vegetables take center stage

the kitchen

in our kitchen, vegetables are given the place they deserve: centre stage. fish and meat play a supporting role in our kitchen, albeit one worthy of an oscar. the focus in our kitchen is on craftsmanship and excellent produce, preferably from the local region. each of our menus is inspired by the season – even if for some products, this only lasts a few weeks. this is why our dishes are constantly changing.

too young to simply go with the flow

the chef

our head chef in the kitchen, pascal steffen, may be young, but he is experienced enough to pull off ambitious and daring new dishes. in 2018, he was named discovery of the year by gault millau switzerland in recognition of his creativity and the quality of his cuisine. even before then, his talent had not gone unnoticed: stars from the swiss gastronomy scene such as andreas caminada and nenad mlinarevic were his mentors, giving him valuable experience. since december 2017, he has been skilfully developing this expertise into his own signature approach at «roots».

competence doesn’t mean complicated

le chef de service

since may 2025, didier has been making sure that the service at «roots» is not only highly professional, but also friendly, warm and straightforward. his experience in various restaurants in switzerland, austria and belgium has prepared him excellently for this role. as restaurant manager, he is not only responsible for our restaurant’s cosy atmosphere, but he also uses his expertise to make the selections for our wine list.

nothing makes us happier than happy guests

the restaurant

«roots» is located in the lovely bachletten district – in direct neighborhood to basel’s zoo, the restaurant treats its guests to fine dining in a relaxing ambiance, true to its motto: dining at «roots» has been designed to be fun and enjoyable.

since its opening in 2017, the restaurant has been managed by dragan rapic. the business economist holds an executive mba hsg and was previously sports director at grasshopper club zurich.