, Sunday closure. If cuisine, prices, chef, awards, seating, or menu format matter to your visit, check those points directly with Qin before you go.
