---
type: "Article"
title: "Art and Cuisine at Saanen’s 16 Art Bar Restaurant"
description: "At the 16 Art Bar Restaurant in Saanen you'll find Art and Cuisine at their Finest!"
resource: "https://travelmemo.com/switzerland/16-art-bar-restaurant-saanen"
author: "Walter Schaerer"
publisher: "Travelmemo"
photo_count: 7
tags: ["Gourmet", "Restaurant", "Switzerland"]
entities:
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/switzerland"
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  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/culinary-tourism"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/restaurant"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/itinerary"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/review"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/author/walter-schaerer"
generated: { by: "human:https://travelmemo.com/author/walter-schaerer", at: 2026-07-04T13:18:38+00:00 }
verified:
  - { by: "human:https://travelmemo.com/author/katja-birrer", at: 2015-01-12T13:30:38+00:00 }
sources:
  - id: photos
    resource: 16-art-bar-restaurant-saanen.md#photos
    title: "Original photography by Walter Schaerer"
    author: "human:https://travelmemo.com/author/walter-schaerer"
timestamp: 2026-07-04T13:18:38+00:00
---

# Art and Cuisine at Saanen’s 16 Art Bar Restaurant

> The 16 Art Bar Restaurant in Saanen's historic Mittelgässli is a family-run dining gem combining original artwork by Herbert Buchs with inventive cuisine, set in a converted bell foundry steps from the train station.

## Destination
Mittelgässli 16, CH-3792 Saanen, Switzerland — a short walk from Saanen train station in the historic village center.

## Getting there
Walk a few steps from Saanen train station to reach the restaurant in the narrow Mittelgässli lane.

## When to go
Open daily from 5 p.m.; closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

## Why visit
A visually striking restaurant occupying a former bell foundry, decorated with paintings, sculptures, and cow bells created by Herbert Buchs, and run by the experienced Buchs catering family known for their culinary skill.

## What to see
- **Mittelgässli lane** — A picturesque narrow alley of traditional wooden chalets leading to the restaurant's sunny courtyard.
- **Art collection by Herbert Buchs** — Paintings, sculptures, hanging cow bells, and designer wooden lamps displayed throughout the restaurant and bar.
- **Bar cellar** — A cellar-like bar space with eye-catching artworks and a distinctive atmosphere.

## What to do
- **Dine at the 16 Art Bar Restaurant** — Enjoy cuisine prepared by the Buchs family team, with a menu separate from the Thai takeout kitchen next door.
- **Visit the Saanen Boucherie takeout kitchen** — A butcher-shop-style takeout spot about 100 metres up the village run by the same brothers, featuring a Thai cook.

## Good to know
The restaurant shares the building with a Thai takeout kitchen run by cook Tan; the blogger group was mistakenly served Thai food prepared for an expected Chinese tour group. The Amigne de Vétroz white wine by Serge Roh was noted as an excellent pairing. Nik and Simon Buchs also operate the Wasserngrat Restaurant higher in the Alps.

## Photos

```yaml
photos:
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Thai-16-Art-Bar-Restaurant.jpg"
    caption: "Thai-style rice"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Mittelgaessli-Saanen.jpg"
    caption: "Picturesque small alley in Saanen"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Tischgedeck-16-Art-Bar-Restaurant.jpg"
    caption: "Place setting in the 16 Art Bar Restaurant"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Restaurant-16-Art-Bar.jpg"
    caption: "Restaurant tables and wall art in the 16 Art Bar Restaurant"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Haengeskulpturen-16-Art-Bar-Restaurant.jpg"
    caption: "Hanging sculptures and cow bells in back of the bar"
```