Orangerie Piano Bar

The Orangerie Piano Bar is the piano bar of the Beatus hotel at Seestrasse 300 in Merligen, a lakeside village on the northern shore of Lake Thun about 14 km west of Interlaken, in the canton of Bern, Switzerland. It is a destination bar rather than an Interlaken town-centre stop, and visitors normally travel there by car, bus or lake boat. The setting is the main attraction: a hotel bar with a conservatory-style character and views over Lake Thun, run alongside the Beatus spa hotel. The crowd is mostly hotel guests, couples, and older travellers or locals looking for a refined evening, and the atmosphere is calm, elegant and conversational. Smart casual dress is the sensible choice, and the age range is mainly thirties and above. Music is the signature: a piano provides live background music, usually in the evenings, with the programme depending on the hotel and the season, so the hotel should be contacted for current schedules. The drinks programme is led by bartender-made cocktails, with wines, spirits and beers also served, and prices fall in the upper-mid range, with cocktails commonly around CHF 15 to 20. Opening hours are not published in the available data, but hotel piano bars generally operate in the evening until around midnight and are far quieter than Interlaken's pubs. There is no cover charge as far as is known, reservations are sensible for groups or on weekends, and bottle service is not a typical feature, though bottled wines are available. Because of the distance, the practical consideration is getting back to Interlaken: evening public transport is limited, so visitors should plan a taxi or confirm timetables before leaving town. The venue suits a quiet, scenic evening rather than a night of dancing.