Fine dining with a view

If the waiter greets you shaking his head as you walk in, it usually means you have no chance of getting a table. He already suspects it: Another guest without a reservation. That is why I book now before. Always!

Do you also know? It’s just that the good restaurants are usually fully booked, because of course they are good and nowadays people like to go out: Out to dinner, out for lunch. Especially in the cities the restaurants are always crowded on weekdays and for example in Frankfurt I’m rarely lucky to get a table without a reservation. A seat at the counter is a good alternative every now and then, but a nice table with all the comforts and candlelight is part of a nice dinner out, especially for special dates, candlelight dinners or customer visits. That’s why I now regularly make reservations at the restaurant.

My restaurant visits are now scheduled

So at the restaurant, call ahead and let them know – but how? Often difficult because of the different opening hours. By email? Not quite reliable and call afterwards (“Did you receive my email?”) is also funny. At least for the big city I have a solution now. Many restaurants offer table reservations through their website. Some restaurateurs are also listed on OpenTable’s reservation app and especially internationally it works great. I don’t need to call and speak the same language or take into account the opening hours, I send my reservation request by app and receive a confirmation. After that the anticipation can begin!

If you get dressed up and take the time for a nice meal away from home, then nothing should go wrong and as I said, in Frankfurt and the surrounding area I now just play it safe, because with a reservation you also get a nice table, maybe even the desired table by the window or “from last time…”. For both sides it is simply better with a reservation and in the restaurants listed below I had wonderful evenings in the last weeks and without a reservation it would have been only half as nice for sure.

Holbein’s Restaurant

After a visit to a museum I don’t want to go home again right away. So why not grab a bite right next to the museum? Holbein’s Restaurant in the Stadel Museum, directly at the Schaumainkai, is a fine place to be. When I was recently invited by OpenTable to the Art& Dine was invited, I discovered it completely new for me. A great location, also architecturally really impressive and because of the central location also well suited for after-work or after-shopping. The food is very good, Gault Millau says so too, and I would classify it under fusion, because the dishes are international across the board. Price-wise upper middle class, but therefore everything fits. Very popular, therefore: better reserve!

Holbein’s Restaurant in the Stadel.Holbein Street 1.60596 Frankfurt

Restaurant Lohninger

Need I say more? My readers already know that I am a big fan of the fine dining restaurant Lohninger and have been addicted to Marios’s cuisine for decades. Even his excursion into the world of TV celebrities has not diminished the whole thing. The restaurant, the service and also the cuisine are simply coherent and that’s why I like to be pampered with culinary delights there. The Lohninger has been awarded many times and is very popular, therefore, only with reservation.

Restaurant Lohninger. Swiss Str. 1 . 60594 Frankfurt am Main

Ristorante Carmelo Greco

Also on the Sachsenhausen side is this star Italian, who cooks simply indescribable and takes you into another world in his refuge. Especially with such an excellent cuisine, a reservation is also recommended to facilitate the kitchen’s planning, and as a guest you get something out of it directly. Carmelo Greco is a place where people meet – business people from the surrounding agencies meet here for a fine business dinner as well as couples, and in the evenings people sit comfortably in soft chairs and let the day come to an end by candlelight. Always better with reservation.

Ristorante Carmelo Greco . Ziegelhuttenweg 1-3 . 60598 Frankfurt

Franziska . Progressive German Vintage Cuisine

Also on the left side of the river Main is the new attraction in Frankfurt: The new Inn location in the Henninger Turm, the Restaurant Franziska, which is a restaurant on the upper floor: Restaurant Franziska and the location is simply the cracker. With the velvety chairs, the strong colors and the feel-good ambience, the restaurant is perfect for a romantic candlelight dinner. The view of the metropolis of Frankfurt is breathtaking and the uncomplicated service is metropolitan and cool. But remember: Never without a reservation, otherwise you might sit in the second row. Nobody wants that – with the view!

Franziska . Hainer Weg 72 . 60599 Frankfurt on the Main

Trip with a happy ending: Rheingau

The same in the Rheingau: A trip to the Schwarzenstein Castle should not have been in vain, right?? Even if you just want to enjoy a burger in the restaurant GRILL, a reservation is advisable. Because, also here the view is bomastic and there I want nevertheless as a guest the security to get the optimal place. The food is also perfect and even better if you are then also expected with reservation. Then the evening will be all the more fun.

Schwarzenstein Castle . Rosengasse 32 . 65366 Geisenheim-Johannisberg

Not always, but more and more often: make a reservation!

Sure, I like to call my favorite Italian restaurant or a friend’s restaurant and chat a bit and maybe ask directly for their recommendations, but mostly I make reservations through the OpenTable app now and it works great.