Au Crocodile

Getting a Table Is the First Challenge — Here's Whether It's Worth It

Au Crocodile operates on a tight window: Tuesday through Saturday, two sittings per day on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, with dinner-only service on Tuesday and Wednesday. Sundays and Mondays are closed. That compressed schedule, combined with the restaurant's Michelin star and a 4.6/5 rating from Opinionated About Dining (where it ranked #106 in Classical Europe in 2025, up from #139 in 2023), means you are competing for a small number of covers in one of France's most respected regional dining rooms. Book well ahead — treat this like a Paris one-star rather than a neighbourhood bistro, because the demand-to-cover ratio is closer to the former.

For a first-timer arriving at 10 Rue de l'Outre, the most immediate orientation point is the stuffed crocodile in the window: a souvenir brought back from Egypt by a Napoleonic soldier, it signals before you even step inside that this address carries genuine historical weight. The room was fully refurbished without losing the spirit of a venue that once held three Michelin stars under chef Émile Jung. That institutional memory matters because it sets the register for what follows , this is not a modern tasting-menu experiment. It is a French classical restaurant that has earned its current recognition through accumulated craft and a clear sense of place.

Alsace as a Sourcing Philosophy

The editorial angle at Au Crocodile is Alsace itself. Chef Romain Brillat , a former second to Gilles Goujon at Auberge du Vieux Puits, and a distant relative of Brillat-Savarin, the nineteenth-century gastronome , has shaped the menu around the region's agricultural and culinary identity rather than imported fine-dining conventions. This distinction matters when you are deciding whether the €€€€ price point is justified.

Alsace is one of France's most ingredient-rich corridors: the Rhine plain produces foie gras, choucroute traditions, game from the Vosges, freshwater fish, and the Alsatian wine varieties that have defined pairing logic in this part of France for generations. At Au Crocodile, that sourcing geography is not decoration , it anchors the cooking. Documented examples from the OAD record include scallops prepared with ravioli and a cream of trimmings paired with squash, and Dover sole with Buddha's hand, root vegetables, and shellfish. Both dishes show a technique-forward approach that respects the produce rather than overwhelming it. If you are comparing this to the produce-led philosophy at, say, Arpège in Paris or the regional-product intensity at Bras in Laguiole, Brillat's cooking sits closer to the classical-modern axis: recognisable forms, refined execution, regional fidelity.

That balance between classicism and contemporary technique is precisely what the OAD listing describes as Brillat's defining achievement, and it is the most honest framing for what you are paying for. This is not a venue pushing experimental boundaries in the manner of de:ja across town. It is a venue that treats Alsatian ingredients with the seriousness they deserve inside a format that remains readable and pleasurable rather than challenging.

Ratings and Recognition

The trust signal picture at Au Crocodile is coherent and strengthening. One Michelin star as of 2024. OAD Classical Europe ranking moved from #139 (2023) to #97 (2024) to #106 (2025) , a slight retreat year-on-year but still firmly in the top tier of classical European dining as assessed by that body of informed diners. Google reviews sit at 4.7 across 1,237 ratings, which is a meaningful sample for a restaurant with this price point. The combination of critical consensus and high-volume public approval is less common than either metric alone and adds credibility to the recommendation.

For context within France's broader classical fine-dining conversation, the venues OAD places around Au Crocodile in the same category include restaurants like Flocons de Sel in Megève and Troisgros in Ouches. Being ranked in that company as a one-star rather than a two- or three-star property is a credibility signal, not a caveat.

Booking and Hours

Tuesday: dinner only, 19:00–21:00. Wednesday: dinner only, 19:00–21:00. Thursday–Saturday: lunch 12:00–13:00 and dinner 19:00–21:00. Sunday and Monday: closed. The lunch service on Thursday through Saturday is the most accessible entry point for a first visit , it tends to be quieter than dinner, the full kitchen is operating, and you avoid the additional competition for weekend dinner slots. Contact the restaurant directly at crocodile@relaischateaux.com or via the website au-crocodile.com. The Relais & Châteaux affiliation means the booking process is structured and responsive.

Practical Comparison

FAQs

Is the tasting menu worth it at Au Crocodile?

• At the €€€€ price tier, you are paying for a combination of institutional credibility, Michelin-starred cooking, and a room that carries the history of a former three-star address , all of which is rare to find together in a regional French city.
• The OAD ranking of #106 in Classical Europe (2025) and a 4.7 Google average across 1,237 reviews confirm the quality is consistent, not just reputation-driven.
• For comparison, Buerehiesel operates at the same price tier in Strasbourg. Au Crocodile's historical depth and Relais & Châteaux membership give it a slight edge for occasions where the room and the narrative matter as much as the plate.
• Worth it if: you want Alsatian produce cooked at a high classical level. Not the right choice if you are looking for creative or experimental formats , de:ja is the better call for that.

Is lunch or dinner better at Au Crocodile?

• Lunch is the stronger first-visit recommendation. It is available Thursday through Saturday (12:00–13:00), easier to book than dinner, and gives you the full kitchen at work without the added pressure of a Saturday night room.
• Dinner runs 19:00–21:00 Tuesday through Saturday and is the more competitive slot. If your schedule allows, a Thursday or Friday lunch is the practical sweet spot.
• Neither sitting has a documented price difference in the available data, so the decision is driven by booking availability rather than value.

What should I order at Au Crocodile?

• The documented dishes , scallops with ravioli and a cream of trimmings with squash, and Dover sole with Buddha's hand, root vegetables, and shellfish , show that the kitchen is strongest in seafood and in Alsatian produce combinations. Order from those categories with confidence.
• Chef Brillat's background under Gilles Goujon (Auberge du Vieux Puits, three Michelin stars) suggests precise technique with classical French foundations. Trust the kitchen's judgement on the tasting menu format rather than substituting heavily.
• For broader context on what French classical kitchens at this level tend to do well, the approach at Le Bernardin in New York , total commitment to the primary ingredient , is a useful analogy for Brillat's seafood work.

Does Au Crocodile handle dietary restrictions?

• The restaurant's Relais & Châteaux membership and Michelin-star status mean the kitchen is accustomed to accommodating restrictions at this level. Contact them directly at crocodile@relaischateaux.com before your reservation rather than on arrival.
• At a €€€€ tasting menu format, advance notice of dietary needs is standard practice and the kitchen will typically adapt. The classical Alsatian menu does lean heavily on meat, fish, and dairy, so if restrictions are significant, flag them early.
• No specific dietary policy is confirmed in available data , direct contact is the only reliable path.

Is Au Crocodile good for a special occasion?

• Yes, and more specifically than most €€€€ addresses in Strasbourg. The combination of a historically significant room, a Michelin star, Relais & Châteaux service standards, and consistent critical recognition creates the conditions for a meal that reads as a genuine occasion rather than an expensive dinner.
• The stuffed crocodile, the refurbished classical interior, and the institutional heritage of the former three-star address give the room a story that most special-occasion venues in the city cannot match.
• For a quieter, more intimate version of the same tier, Buerehiesel in the Orangerie park is the closest alternative. For something more experimental at the same price point, de:ja works better. Au Crocodile is the right call when the occasion calls for weight and continuity rather than novelty.

For more dining options in the city, see our full Strasbourg restaurants guide. Planning a longer stay? Our Strasbourg hotels guide, bars guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide cover the rest. Other French classical addresses worth comparing at the national level include Mirazur in Menton, Paul Bocuse in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, and Lazy Bear in San Francisco for a US point of reference on the tasting menu format. Also worth considering locally: Umami for a different register at a lower price point.