There are inexpensive places to eat all through the centre, including self-service meals at the huge Migros supermarket at Freiestrasse 3. Caffè Spettacolo is opposite the station, with plenty of coffees and focaccia-style snacks, while round the corner at Bahnhofstrasse/Rue de la Gare 4 is Café Hasard, a small and attractive little daytime nook. The best place for restaurants, though, is in the Old Town: St Gervais, Untergasse/Rue Basse 21, is a lively, friendly, alternative-style joint with quality nosh, not the only choice on the street. Kreuz, Hauptstrasse/Rue Principale 23 in Nidau, a pleasant little town contiguous with Biel/Bienne to the south (032/331 93 03) is a wonderfully relaxed co-operative-run café and restaurant – old wood floors inside, garden terrace out back – serving excellent organic and veggie food (menus from Fr.15). The restaurant at the Villa Lindenegg hotel has gourmet evening menus (Fr.20) with or without meat using market-fresh produce inventively and attractively. La Poissonière, in the train station (032/322 33 11) is celebrated as an especially classy formal restaurant, but L’Amphitryon, in Hôtel Elite takes the biscuit as one of the highest star-rated restaurants in the country (menus from Fr.80; closed Sun).

Biel/Bienne’s sizeable student population ensures plenty of bars around the centre, including the grungy Rock Café on Zentralstrasse/Rue Centrale and the trendy bar of the La Rotonde brasserie, Bahnhofstrasse/Rue de la Gare 11. Also check out the impromptu happenings and weekend dance nights at the Gaskessel/Coupole, a youth centre under a dome in a car park off Zentralstrasse.

Listings

Car rental Avis, Falkenstrasse 43 (032/341 12 61); Europcar, An der neuen Bernstrasse (032/366 51 80); Hertz, Bahnhofplatz 1 (032/322 33 43).

Changing money In the train station (Mon–Fri 6am–8pm, Sat & Sun 6am–7pm).

Email and InternetAtomic Café, Bahnhofplatz/Place de la Gare 5 (Mon–Sat 6am–12.30am, Sun 9am–12.30am; Fr.6/hr).

Laundry Salon Lavoir, 27 Rue des Moulins (Mon–Fri 7am–8pm, Sat & Sun 8am–8pm).

Post office Beside the station (CH-2500 Biel/Bienne 1).