New opening
Rio Bar: no revolution
The Rio Bar at Barfi is open again – after a gentle renovation. Its operator Eric Stiefel wants to preserve the tried and tested ambience.
Unmistakably the “Rio Bar” – but a few things are different, such as the lamps in the seating compartments and the color of the stucco.
An hour before the Rio Bar reopens, thirsty people are already peering through the window into the interior of the traditional bar at Barfüsserplatz 12: “Is it open yet?” Eric Stiefel, the new operator of the Rio Bar since April, answers: “Not yet, not until four o’clock.”
It’s nice, he says, that there is interest. Because a change of ownership always comes with the risk of losing regulars. Especially when everything is changed. Funnily enough, the “National-Zeitung” newspaper found that during an earlier renovation of the same location in the 1970s, people became suspicious “when a cozy pub closes its doors so that it can be overhauled a bit. All too many pubs end up being a pseudo-pub, a bistro or something else with a new look.”
From the outside, you can’t tell that the restaurant has changed owners and landlords.
That is not the case here: the renovation during the summer break was moderate. “Rio remains Rio” was the motto with which Eric Stiefel freshened up the place. Much has remained the same, especially the 60 seats inside, which are reminiscent of train compartments, or the bar. In the back part, the “Carmen-Stübli”, the ambience is still Spanish with new flamenco images.
The Barfi is located in Spain
This southern European flair has its roots in the founders of the restaurant. At the beginning of the 20th century, Spanish compatriots were constantly running the restaurant. At the time, several Spanish wine bars were located around the Barfi: among them the Bodega, Valencia and the Rio Bar, which was initially called “Weinstube zum Barfüsser”. In 1937, it was given its current name when Teodoro Abicart, a Spaniard of course, took over the restaurant.
As in the past with Spiegel: The “Carmen-Stübli”.
Service employee Gilles, who served guests under Stiefel’s predecessor Felix Bigliel, is still a familiar face in the business. Alongside him, there are three other part-time employees and Eric Stiefel, who usually earns his money in real estate but now thinks “it’s a nice thing to be able to get involved on site himself.”
Tried and tested, but also new flammkuchen
In addition to the tried and tested Rio toast with its special mix, the menu now also includes tarte flambée from the oven. A screen will be hung above the large window. “Not because we want to become a sports bar. But showing a ski race or a match or of course the ESC, if it comes to Basel, can’t do any harm.” And then Eric Stiefel had the idea of holding events under the label “Rio Music”. The Basel singer Rinalda Caduff is to kick things off.
Music of the future. It is now four o’clock. The first guests are ordering a beer, fitting for the heat. In the good old new Rio Bar.
