Illuminated transparent bubbles under string lights at the Parc de la Gare, Haguenau

Haguenau, Alsace · Parc de la Gare · Nov 20 to Dec 31

Experience the magic
of Les Bulles de Noël

Traditional raclette & festive cheer

You're in

A blanket on your shoulders, mist on the glass,
the smell of roasting cheese

Book your bubble Hopla, keep exploring

The idea

The best seats in the park are under the bubbles

A transparent bubble just for your table, set in the Parc de la Gare, right across from Haguenau's train station. Outside, winter does its work. Inside, the cheese does its own.

Every bubble is decorated, lit, heated and stocked with blankets. Let's be honest though : it's a park, in Alsace, in December. Dress like you're heading to the mountains.

  • 13 private bubbles this year, up from 7 last winter
  • In the town that has been making Alsace's oldest nativity scenes since 1420
  • Open daily, November 20 to December 31, booking required
Inside a bubble: a set round table under an illuminated fir wreath
Photo © Cyrille Fleckinger

The gallery

The park at night, for real

No generated images, no heavy retouching. Just the park, the bubbles, and what happens inside them.

The alley between the bubbles, under string lights
the alley, under the lights
The arched door of a bubble, glowing from inside
the door to your bubble
The illuminated fir wreath hanging from the top of the bubble
the wreath, overhead
The round table set and ready, glasses and plates waiting
the table, ready for scraping

More pictures coming as the season unfolds. Photos © Cyrille Fleckinger.

At the table

We keep it simple :
traditional raclette

Raw-milk raclette, IGP La Dent du Chat from Savoie : eight weeks of ageing on wooden boards, a cheese that melts into ribbons without turning oily. Nothing else on the food menu, and that is exactly the point.

Adult set menu

€29

per person, meal without dessert, 300 g of raclette

Kids set menu

€15

for under-12s (150 g of raclette), from 4 adult menus booked in the bubble

On the plate

  • Raw-milk raclette, IGP de Savoie, unpasteurised (300 g per person)
  • Artisan charcuterie from the Koenig butcher shop in Sélestat (150 g per person)
  • Gherkins & potatoes, as much as you like
  • Halal charcuterie on request, at least 72 hours ahead or when booking

P.S. The golden crust that sizzles at the edge of the pan is called « la religieuse ». You don't ask for it. You earn it.

The menu

While it melts : what are we drinking ?

Seasonal cocktails, Licorne beers from Alsace, wines from Savoie, Alsace and Burgundy, sparkling by the glass, mulled wine for cold hands, and three desserts at €5 to finish.

Before you come

The house rules fit on a slate board

The dates

From November 20 to December 31, open daily. We close on December 24 and 25 : Christmas is for us too.

Booking, full stop

No table without a slot. The bubbles go fast, book ahead.

Two sittings

From 6 to 8:30 pm, then from 8:45 pm to 0:30 am.
When your slot ends, the bubble changes tables. Play fair with the next group.

13 bubbles

Seven last year, thirteen this year. We moved a few fir trees.

The deposit

A card hold is taken when you book, charged only if you don't show up without cancelling. Last year, bubbles sat empty while others dreamed of them.

Raw milk

Our raclette is raw-milk, unpasteurised. That's where the flavour comes from, and it is not recommended for pregnant women and vulnerable people.

Bundle up

Heater and blankets provided, but dress like you're going to the mountains : you're dining in a park, in December.

On safety

The bubbles meet all French public-venue (ERP) and fire-safety standards. You can be transparent and serious at the same time.

The questions

What people ask us through the glass

Is it cold inside the bubbles ?

Each bubble has a small heater and blankets, but it remains transparent, in a park, in the middle of winter. The right move : dress warmly.

Can we just walk in ?

No. The bubbles are booking only, open daily, with two sittings (6 to 8:30 pm and 8:45 pm to 0:30 am). 13 bubbles are available this year.

Why a deposit at booking ?

In past seasons, booked tables sat empty with no cancellation. So a card hold is taken when you book, charged only in case of an unannounced no-show. If you come, it costs you nothing.

Can we stay all evening ?

Every sitting has an end time (8:30 pm for the first one). The bubble is then freed for the next table.

What's on the plate ?

300 g of raw-milk raclette, IGP La Dent du Chat (Savoie), 150 g of artisan charcuterie from the Koenig butcher shop (Sélestat), gherkins and potatoes at will. Kids menu, under 12 : 150 g of raclette. Extra cheese and charcuterie are on the menu.

Is the cheese pasteurised ?

No, it's a raw-milk cheese, as tradition demands. It is not suitable for pregnant women, young children and immunocompromised people.

Do you have halal options or special diets ?

Halal charcuterie is available on request, at least 72 hours in advance or when booking.

And how solid are these bubbles ?

Very. The bubbles meet all French public-venue (ERP) and fire-safety standards.

What about the bubbles in Strasbourg ?

The concept was created by Les Bulles de Noël, but the Strasbourg bubbles are operated by L'Archipel, the restaurant of the AC Hotels & Residence Inn by Marriott, solely responsible for their bookings, menu and ingredients. For Strasbourg, contact the restaurant directly ; for Haguenau, it's us and only us.

Can we really take a fir tree home ?

Yes ! Fir trees are on sale every day, all season long. The tradition was born 40 km from here, we keep it alive.

The restaurants

Haguenau first, Strasbourg too

the concept travels

Strasbourg

The concept is ours ; the operation belongs to L'Archipel, the restaurant of the AC Hotels & Residence Inn by Marriott. It is solely responsible for the bookings, menu and ingredients of its Strasbourg bubbles.

To book in Strasbourg, contact restaurant L'Archipel (AC Hotels & Residence Inn by Marriott) directly, not us : we won't be able to help.

Cities, hotels, remarkable venues

Missing some bubbles in your city ?

The concept travels : bubbles built to French ERP and fire-safety standards, the setup, the method, the menu. Strasbourg did it with L'Archipel, at the AC Hotels & Residence Inn by Marriott. We walk you through it, from the first bolt to the first wheel of cheese.

Request the partnership file (in French)

The last collection

We slipped a letter to Santa

Les Bulles de Noël

A letter for you

We're keeping you a seat

A heated bubble, a wheel of cheese gently blistering, the park glowing through the glass. Your table is waiting at the counter. All you have to do is come and collect it.

P.S. Come bundled up, leave with a fir tree. A thousand thoughts from the Parc de la Gare.

Reply to the invitation

We won't forget you. The Bulles team

Collections every evening, 6 pm and 8:45 pm