Home cooks in Basel rejoice! There are truly a plethora of specialty supermarkets in the Dreiländer region. Many are tiny and easily missed so we have tried to track down some of the best. With a huge selection of world cuisine to choose from, you will certainly find the ingredients for your next cooking adventure.
Asian
Yumihana (Schneidergasse 7, 4051 Basel)
Yumihana is truly a gem amongst Basel's specialty supermarkets. They have an excellent selection of Korean and Japanese groceries and the store is lovely and well-organized. The staff are very friendly and helpful and they also carry non-food items including, cosmetics and skincare, tableware and even small appliances. Make sure to sign up for their customer card as you will certainly be back!
New Asia Market (Rheinfelderstrasse 1, 4058 Basel)
New Asia market has wide variety of items for different Asian cuisines. In addition to dry goods they also have a well-stocked refrigerated and freezer section with specialty produce, a wide variety of tofu as well as meats and fish. Bulk supplies of rice and other essentials are also available.
A-Chau (Viaduktstrasse 10, 4051 Basel)
A-Chau is quite a large market located near SBB. They have a good selection of groceries, especially for dry goods, such as noodles, rice, spices, dried fish and dried tofu. They also carry some tableware and kitchen items and have a good-sized freezer section of prepared foods, meat and fish.
Tang Asien Supermarket (Spalenring 1, 4055 Basel)
In addition to a large selection of pan-Asian foodstuffs,Tang Asien Supermarket specializes in groceries from Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia. They also do a tasty lunch takeaway if you you are feeling peckish.
Asia Markt (Hauptstrasse 66, 4153 Reinach)
This shop is well-organized, well-priced and they even have an online shop if you don't want to make the trip to Reinach. They have an excellent selection of spices and sauces, canned goods, noodles and rice (amongst many other tings) and the staff are helpful and very friendly. Their online shop if very easy to navigate and you will be sure to find that one ingredient you have been searching for (for me it was dried taeyung pepper powder for making kimchi at home).
Ô Asia Supermarket (17 Rue de Mulhouse, 68300 Saint-Louis, France)
Just over the border in Saint-Louis, Ô Asia Supermarket is well-organized with an excellent selection of fresh items including dumplings, bao, produce and tofu among other grocery items. The friendly staff are very helpful and parking is available if you come by car.
Latin
El Sol (Lachenstrasse 10, 4123 Allschwil)
A little off the beaten path in Allschwil you will find El Sol, a small but excellent Mexican grocery. They have a good selection of beans, peppers, cornmeal and sauces as well as fresh and fried tortillas (including the best tortilla chips!). They have a good online shop and also sell handicrafts, decorations and crockery.
La Tienda Latina (Klybeckstrasse 33, 4057, 4001 Basel)
La Tienda Latina specializes in South American Latin cuisine and the small store has a good selection of both fresh and dry goods including, beans, corn products and snack food. The staff are very friendly and they have an online shop if you don't live in the neighbourhood.
Greek & Turkish
George The Greek (Güterstrasse 207, 4053 Basel) George the Greek, has a lovely little shop in Gundeli that sells hand-picked products from Greece. George the owner is very friendly and knowledgeable and has a fantastic selection of wines, olive oils, and other products. You can even sample while you are there and have a glass of wine and some appetizers. He also hosts wine tasting and private events.
Susam Market (Bruderholzstrasse 67-57, 4053, 4053 Basel)
Susam market is a small neighbourhood shop in Bruderholz that is known for their fresh produce, homemade apèro selection and friendly staff.
Narli Market (Hauptstraße 411, 79576 Weil am Rhein)
Narli Market in Weil am Rhein has lovely fresh produce and an excellent Halal meat section. They also have an excellent selection of Turkish groceries and is a great (and relatively cheap) place to stock up on things like beans, spices, olives, honey etc. They also have a nice selection of bread if you are looking for fresh pita or simit.
Istanbul Market (68 A Av. de Bâle, 68300 Saint-Louis, France)
Over the border in Saint-Louis, Istanbul Market is known best for its excellent Halal meat selection. They also have rotisserie chicken, fresh-baked Turkish-style breads and a good produce department amongst a selection of other Turkish groceries. They are also one of the few grocery stores in the Dreiländer area that are open on Sundays.
Indian
Aggarwal AG (Claragraben 78, 4058 Basel)
Aggarwal carries mostly Indian groceries, but also a selection of other items from around the world, including Asia and Latin America. They also offer prepared hot food items (curries and snacks), which can make for an excellent takeaway lunch.
RMC Paradise (Küchengasse 9, 4051 Basel) Near to the train station, this is the place to go in Basel for fish. The selection of fresh fish is impressive and they also have some produce as well as Tamil and Indian snacks and other groceries.
Spicyhof Supermarkt (Baselstrasse 159, 4153 Reinach)
Spicyhof in Reinach is small, but as the name suggests, they have a good selection of Indian spices and groceries as well as some hot snacks for take away.
African
Tropical Zone (Clarastrasse 30, 4058 Basel)
Tropical Zone is surprisingly large inside and in addition to a large selection of hair care products, they have a small market with a good selection of Africa groceries. This is the place to go in town for good plantains and yams. They also have frozen items and various snack food.
Italian
Il Panierino (Bäumlihofstrasse 149, 4058 Basel) A lovely liittle gem in Basel with a nice selection of olive oil, wine and fresh pasta. The owner is very friendly and it is also nice place to enjoy an authentic espresso and Italian pastry.
Piccoli Tesori (Reiterstrasse 51, 4054 Basel) A lovely little supermarket with an impressive selection of Italian groceries including fresh pasta and some incredible cheeses and cured meats. The friendly staff are also very knowledgeable about their products.
Little Italy Food Supermercato (Danziger Str. 4, 79576 Weil am Rhein, Germany)
For a taste of Italy, just over the border (in Germany), make sure to visit Little Italy Food Supermercato in Weil am Rhein. With a fantastic selection of meat and cheese as well as fresh Italian pastries (and a truly enormous selection of pasta), you will definitely find some tasty treats here. They also have an online store with delivery if you can't make the trip.
Oil & Vinegar (St. Jakob Park 397, 4052 Basel)
As the name suggests, this store has a dizzying display of olive oil and vinegar, but also have a lovely selection of dips, sauces and pasta from Italy and other places from around the world. These items make great gifts for the foodies in your life and can be also purchased online.
Organic
For more information on organic shopping in Basel please see our other article Health Food Stores in Basel.
Alnatura (Henric Petri-Strasse 20, 4051 Basel, Gerbergasse 25, 4001 Basel)
Alnatura is a German chain with two locations in Basel. They are definitely the largest bio supermarkets in the area and in addition to a huge selection of organic products they also have organic produce, cheese, baked goods and wine. You can also find many of their products in Migros.
Höheners Bioladen (Schützenmattstrasse 30, 4051 Basel)
This store is not a chain and the only one in Basel with an organic butcher. They carry food, environmentally-friendly cleaning supplies, cosmetics and organic wines.They also support local farms, coffee roasters and cheese producers.
Bioflix Bioladen (Lothringerstrasse 162, 4056 Basel)
Located in St. Johann, this nice little bio shop has an interesting concept. It's open 24/7, (which we all know is pretty unique in Basel) you just need to register online. The focus is on local, seasonal goods (including produce and cheese) and the quality is excellent.
Low Waste
Basel Unverpackt (Feldbergstrasse 26, 4057 Basel)
Unverpackt Abfüllerei Basel (Güterstrasse 169, 4053 Basel)
For groceries with little (or no) packaging you have a couple of good options in Basel. With a variety of goods, including dry items (flour, cereal, beans etc) as well as oils, drinks and even cosmetics and cleaning supplies, these stores encourage consumers to go waste free. You can bring your own containers or purchase some on site which you simply weigh before and after you fill them to determine the price.
Fine Foods
Manor (Greifengasse 22, 4005 Basel)
In addition to being a department store, Manor also has an excellent grocery in the basement. This is the go to place in Basel for specialty produce, cheese, meat and especially fish. It is a wonderful place to get nice pastries and cakes and they have an excellent selection of apèro items and wine (with tastings, if you catch them on the right day).
Globus Provisorium (Freie Strasse 50, 4001 Basel) Normally Globus is a great location for specialty and fine foods, however while the store at Marktplaz is under construction (and will be for the foreseeable future) you can visit their small shop on Freistrasse that has a limited selection of food stuffs and wine.
I hope this listing has inspired you to go beyond Coop and Migros to find some special ingredients. If you are an avid cook and want to improve your skills (or perhaps learn how to use some unfamiliar ingredients) please read our article Cooking Classes in Basel.
This listing does not feature every grocery in Basel, but if we have missed one of your favourites, please let us know.
Guten Appetit!