Hotel Zum Schwarzen Walfisch in Bad Säckingen

A charming and quaint restaurant in a great location. The staff was incredibly friendly, and the food was a delight both in taste and presentation. We've already planned to return for our next visit to Säckingen.

We have been visiting this restaurant for 35 years, a very warm place.

I've been a guest at the restaurant several times. Great atmosphere, sensational food, and wonderful, very friendly staff! Really large portions at a great price. The beef and pork spare ribs in a wonderful sauce are unmatched in my opinion—the best ribs in a fabulous, secret sauce! 😎👍 The other dishes are also fantastic and served in generous portions. Everything at "Zum Schwarzen Walfisch" is done with a lot of heart.

The price-performance ratio, ambiance, and decor deserve 4 stars, but the service, unfortunately, is a complete disappointment. During our two-hour stay, the waitstaff only came to our table to take our order. After that, they never once asked how the food was or if we needed anything. We felt completely neglected, even though our table was clearly visible from the bar and therefore easily seen by the staff. Despite repeatedly making eye contact and using gestures with the waitstaff, they seemed unmotivated and not at all customer-oriented. The number of empty glasses didn't decrease, and the table was cluttered. We had mentioned a birthday when we made the reservation, but this was completely ignored, and what should have been a lovely birthday celebration turned into a somber affair. This was definitely my last time dining at the "Black Whale." Very disappointing.

We had a delicious meal at the restaurant. Friendly and fast service. Highly recommended!

The food at the restaurant was, as always, very delicious. I like going there and I go quite often.

I was a guest a few years ago. I still have fond memories of the hotel. I will definitely stay here again on my next visit to Switzerland.

Yes, I know. We were there with five people. Reservations are absolutely necessary. It's very popular. Good food and excellent service. Suitable for all tastes. Always happy to go back.

I was back at the Black Whale Restaurant for the first time in a while. The value for money is poor, and the service is unengaged. €25 is definitely too much for this salad with turkey breast strips. As a Säckingen resident, I can say that there are better salads at cheaper prices...almost everywhere in Bad Säckingen.

Totally overpriced. For example, a pepper steak with salad and bread (no side dishes!) for €41.60, plus a 0.33l Spezi (Libella) for €4.80 – a 0.5l isn't available. Outrageously expensive. If you want to keep locals out, then you'll have to keep the prices too high.

Food is very good large portions

Ate very good soup. Service was very good.

Rating only for the restaurant - I can't say anything about the hotel

We've been visiting the Black Walfish restaurant for many years. It's always been delicious, and the homemade bread is a highlight. The Black Walfish is also known and loved in the region for its spare ribs. Unfortunately, the price increases over the years are something we have to live with at other restaurants in the region as well. In all this time, we've had very friendly service staff, but unfortunately, we've also had some bad experiences. Constructive feedback about the food was unfortunately handled unprofessionally on two occasions. For example, the salad lacked dressing and that it could perhaps be served separately. The response was something like, "But you managed to get it all down anyway." Since then, we've let it go. If you don't want feedback on the food, you shouldn't ask, "Was everything good?" either. The number of our visits has therefore decreased to very rare. We can't comment on the hotel itself (rooms).

The Hotel zum schwarzen Walfisch caught our eye when we ate in the restaurant last winter. This time, we wanted to stay overnight there as well. It was absolutely the right decision. Considering that the building with its stucco-decorated ceilings is likely a listed building, the experience here is very modern and "royal." The restaurant impresses with its outstanding Baden cuisine. I've seen criticism of the prices in many reviews. In our opinion, this is unjustified. The meat is of excellent quality, with no tendons or fat edges, and is always cooked to perfection. The spaetzle look and taste like they were hand-scraped. In winter, the venison medallions are highly recommended. The prices are therefore absolutely justified.

It feels like food and drinks are getting more expensive every six months. A tomato salad with mozzarella and basil pesto now costs €15.80, which is for one sliced tomato, a few slices of mediocre mozzarella, and some balsamic pesto. The fun stops somewhere. You just can't go there anymore. The beautiful location on Münsterplatz doesn't justify the prices at Walfisch. Luckily, there are other restaurants nearby, and yes, we looked at the prices on the menu. Of course, it's up to us to get up and leave. But what guest does that when they're seated? It was simply the last time we were there. It's a real shame.

Very good hotel. We liked it a lot and will be back.

Disappointment at the Zum Schwarzen Walfisch restaurant – unfortunately, not like it used to be. I returned to the Zum Schwarzen Walfisch restaurant in Bad Säckingen after a long time, a place I used to enjoy often – especially for the legendary spare ribs that practically fall off the bone. Unfortunately, my last visit was a bitter disappointment. Instead of the usual two pieces of tender meat, I got a carelessly thrown-together pile of ribs that neither looked nor tasted good. Several pieces had splinters or sharp bone fragments – I even chipped my tooth in the process. Something like that has never happened to me there before. Even more disappointing, however, was the service: When I paid, the card reader was silently placed in front of me while the waiter immediately moved on to the next table. Without a word or a friendly look, the device was taken away before I'd even finished. I've never been treated so unfriendly there. It's a shame, because this restaurant used to be known for quality and hospitality. After this experience, I won't be coming back anytime soon.

Only tried the restaurant but it was very good

My wife and I went to eat at the Schwarzer Walfisch today. We received a warm welcome and were served immediately without having to wait long. The food was absolutely excellent. First, a very tasty 🥗 salad and a great kohlrabi soup. Then pork steak with fries and fried potatoes. The meat was cooked to perfection and very well seasoned. The fried potatoes were also cooked to perfection. The portions were also very good. Excellent value for money, too. In short, for €44.00 including drinks, everything was wonderful. Highly recommended.

Not even a thunderstorm can unsettle them. 😁😁😁 Thank you so much for the delicious food. 🔝🔝🔝The food is delicious and the portions are very generous.

Simply overpriced! The price/performance ratio is completely out of proportion. And if you dare to complain, the staff will tell you: "Find another restaurant and don't bother coming back." Not recommended!

Very good restaurant with attentive staff.

Rip-off - the hotelier wanted double the room rate because the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel was fully booked. We then negotiated an extra €50 over the phone. The hotel had practically all its rooms available upon arrival! This is simply outrageous! Frayed towels in the room.

Super delicious food, we think it's worthy of a Michelin star without being overly fancy. Quaint atmosphere, very cozy. Top-notch service, very good value for money, highly recommended.

We really enjoy going here for dinner. There is a very good menu and the service is great. Please reserve in advance.

Great food. We ordered ribs, the portion was large. Insanely delicious. We also had asparagus soup. Very, very tasty. The beer is fresh and cool. We took aaeretiv schnapps from apricot. Super. I recommend it to everyone.

Essen ist ok aber in meinen Augen nicht im Verhältnis zu den Preisen auch in Anbetracht das die Portionen riesig sind. Wir machen immer wieder den Fehler und setzen uns im Sommer gerne auf den wirklich sehr schönen Außenplatz. Ein Bier und eine Pommes für den kleinen Hunger sagen wir uns bestellen dann doch immer richtig zu völlig überteuerten Preisen... Aber naja selber schuld

I can only rate the restaurant because we only ate there.

Visit to the restaurant: Extremely unfriendly staff. We only had to deal with the lady with black, long hair. Very inattentive, unmotivated, unfriendly, downright cheeky. - I say that as a former service worker and managing director of restaurants and hotels. Food was mediocre. Serving a salad with mushrooms for a large group is a very bold idea. Vegi menu without protein: only potatoes, zucchini and (not tasty) tartar sauce. Not bad, but boring and confusing. You can't go wrong with dessert with apple strudel and vanilla ice cream and luckily it was delicious too. In general it wasn't worth repeating, but the unfriendly lady made it an experience that I describe as the "worst visit to a restaurant" anecdote.

Last week I had dinner at this location with some friends. We got a table on the upper floor, in a beautiful quiet room. The service was really pleasant and fast. The highlight was the cauliflower soup. 10 out of 10. The small salad was not really small but very tasty. But soon we noticed that the main dish was huge, too. However the food was delicious. Also my friends loved their dishes. If you like spare ribs you should visit this place. I had nuggets and fries. Definitely a restaurant we will visit again.

Unfortunately we had to wait 50 minutes for a green salad and a tomato-mozzarella salad. Plus it's way too expensive! 10 euros for a green salad and 16 euros for the TomMoz. We would definitely not come back.

Completely overpriced. A soup and schnitzel with fries and beer cost a total of 40 euros. Pork schnitzel was normal standard. Soup of the day just under 9 euros. Beer about 6 euros for 0.4 liters. Everything normal standard. It's amazing that businesses like this are still alive. Without Switzerland next door, this would be unimaginable.

We were there yesterday for the musical dinner. The staff was super friendly as always. The food was fantastic and I can recommend everything.

Very good food, great service, very friendly!!

This location in the heart ❤ of Bad Säckingen is always worth a visit. Opposite the cathedral. Very nice and extremely nice service. The food tasted excellent.

For me it is one of the best restaurants in Bad Säckingen. They have the best spare ribs ever and the quality and quantity is so good!! I love it. Everything is great! Not to complain. Maybe a few more vegetarian options would be cool.

We weren't in the hotel, just in the restaurant. Staff very friendly, cozy atmosphere, good food and fast service. Top!

Open on Mondays and welcome for a drink at 8:30pm too!

Very pleasant restaurant, very good service and the food is very good!

Also wir waren in diesem Hotel und wir müssen sagen wir haben uns sehr gut gefühlt. Vorab per Email Kontakt immer freundlich. Anreise auch super Auto stand im Parkhaus wie in der Email geschrieben gewesen. Personal freundlich Frühstück war super Zimmer auch richtig schön gemütlich Gerne wieder

Very good food (schnitzel, sausage salad), very good service. Prices are sometimes overpriced, but other dishes are completely okay. Quality was top, we were very satisfied.

Spare ribs were world class *****

Was just eating, so reviews only the restaurant Super tasty, Very cozy atmosphere

Very cozy and very good service. The food was also very tasty, I would love to come back.

Were there for lunch today... Food very good but I think it's an absolute disgrace that you pay €12.40 for 1/4 Chardonnay... Completely overpriced as for various desserts... It's a shame actually... Absolutely not justified!!!!

We were here to eat. Have ordered slaughter plate. So far quite good. However, mini tomatoes in sauerkraut. That was quite strange. The gravy was also missing. For me the price-performance ratio wasn't right.

Das Essen war sehr gut, die Bedienung äusserst zuvorkommend. Eine Person hatte eine Knoblauchunverträglichkeit. Die Bedienung, die Küche und sogar der Chef hatten abgeklärt, wo es Knoblauch drin haben könnte!

The hunter's sauce was slimy and I couldn't get it down. Very expensive. We were also harassed by the cellar to please order now even though we wanted to wait and in the end we were thrown out at 10 p.m.

I wasn't at the hotel. Drank an overpriced beer outside.

Tasty dishes and large portions.

We were just eating. I can't say anything about the hotel. Wine was horrible, my cooking wine is better. Spare ribs were delicious. Sauce from the boiled beef was tasteless and spoiled the whole dish even though the meat wasn't bad. In addition, there is no value for money. Conclusion: no risk of repetition.

UPDATE I have visited the restaurant several times and always ordered the spare ribs. In fact, last week I visited this restaurant twice in four days. However, I have to revise my 5-star review that I wrote years ago. The owner's behavior towards a customer is unacceptable, which is why I only give it 2 stars. We had reserved a table for eight people. When we arrived I noticed that the two tables were a bit apart. I was trying to put the two tables together for our group when the owner snapped at me in a very rude manner and ordered me to stop. I would have left the tables as they were, but it would have made sense to address such things politely. Such behavior is unacceptable. Furthermore, prices have risen noticeably over the past four years, while they have remained unchanged in other restaurants in the area. The justification in the reviews is that this is due to inflation. However, inflation has fallen by 3-5% since last year while prices have remained unchanged.

2023 There were three of us there for dinner. All of our food was very good. The service is quick, very friendly and accommodating. We would love to come back. 2024 So far we have had very good experiences with the food and service. Unfortunately, the positive experience with veal schnitzel is limited. Yesterday we ate veal schnitzel for the second time (1 x 1 person, 1 x 2 people). The preparation and the taste are still very good. Unfortunately, the veal schnitzel for €34.90 was so fibrous that we didn't finish the veal schnitzel and politely declined to take it with us. It's a shame that the house, the very good service and the appealing ambience lost some of its glamor for us due to the meat, which was very fibrous for us (... I was a construction worker and I'm really not squeamish).

Great food and service, unfortunately I can't say anything about the rooms, we were only there for dinner. You can sit outside, I would recommend making a reservation, the waiter was very friendly

Super nice staff 😀 Wonderful, fresh cuisine, lovely portions, endlessly delicious. I would be happy to come back at the next opportunity. Thank you very much for this successful hospitality in the heart of Bad Säckingen.

The hotel is well located at the main square of the city with a lot of restaurants and markets near of it. The rooms are clean and comfortable. The only downside is the internet. It's slow and they block a lot of websites. It's impossible to make a video or audio call using Whatsapp. The breakfast is good, with some nice options!

Huge portions and very tasty. Drinks are quite expensive.

We have eaten here many times. Unfortunately you can't expect vegetables, just salad. I love the coffee and the dessert selection. The service is polite. I can't say anything about the rooms because I live near here over the border.

Very nice restaurant with outside seating. Food excellent, but not cheap. Very large portions and very tasty!

The food was delicious, the portions were very large. The service was great. Will definitely come back

Very great staff, really good cuisine and reasonable meals. I haven't been treated so well and warmly in years. The coffee isn't so bad either ;-)

The spare ribs have been very tasty (for years)!

Perfect service from the nice man with glasses and a white beard. Thanks

A wonderful restaurant with excellent food: spare ribs, boiled beef, chicken nuggets and the asparagus dishes were plentiful and very tasty!! The boss himself is happy to help you choose your drinks: very good selection of special beers and wines!! The staff is very friendly and attentive! It was a pleasure to spend three evenings there - it's just a shame that we can't come from Bochum that often!

Essen war nicht schlecht nur viel zu teuer. Restaurant war auch leer. Preise haben dermassen angezogen, sodass ich mir ein neues Stammrestaurant suchen muss.

The beef steak with the pepper sauce was better than in the neighboring steakhouse. The prices have increased by > 20%, so unfortunately a deduction. Restaurant was also pretty empty.

Very nice restaurant with good food and large portions. The price is reasonable. Staff is friendly and very attentive. The furnishings are beautiful and lovingly done. All in all very recommendable.

Very nice restaurant, tastefully decorated, large outdoor area directly on Münsterplatz.

Das Essen war geschmacklich in Ordnung und es gab trotzdem vieler Gäste keine all zu lange Wartezeiten. Der Service war leider nicht sehr aufmerksam und man fühlte sich nicht ganz so willkommen.

Very nice restaurant with good cuisine. Spare ribs are awesome. The hotel with very large rooms. Generous breakfast buffet. You just have to feel comfortable here.

Only ate at the restaurant, good food, great prices, nice staff

Unfortunately, as a normal "working person" you can no longer afford anything in this actually great restaurant. A beer costs almost €5.80, a toast dish costs €18.

Very tasty food. Very large portions. Parking options outside the pedestrian zone.

Restaurant in the old town of Bad Säckingen. Nice service, good selection of food 😎

We drank 1 coffee + 1 hot chocolate here in the afternoon. This cost around EUR 9.50. There was no receipt either! We feel ripped off. We definitely won't go there again. The friendliness of the employees was just OK.

Centrally located, right in the middle

Positive: Good and sumptuous food. Negative: I'm disappointed after spending 420 euros for lunch and we weren't even offered a liqueur on the house, hence only 3 stars.

Pleasant atmosphere, friendly staff, good food 😋

(I rate the food) We like going to Wahlfisch because German cuisine in Säckingen is currently almost only practiced here and always tastes good. We have been very satisfied every time. The spare ribs are particularly recommended.

Somewhat unfriendly restaurant. Clumsy selection in the menu.. which closes early.

Super nice restaurant, top service, very tasty food. I will definitely come back.

Good spare ribs as always. But prices are quite adjusted to Switzerland. Schintzel fries without salad 20€.

I have known the whale since childhood and know what to expect. Unfortunately, I was really disappointed on my last visit. There were three of us there. Conclusion, unfortunately mostly negative: 1. The ambience is too bright for my taste, too sterile for this historic restaurant. 2. The staff was behind the counter talking and not really present. 3. We were sent straight upstairs even though there were free tables downstairs. 4. The waiter tried very hard to express himself in German, which is fine with me. But the boy was visibly stressed and forgot part of the order even though there wasn't much going on, for example: there was no bread with the salad, one person at our table got potato chips instead of fries and the other person got croquettes instead of potato chips. 5. The salad first came with ready-made sauce, but was very good. Compliment! It's a pity the bread didn't come, even though he said twice he'd bring it. 6. The main course was incomplete (see P. 4) and the waiter was very open and honest about the freshness: ready meal. Unfortunately, I'll have to avoid whales in the future unless something really drastic happens. I'm willing to pay a little more to eat sensibly. At Walfisch I miss Lothar Ihrig's good home cooking.

Delicious food, large portions, nice service, would love to come back.

Gemütliches Restaurant mit nettem Personal und sehr feines Essen. Kann ich bloß empfehlen...

Super Essen, Sehr Grosse Portion Preisleistung ist Top fürs Essen. Aber für ein Fläschchen Coola 4.60 ist schon Teuer.

Preis Leistung stimmt nicht. Bei 4.50€ für ne 0.33 Euro Cola... Es wurde alles an Schweizer Preise angepasst und das bei mittlerer Qualität. Es gibt deutlich bessere Orte um ein Steak zu essen zu gehen.

Wir waren wieder einmal im Schwarzen Waalfisch zum Sparerips Essen. Es war wieder hervorragend, sehr lecker und toll. Wir kommen sehr gerne wieder 👍 👍 👍

Essen wie immer super und sicher nicht zu wenig! Wir kommen jetzt seit 35 Jahren in das Restaurant und immer gleichbleibende Qualität.

Leckeres Essen und gibt grosse Portionen

Mit gutem Gewissen zu empfehlen. Das essen ist einfach spitze. Tolle Lage im Zentrum von Bad Säckingen. Das Personal ist freundlich und zuvorkommend. Immer wieder gerne da.

Best ribs in town.Very large portions This was my second time here and the ribs were as I remembered. Quick service and very fresh

Dlouho jsme cekali nez nas nekdo obslouzi. Pak jsme dlouho cekali nez donesou pivo. A kdyz donesli tak donesli spatne. Pak jsme dlouho cekali na jidlo. Donesli 3 ze 4. A to posledni au zas po delsi dobe. A pak jsme zas dlouho cekali nez jsme zaplatili. V mezicase se nikdo nezeptal jestli nechceme neco dalsiho. A nakonec zmatky pri placeni, co jsme to meli....proste zmatek

Ich bin seit Jahren Kunde in diesem Restaurant. Das Essen ist immer absolut Top und frisch! Der Service stets aufmerksam und sehr freundlich. Der Inhaber ein fantastischer Gastgeber und das Ambiente hervorragend. Bis bald!

Wir durften ein sehr gutes nachtessen geniessen . Servicpersonal wie immer freundlich und aufmerksam . Preis - leistungsverhältnis top 👍. Bis zum nächstenmal , gruss h.nydegger/ch

War ein wunderbarer Abend. Essen sehr fein. Kommen wieder.

Der Service war eher mager. Ansonsten coole Location, vorallem an Sommertagen kann man draussen sitzen.

Schöne Gartenterrasse mit viel Schatten. Der Salatteller mit Rauchlachs war sehr lecker, aber sehr gross. Für dem Preis von 21.50 € entsprechend tiptop, aber manchmal wäre weniger mehr, bei der Hälfte des Salats musste ich kapitulieren, schade.

Unser Essen hat sehr lange gedauert. Wir hatten die Spezialität Spare Rips was viel trockenes Fleisch war fast nicht essbar was wir dem Kellner auch gesagt haben aber eigentlich den nicht interessant war. Eine Enttäuschung auf der ganzen Linie 😏