Spaetzle in the Laundry Room

 
In a romantic location, beside a picturesque canal, under mature plane trees, in the heart of Strasbourg's Petite France district, stands the La Corde à Linge (Washing Line) restaurant. It's like a elic from a bygone era when it was a meeting place for the washerwomen of the city. This impression is confirmed inside - below the ceiling hang washing lines full of blossom-white bodices, lace overlets, vests and socks and on the walls are shelves packed with washing powder boxes from the fifties, brushes and old irons. The clean storytelling extends to the salt and pepper  bakers, which sit in oversized pegs. Alsatian designer Claude Drach was responsible for the design and the lovingly applied decoration is the work of illustrator Anne-Sophie Cheval. In terms of  cuisine, the third project of gastronome Claude Fricker (following the L'Épicerie sandwich bar and the ‘Jeannette et les Cycleaux' wine bar) specialises in every conceivable variation of spaetzle, for example with cheese, mushrooms, salmon, duck confit and smoked ham served with salad and a range of seductive desserts to follow. www.lacordealinge.com