Landhotel - Restaurant Zur Krone

We had a lovely table on the terrace and a fabulous evening with the three-course regional menu and accompanying wine. The food was delicious and nicely presented, and our server was polite, attentive, and entertaining. I’m still not sure how he managed every table on his own and made us laugh too. Each wine went perfectly with its dish, from starter to dessert, and all were local to the Kaiserstuhl area. We weren’t shown the bottles, which was a pity, so we had to ask for details each time. The server provided them, and we ended up buying the wines. I’d highly recommend the meal. We only wished we could have stayed at the hotel, but the minimum stay was 4 nights and we needed just 2.

The regional menu, which I think changes monthly, was a nice choice, though do check. It started with a salmon mousse amuse bouche and sweet dill and mustard sauce. The bright green parsley soup came in a tiny glass with creamy foam and crunchy-coated salmon on a skewer. Bread for dipping would have been welcome. The pork was cooked just right, though a little cool. I chose it mainly for the pfifferlinge, and there were a reasonable number. Roasted beets and asparagus made an interesting side, and the extra sauce was a good touch. Dessert looked pretty, with tangy berry ice beside a fruity, chocolatey sweet. The local white wine was good value and tasty, so we had two 250ml glasses. It was a mild September evening, and we’d booked since the restaurant was a train ride away, though it wasn’t necessary. There were only three other tables occupied. Still, a couple who arrived after us were seated so close it felt like we were sharing a table, despite all the empty ones. We shifted sideways as far as we could and sipped the local fizz, which we had to ask for twice. The homemade bread was delicious, but the basket vanished after the first serving, which felt mean. More bread would have been nice, especially with the shortage of sauce for dipping. We licked our fingers instead. Service was seriously over the top but friendly enough, though there wasn’t enough attention to what diners needed. We had to cut the evening short to run for the train, which arrived late anyway.

Jőrg, the restaurant waiter, is a must. He flits between tables, sharing great advice on food, wine, and more, all with a tremendous sense of humor. Zur Krone is only 300 m from the station, making it easy to get to Breisach, Freiburg, or Titisee in the Black Forest from Gottenheim station. The rooms are romantic, clean, and peaceful, and some have air conditioning. The pillows are the weak point and don’t match the rest of the accommodation.

The food was good and the prices were acceptable. The rooms were very nice too.