Pot Still Bar: whisky and cocktails on the Kohlenberg
A classic bar with a large whisky selection, two minutes from Barfüsserplatz, reopened by new owners in 2025: Negroni, Läckerli Sidecar and Vermicelli Manhattan.
Photo: Tanja Rütsche, via Google Maps
Our verdict
The Pot Still Bar is a classic bar of the kind you hope to find in an Old Town: warm light, a long back bar and one of the largest whisky selections in the city. New owners took over in May 2025 and reopened it in July with the same concept.
In the glass
The list has classics such as the Negroni and house creations with a Basel wink: the Läckerli Sidecar and the Vermicelli Manhattan, named after the chestnut dessert. There is also the Mediterraneo, the Nomad Punch, gin, rum and wine.
Location
The Kohlenberg climbs from Barfüsserplatz to Leonhardsgraben, and the bar is two minutes from the square. Basel SBB station is eleven minutes on foot.
Our advice
If you only have one cocktail, order the Läckerli Sidecar: it is Basel in a glass. It is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Read next: Basel bars and nightlife: the Rhine, Kleinbasel and the best addresses and Eating in Basel: specialities, prices and where locals eat.
Sources: the establishment's website, Basel Tourismus, Google Maps (address, reviews, October 2026), timetables from transport.opendata.ch, walking times calculated on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a cocktail at the Pot Still Bar?
When is the Pot Still Bar open?
Samuel Tschudin
Samuel spent eight years guiding groups through the Old Town, from Münsterplatz to the Rhine promenade. He builds his routes on foot, watch in hand, and cuts whatever does not fit into a real day. He would rather write that a visit is not worth the ticket than pad out a list.
