Les Amis.Aarau

A bar and event venue in two parts

Les Amis.Aarau is a bar and event business in the old town of Aarau, run by Les Amis Club GmbH, with two venues. Les Amis.Club, at Mühlemattstrasse 2, has been open since March 2016 in what the site calls the "jahrhundertealten, geschichtsträchtigen und wunderschönen Gewölbekellern" (centuries-old, historic and beautiful vaulted cellars) of the Hotel Kettenbrücke. It opens to the public over the winter months and stays closed in summer, except for private events. Les Amis.Lounge, at Zollrain 14, has been open year-round since May 2021.

The events page covers everything from small groups of ten to events with up to 180 guests, and names weddings among them, alongside aperitifs, dinners, family parties and company events. What sets Les Amis apart from most venues in the region is that it publishes its minimum spends, extras and conditions on the page, so a couple can see the cost structure before they write.

The spaces

The Club is described as suitable for events of every kind, with the charm of the vaulted rooms rounded off by stylish furnishings. Its spaces, as the page lists them:

• bar and small club area, 70 m²
• lounge, large club or dining area, 60 m²
• cigar lounge or dining area (no size given)
• terrace, 50 m²

The Lounge is "Klein aber fein" (small but fine), described as "Edel und doch verspielt" (elegant yet playful) and well suited to smaller events. It has a bar with an interior area of 68 m², and in summer a large, sunny terrace of 115 m², which the page calls a green oasis in Aarau's old town.

The rooms can be combined in different ways, and guests can reserve a table, a seating area, a single room or the whole venue. The page does not break the 180-guest maximum down by room.

Exclusive hire and minimum spends

For the whole Club with bar staff, the minimum spend from May to September is CHF 3500; if it is not reached, the difference is charged as rent. From October to April the whole Club is available on request. For the whole Lounge, including the terrace and bar staff, the page also gives a minimum spend of CHF 3500 from May to September, with the same rule. From October to April the Lounge's minimum spend is CHF 2000, excluding external catering, again with the difference charged as rent.

Setting up for a dinner

Turning the Club's lounge into a dining area with a block table for a maximum of 32 people, including tablecloths and wooden chairs, costs CHF 500. Converting the bar area into a small club costs CHF 200, and turning the lounge into a large club CHF 350. In the Lounge, a block table takes a maximum of 24 people. Other published extras:

• supervision of food from an external caterer by the Les Amis team: CHF 35 per hour per person
• place setting (plate, cutlery and napkins): CHF 2 per person
• a personalized menu card, designed and printed: CHF 100
• DJ equipment with monitor speakers and disco light (2 Pioneer CD-J 900 Nexus players and a Pioneer DJM-850 mixer): CHF 150
• extension of opening hours from 02.00 to 04.00: CHF 300
• security staff: CHF 48 per hour per person
• a 65-inch TV with HDMI cable: CHF 15

Food and drink

Les Amis prepares its own meat and cheese platters in a small kitchen: various cheeses and cured meats with large green olives, sun-dried tomatoes, fig mustard and fresh bread. The suggested sizes are CHF 12 per person for an aperitif, CHF 15 for an "Apéro-Riche" and CHF 19 for a "Znacht" (dinner-sized). The drinks list includes wines in bottle sizes from 0.75 to 18 liters from many countries, plus special spirits.

For a full meal, the first choice is Restaurant Zollhuus, which is in the same building and caters from 10 people, with aperitif snacks, buffets and Italian tavolata. Catering is invoiced directly by the caterer under its own terms, not through Les Amis.

Planning help and rooms

The page says Les Amis supports couples free of charge with planning and helps find a DJ, a band or a caterer, and it can recommend florists. It also offers overnight stays in the 4-star hotel above: after the party, guests take the lift up to bed. The page does not give room rates.

Conditions

All prices include VAT. Invoices are payable within 10 days, and for large events Les Amis may ask for a deposit of 50 % of the estimated turnover. The final number of guests is due 2 days before the event and is charged as a minimum; for large events a first estimate 7 days ahead is appreciated. For large events canceled after confirmation, the page lists: no charge up to 3 weeks before; 40 % of the agreed services up to 2 weeks before; 60 % up to 1 week before; 80 % up to 3 days before.

Access and contact

The page says the venue is easy to reach by bus (stop Rathaus) or by car (the Flösserplatz and Kettenbrücke car parks). It does not describe the route from Aarau station. Enquiries go to kontakt@lesamis.club or +41 76 230 62 15, and reservations can be made online. The site is in German, and it does not say whether the team works in English.

What the site does not settle

The page does not say how the 180 guests are split between rooms, whether a ceremony can be held in the cellars, or what the hotel rooms cost. The summer minimum spend for the Lounge and the winter terms for the Club need to be confirmed. A wedding guest's review on the homepage praises the location and the service, but the site has no wedding package as such.

Who it suits

Les Amis.Aarau suits couples who want a wedding party with character in the vaulted cellars of an old-town hotel, with a strong bar, guests sleeping upstairs and costs that can be estimated from the page. It works well for an aperitif and dinner followed by a long night, with the option to extend to 04.00.

It suits less well a couple who wants a garden ceremony, a large seated dinner in one room, or a single all-in package. The catering comes from the in-house restaurant as a separate contract, and the rooms are cellar spaces rather than a banquet hall.