Restaurant Boo — Restaurant in Basel

I recently tried to make a last-minute reservation at Boo Restaurant in Bankverein, Basel, calling at 7:45 PM for an 8:15 PM table. I was told there was no availability, which was understandable given the short notice. However, upon arriving at the restaurant anyway at 8:30pm, I was surprised to find that half the restaurant was empty. This lack of transparency was frustrating, as it seemed there was no real reason to deny the booking.

Once seated, I ordered the Tom Yum Gung soup, which arrived lukewarm and had to be sent back. Unfortunately, reheating it made it worse, as the soup tasted like boiled water with vegetables. It seemed as though they had forgotten the essential spices and lemongrass, completely missing the bold, aromatic flavors that define this classic dish.

Hoping the main course would redeem the meal, I ordered the Red Thai Curry, but it was another letdown. The dish was far too sweet, with an overpowering amount of coconut milk, and the consistency was too watery, lacking the rich, well-balanced texture that a proper Thai curry should have.

Even the drink was disappointing—the Lemongrass Iced Tea was just water with some syrup and ice, lacking any real depth of flavor. It felt like an afterthought rather than a carefully crafted beverage.

To top it all off, I was charged 1 CHF for a glass of tap water without being informed of the charge upfront. When I questioned this, I was shockingly told that if I refused to pay, the charge would be deducted from the waiter’s wages. This is completely unacceptable and raises serious concerns about the restaurant’s policies and treatment of staff - if the waiter was telling the truth which I doubt very much.

The service was just as underwhelming. Despite the disappointing experience, the waiter still expected a tip, and his attitude noticeably changed once he realized I wasn’t going to leave one. In Switzerland, tipping is reserved for service that goes above and beyond, not for mediocre or subpar experiences like this one.

Overall, I will not be returning to the Bankverein location again. However, I’ve had better experiences at their Messeplatz branch, which offers much higher quality food and service.

The ambiance was nice, but between the questionable reservation policy, disappointing food and drinks, hidden charges, and poor service, this experience left much to be desired....

Tl;dr: Average food, poor service, go to the one in Messeplatz.

This restaurant has potential but definitely needs to sort out some of its service issues.

We went with family to celebrate a birthday and were thoroughly disappointed when served cold soup that had to be sent back (this was after waiting 30 minutes for it to arrive).

The lemongrass drink was essentially overpriced water, and speaking of which, they had the audacity to charge us for tap water without telling us up front. When we made this point to a server, he said that he’d take it off the bill but it would come out of his colleagues wage (illegal, but I’m sure he was just saying this in jest). Of course, we paid in the end.

After receiving below average service, we decided against a tip at which point their attitude immediately changed and the smiles went away. A tip is earned, not expected. This isn’t America.

Overall I’d recommend going to the other branch in Messeplatz. You’ll find better food with...

Very disappointed. I went there on 3.3.2022. When at location, I had a vegan Pad Thai with Tofu which was just average (not much taste, noodles were all glued together). My friend got wine with cork inside (which was explained as "the bar person is new but a new glass was at least offered). For takeaway, I ordered Fried Rice with Planted Chicken (vegan). I double checked with waiter if it is is vegan version and the bill also said "Planted". At home, it turned out that the real chicken was inside (easy to distinguish based on structure as it is very different from the Planted.). It's ok if a company decides not to include vegan or vegetarian dishes, but it is not ok to earn money by offering vegan and vegetarian food and then serve meat. I won't return there as it is clear I cannot trust the food there. Watch out everyone in case you have...