Frankfurt Top Trendy Restaurants – Feinschmecker 2012, Germany

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Co-owner Matthias Scheiber at Weinsinn

At the occasion of the Frankfurt Book Fair in October, the German Gourmet Journal “Feinschmecker” issued a list of recommendations of “Szenelokale” – trendy restaurants – in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

The Feinschmecker rates on a scale of 1 to 5 F. In its Restaurant Guide Deutschland 2012, the Francais, Frankfurter Hof, is the leading restaurant with 4 F, followed by Erno's Bistro, Westend, with 3 1/2 F. I think the best restaurant in Frankfurt is currently Villa Merton, Bockenheim (2 F). One should also watch the brand new Lafleur in the Palmengarten and Mario Lohninger's restaurant Lohninger in Sachsenhausen as well as his Holbein in Sachsenhausen.

Here is the list. All restaurants are in the 1 to 2 F range.

1 ½ F Caracol, Sachsenhausen
1 ½ F Chez Ima (Hotel 25Hours by Levi’s), Bahnhofsviertel
1 ½ F Herr Franz, Westend
1 ½ F MeinNizza, Innenstadt
2 F Roomers (Hotel Roomers), Gutleutviertel
2 F The Ivory Club, Westend
1 ½ VaiVai, Westend
1 F Walden, Innenstadt
1 ½ Weinsinn, Westend (see: Lunch and Beaujolais at Weinsinn in Frankfurt am Main, Germany)
2 F Zenzakan, Westend

Schiller’s Favorite Apple Wine Taverns in Frankfurt am Main

I grew up with apple wine in Frankfurt. Although there are 3 beer breweries in Frankfurt and the world renowned Rheingau and Rheinhessen wine regions just 30 minutes away from Frankfurt by S-Bahn or car, I would say that Frankfurt am Main is a city of cider.

Frankfurt has a large number of traditional apple wine taverns, where you sit on communal benches, eat hearty local food and drink sour and tart German apple wine. Typically, there is only one apple wine – the house apple wine – available, in some cases made on the premise.

See: Schiller's Favorite Apple Wine Taverns in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Mainz

Not more than 30 minutes away from Frankfurt by S-Bahn on the Rhein River in the wine region Rheinhessen is Mainz, which is - along with Bilbao in Spain, Bordeaux in France, Cape Town in South Africa, Christchurch in New Zealand, Firenza in Italy, Mendoza in Argentina, Porto in Portugal and San Francisco in the US - one of the 9 wine capitals in the world.

But there is not a single wine bar in Mainz, as I know them from London, New York City, Berlin or Washington DC. However, there are a large number of cozy wine taverns in Mainz, a bit like the apple wine taverns in Frankfurt. Typically, wine taverns do not have an elaborated list of wines, nor do they serve fancy and sophisticated food. They serve good, local wines, at very reasonable prices, typically from a handful of local winemakers and good, hearty, regional food. My favorite is “Spundekaes mit Bretzeln”. You share the table with others.

See: Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars and Other Places where you can have Wine in Mainz, Germany

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