Restaurant in Westhalten, France
Michelin-recognised, good value, book ahead.
A Michelin Plate-recognised address in Alsace's southern wine corridor, Auberge du Cheval Blanc offers Modern French cooking from Chef Pascal Bastian at the €€€ tier — accessible pricing, easy booking, and a 4.6 Google rating across 748 reviews. The right choice for a serious regional dinner without the lead time or price commitment of a starred house.
Auberge du Cheval Blanc is the right call for food-focused travellers passing through Alsace's southern wine villages who want a Michelin-recognised meal without the booking complexity or price premium of a full-starred house. Chef Pascal Bastian holds a Michelin Plate for 2024 and 2025, a consistent signal of kitchen quality, and the Google rating of 4.6 across 748 reviews suggests the room earns that recognition with guests night after night. At the €€€ price tier, this is genuinely accessible fine-casual French dining in a region that also hosts some of France's most decorated tables. If you are in the Haut-Rhin and want a serious dinner without committing to a three-hour tasting menu at full starred prices, book here.
Westhalten sits in the Grand Cru wine corridor of southern Alsace, and Auberge du Cheval Blanc is the kind of address that has long served the local wine community as much as visitors. The dining room reflects the visual register common to Alsatian auberge architecture: warm wood, considered lighting, and a settled, unhurried atmosphere that reads formal enough for a celebration but not so stiff that you feel watched. For the explorer who comes to this region for Riesling and Pinot Gris as much as the food, the setting rewards a slower evening.
The cuisine sits squarely in Modern French with Alsatian grounding. Pascal Bastian works within a tradition that values product quality and regional character, and the Michelin Plate designation confirms the kitchen meets a recognised standard of cooking without reaching the complexity or abstraction of starred tasting menus. For comparison, Auberge de l'Ill in Illhaeusern carries three Michelin stars and represents the apex of Alsatian fine dining, while Cheval Blanc occupies a more accessible tier. That is not a criticism — it is a positioning that makes this restaurant useful for a wider range of occasions and budgets.
The current hours structure is worth reading carefully before you plan. Lunch runs Tuesday through Friday and Sunday, with last orders at 13:30. Dinner service runs Tuesday through Friday and Saturday, with the kitchen closing at 21:30. Monday is closed. Saturday dinner is available, but there is no Saturday lunch, which narrows the weekend window. Sunday is lunch only. If you are arriving on a weekend evening beyond Friday, note that Saturday is your single dinner option and last entry is 21:30 — plan accordingly and do not arrive expecting a late-night walk-in. For a venue assigned to the late-night angle, the honest read is that 21:30 last orders is a relatively early cut-off by city standards, though it is standard for a rural Alsatian village restaurant.
Booking is rated easy. Unlike the pressure-booking environment around starred houses such as Mirazur in Menton or Troisgros in Ouches, Cheval Blanc does not require weeks of lead time. A few days' notice should be sufficient for most services, though Saturday dinner is the most in-demand slot and deserves earlier attention. The address is 20 Rue de Rouffach, Westhalten , a village setting, so driving or being based locally is the practical assumption.
For wine-focused travellers, Westhalten's position in the Alsace Grand Cru appellation makes the local bottle list a genuine reason to linger. Alsace Pinot Gris and Riesling from the surrounding domaines are some of the most food-compatible whites in France. If you are pairing that interest with dining, explore our full Westhalten wineries guide before or after your reservation. The broader regional restaurant context is covered in our full Westhalten restaurants guide.
For a different register of regional French cooking, Flocons de Sel in Megève and Bras in Laguiole illustrate what happens when Michelin-starred ambition meets a strong regional identity , useful benchmarks if you are touring France's provincial fine dining circuit. Closer to the Alsatian tradition, Auberge du Vieux Puits in Fontjoncouse and Georges Blanc in Vonnas share the auberge-format DNA and offer a point of comparison for travellers building a broader itinerary through French regional cooking.
On dietary restrictions and group bookings, the database does not confirm specific policies. Contact the restaurant directly to confirm , for groups larger than four, early communication about menu format and seating is advisable. For broader trip planning in the area, see our Westhalten hotels guide and our Westhalten experiences guide.
| Detail | Auberge du Cheval Blanc | Auberge de l'Ill (Illhaeusern) | Mirazur (Menton) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price tier | €€€ | €€€€ | €€€€ |
| Awards | Michelin Plate | 3 Michelin Stars | 3 Michelin Stars |
| Booking difficulty | Easy | Moderate–Hard | Very Hard |
| Last dinner orders | 21:30 | Varies | Varies |
| Monday service | Closed | Closed | Varies |
| Saturday lunch | No | Yes | Yes |
Address: 20 Rue de Rouffach, 68250 Westhalten, France. Bars in Westhalten for pre- or post-dinner options.
Smart casual is the safe call. At the €€€ tier with a Michelin Plate, the expectation sits above a bistro but below the formal dress codes you encounter at three-starred houses. Collared shirts for men and equivalent effort for women will not be out of place. There is no confirmed dress code in the venue data, so if you are uncertain, err on the side of neat rather than casual.
Within Alsace, Auberge de l'Ill in Illhaeusern is the regional benchmark for serious fine dining at three-star level, with a corresponding price and booking commitment. For Paris-based Modern French at the top tier, Le Cinq at the Four Seasons George V and Guy Savoy operate in a different category entirely. Cheval Blanc is the right choice if you want Alsatian regional cooking at a price and booking level that remains accessible.
Yes, with caveats. The Michelin Plate recognition, 4.6 Google rating across nearly 750 reviews, and auberge setting make it a credible choice for a birthday or anniversary dinner in the region. At €€€, the price is appropriate for a celebration without requiring the full financial commitment of a starred house. Book Saturday dinner in advance and communicate the occasion when reserving.
The venue database does not confirm dietary restriction policies. Contact the restaurant directly before booking , Modern French kitchens at this tier generally accommodate common restrictions with advance notice, but confirmation is advisable rather than assumed.
Booking is rated easy, so a few days' notice is typically sufficient for weekday lunch or dinner. Saturday dinner is the tightest slot , aim for at least a week ahead during the warmer months when Alsace sees higher visitor traffic. You do not need the multi-week lead time required at starred destinations like Mirazur or Troisgros.
The venue data does not confirm whether a tasting menu is on offer, so a specific value assessment is not possible here. At €€€ and Michelin Plate level, whatever format is offered should represent fair value relative to the regional market. Ask about menu options when booking. For a full tasting menu experience in France, Arpège in Paris or Paul Bocuse in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or set the benchmark.
Lunch is available more days of the week (Tuesday–Friday and Sunday) versus dinner (Tuesday–Saturday). If you have flexibility, a weekday lunch tends to offer a more relaxed pace in village restaurants of this type, and it allows you to spend the afternoon exploring the surrounding Grand Cru vineyards. Saturday dinner is the only weekend evening option, which makes it the natural choice for visitors arriving later in the week.
The seat count is not confirmed in the venue data. For groups of six or more, contact the restaurant directly and well in advance , village auberges of this size frequently have private dining options but limited overall capacity. At €€€ per head, a group dinner here is a reasonable proposition; just confirm logistics before committing the full party.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auberge du Cheval Blanc | Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | €€€ | — |
| Plénitude | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Pierre Gagnaire | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Kei | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Le Cinq - Four Seasons Hôtel George V | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
Dress neatly but not formally. This is a Michelin Plate address in a southern Alsace village rather than a three-star urban institution, so the atmosphere skews relaxed-country rather than black-tie. Collared shirts and clean trousers for men, a dress or equivalent for women, will be appropriate without overdressing.
The southern Alsace Grand Cru corridor has a handful of serious kitchens: Wistub Clement in Rouffach offers more casual regional cooking at a lower price point, while Château d'Isenbourg in nearby Rouffach handles the formal occasion brief if you want a grander setting. Auberge du Cheval Blanc sits in the middle: Michelin-recognised modern French at €€€ with Chef Pascal Bastian, which makes it the most credentialled option specifically in Westhalten.
Yes, particularly for food-focused celebrations where you want Michelin credibility without the formality of a major city restaurant. The €€€ price range is high enough to feel considered but not punishing, and the village setting makes it a destination dinner rather than just a meal. Book dinner rather than lunch if the occasion calls for a slower, more deliberate experience.
No specific dietary policy is documented for this venue. At a Michelin Plate modern French kitchen like Auberge du Cheval Blanc, it is standard practice to check the venue's official channels before your visit to flag any requirements. Given the €€€ price point, a prior conversation is both expected and worthwhile.
Book at least 2 to 3 weeks ahead, and further if you are targeting a Saturday dinner or travelling in summer when Alsace wine tourism peaks. Saturday is dinner-only (19:45 start), and the kitchen runs tight service windows across lunch and dinner throughout the week. Monday is fully closed.
At €€€ pricing with a Michelin Plate (2024 and 2025), Chef Pascal Bastian's kitchen delivers quality that justifies the spend if modern French cuisine is your format. Specific menu structures are not published in the venue record, so confirm options directly with the restaurant. If you want a shorter, lower-commitment format, the weekday lunch service is a more accessible entry point.
Lunch is available Tuesday through Friday and Sunday, dinner runs Tuesday through Saturday. For a special occasion, dinner gives you the full experience without the time pressure of an afternoon. Weekday lunch is the practical pick if you are touring the Grand Cru wine villages and want Michelin-level food without committing to an evening.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
