A summer lunch date at Landhaus Diedert…

Bill got home from Romania yesterday afternoon. His flight was delayed, but it wasn’t too terribly late. Still, he didn’t get home until about 6:00 PM. He was fussing about what to have for dinner, and I suggested that maybe we should go out to lunch at Landhaus Diedert today. He agreed, and we had a nice vegetable and hummus dinner washed down with beer.

Our reservation was at 1:00 PM. We dressed up a bit, although Landhaus Diedert is a pretty casual place. The food and service are excellent, but you can come as you are. In the summer, this is especially fine, because chances are good you’ll be sitting out in their beautiful Biergarten, which has huge mature oak trees that offer plenty of shade. We parked on the road behind the restaurant, although we could have scored a spot in their parking lot.

I was very appreciative of the comfortable chairs in their Garten, along with the umbrella. Last time we ate outside at Landhaus Diedert, we were at a table that didn’t have an umbrella. After a round of aperitifs– a house cocktail for me, and alcohol free prosecco for Bill– we ordered. Bill got bottles of red wine and sparkling water. We watched a waiter train a new staff member on how to do wine service. I remembered when I first had to serve wine at a table. The guy did a good job teaching his colleague.

I had a vegetarian pea and mint soup with ricotta filled raviolis. Bill had a smoked Forellen-lachs dish with cherry sorbet. Then, for lunch, I had fried chicken breast with parslied mashed potatoes and honey cherry tomatoes. Bill had Angus filet with parmesan crust, Béarnaise sauce, and green asparagus.

Then, after a short pause, as we drank our delightful Italian red wine, we had dessert. I had what they call a “quick dessert”, which was chocolate creme brulee and a cup of coffee or espresso (in my case, an Americano with sugar), and Bill a cherry Clafouti with marinated cherries and cherry sorbet.

As usual, everything was delicious, and the service was laid back and professional. We’ve never had a bad experience at Landhaus Diedert. It’s always a pleasure to go there and have really good food, even if maybe it was a little heavy for summertime.

Perhaps next week, we’ll manage a visit to our other favorite Wiesbaden Sunday lunch spot, Villa im Tal. We can always count on a warm welcome there.

Everyone seemed to be enjoying lunch at the Landhaus Diedert today… except for maybe one of the two kids who were in attendance. But the lovely thing about this restaurant is that it has a little playground for kids to play on while they wait for the food. The same child who protested a couple of times was enjoying the playground when we came in…

And as we were sitting there under the gorgeous oak trees, I couldn’t help thinking, once again, we are so blessed to get to live in Germany. I’ll always be grateful to the people of Germany for being more welcoming to strangers than my own homeland has been.

Anyway, as usual, I highly recommend Landhaus Diedert to anyone in the Wiesbaden area looking for a truly wonderful meal.

Hessen, Saturday night

Our first dinner at Landhaus Diedert…

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you might know that Landhaus Diedert, a beautiful restaurant in a former Kloster, is a relatively frequent setting for elegant Sunday lunches. Over the past few years, this restaurant on the outskirts of Wiesbaden, has become a favorite place for Bill and me to enjoy German style comfort food. Service is always professional and usually very friendly.

A couple of nights ago, just after Bill returned from his latest business trip, I suggested that we go out and do something this weekend. But we couldn’t decide where we wanted to go… Did we want to visit one of our favorite places, Villa im Tal? Or perhaps Little Italy, in downtown Wiesbaden. Or Landhaus Diedert, which never disappoints? Our answer was dinner at Landhaus Diedert on Saturday night, and lunch today at Villa im Tal. It’s currently “Spargel” (asparagus) season, so both restaurants have a special “Spargel Karte” on their menus.

Below are some photos from the walk in. We parked on a street a block from the restaurant/hotel, because they were busy last night! They have a lovely play area for kids, and when the weather is good, a beautiful outdoor sitting area under huge oak trees.

Bill and I have never had a bad experience at Landhaus Diedert, and last night was no exception. My asparagus soup with herbed ham, for instance, made me stop in my tracks with its burst of flavor. It was followed by Perlhuhn (guinea fowl) with sausage, asparagus, wild garlic gnocchi, and the zestiest cherry tomatoes I have ever tasted, along with a savory sauce. Bill had fried dorade (fish) with cauliflower, barley corn, and rhubarb. Then for dessert, there was chocolate cake with fruit and for him, and New York cheesecake with raspberries and pistachio ice cream for me. Bill’s dessert also came with ice cream, but it was an interesting flavor that neither of us could identify.

When we arrived, we were greeted by the sommelier, who noted our reservation and showed us to a table in the middle of the dining room. Almost every table was taken, with a couple of tables decorated with “Happy Birthday” candles.

*The usual delicious fresh breads with butter and hummus.*

I’m getting to an age at which three courses are a challenge. Not only do I not need the calories, but I find that it’s very hard to eat that much in one sitting. However, I didn’t want to miss the soups… and I’m glad I didn’t. It was hard to choose between the asparagus soup and the wild garlic soup… They also had a tomato soup that looked appealing.

*I LOVED this soup… I’d love to learn how to make this and turn it into a meal.*

And then came the hearty main courses, which almost put us over the edge. I thought about taking some home, but by the time I got to that point, I only had a few bites left. So I finished… but it was a delicious challenge!

Although we were full, we decided to have dessert… I know we probably shouldn’t have… but it’s hard to go out to such a nice place and not enjoy a sweet ending. I had the cheesecake, and Bill had the chocolate cake. I would have gone for the chocolate, except I’m not a fan of lava cakes.

*Dark chocolate cake with an oatmeal cookie, pistachios, berries, and some kind of ice cream that was light orange. Maybe it was persimmon?*

Dinner took about two hours and ran a couple hundred euros… but it was so nice to get out and have some really good food. On the way out of the restaurant, I took a few more photos of the Biergarten area.

And on the way home, I got a few pictures of Wiesbaden, which is such a gracious, posh, opulent city. I feel lucky to live here. Someday, we’ll visit the Ring Church so I can see what it looks like inside!

It’s great to have Bill home again, and I’m so glad we ventured out for dinner. Stay tuned for a post about Villa im Tal later, and lots more photos! This is quite the weekend for “Hessen Essen”.

Hessen

Yet another great lunch at Landhaus Diedert!

Last night, while Bill and I were processing the afternoon spent with our neighbors, drinking beer at our little Oktoberfest, we decided we’d like to go out to lunch today. Bill went looking for appropriate lunch venues, and finally decided it was time for us to go to one of our favorite places, Landhaus Diedert. We’ve been to this restaurant numerous times. It’s always a pleasure, as the food and service are top notch, and the restaurant itself feels like someone’s beautiful home. It is, indeed, also a hotel, although it doesn’t feel like a hotel. It was originally a Kloster.

It wasn’t very busy at the restaurant today. Some people ahead of us pulled into the parking lot and we parked next to them. And then we were seated at the table next to theirs on one side, and another couple with an adorable terrier on the other side. The people we parked next to had main courses and left rather quickly, but the other couple shut down lunch service with us. Bill and I had a very sumptuous two hour feast. I doubt I’ll need anything else until tomorrow morning.

We started with aperitifs– a non alcoholic rose for Bill, which tasted like Christmas punch. I had a prosecco based cocktail that smelled of fresh oranges. We enjoyed fresh bread with the drinks as we decided on what we would have for lunch.

One of the soups wasn’t ready to serve yet, which was no big deal. I had my eye on the Wachtel (quail), while Bill had a salad with Pfefferlingen mushrooms and bacon. For our main courses, I had salmon with ricotta filled tortellinis, while Bill had deer saltimbocca… I really enjoyed both of my dishes, but Bill’s deer was so tender and delicious. I don’t usually eat venison myself, but I think I would have enjoyed what he had, with its chestnut puree. Have a look!

*I had quail with a salad… This was delicious, and a bit pricey!*

I couldn’t finish my salmon, so I asked for it to be packed. I wanted dessert. While we were waiting for it, we struck up a conversation with the couple next to us. They had an adorable, well-behaved little dog. It turned out their dog, a four year old named Archie, was very friendly and cute. We showed them pictures of Charlie and Noyzi while we waited for dessert. Chocolate ganache with sour cream ice cream and berries for me, and flambeed pineapple with coconut ice cream, watermelon, and mango puree for Bill… All the while, we bonded with the couple next to us. I love how dogs are such great ice breakers in Germany.

*The chocolate ganache is off the chain!* *I say that, even though it was a lava cake.*

As usual, the food, service, and ambiance at Landhaus Diedert were outstanding. We have yet to have a bad time there, or a disappointing meal. It’s such a pleasure and a treat to get to spend time with my favorite person in a place with such great food.

Naturally, I highly recommend Landhaus Diedert. And you can see more of their excellent dishes in this blog, if you do a search. If you’re in Wiesbaden or its surroundings, you should stop by for a fabulous meal.

Sundays

Another fantastic lunch at Landhaus Dierdert!

A couple of days ago, I told Bill that it had been too long since our last outing. And it really had, for me, been too long. Until today, I hadn’t left our neighborhood in weeks. I wanted to go out and do something. The problem is, the weather in Germany this time of year tends to really suck. It’s also been very cold lately.

Bill decided we were due for another Sunday lunch at Landhaus Diedert, one of our favorite Wiesbaden restaurants. So he made a booking for 1:30 PM , and off we went today… And, as usual, it was a great time! Service at Landhaus Diedert is uniformly wonderful, and while the offerings definitely aren’t cheap, they are always prepared with great care and thought. The presentation is always on point, and the food and beverages are always served with panache.

Below are some photos from today’s visit. When we got there, the dining room had some tables available, although the parking lot was full. Bill dropped me off and parked on the street outside of the main lot.

Bill started off with the vegan curried red lentil soup with a vegetable dumpling. I had an avocado and mango, salmon tatar, with roasted sesame, lemon zest, wasabi mayo, and miso. Both starters were delicious. We also had a round of aperitifs– prosecco for me, and a cherry non alcoholic fizz for Bill. I probably should have had what he had. It was excellent and refreshing.

For our mains, Bill had the fried Skrei fish– kind of like a sea bass filet, with kimchi, wasabi peas, and pumpkin gnocchi. I had guinea fowl (Perlhuhn) breast stuffed with sausage and served with roasted red peppers, fregola sarda (a type of Sicilian pasta like couscous), and salted leeks. I couldn’t finish my main course, so I’ll be enjoying it tomorrow.

We both decided to go for the “quick dessert”, which is a small creme brulee with a side of espresso or a cup of coffee. I had wanted the apple crumble, and Bill would have ordered the blueberry “pudding” with fresh berries… but it was getting late and we were the last ones to leave. We didn’t want to hang around for too long. Besides, we had a lovely local white wine to finish.

Total damage was about 187 euros before the tip. That’s a lot of money to a lot of people, but I have yet to have a bad meal at Landhaus Diedert. We are always welcomed when we arrive, and well fed when we leave there. So, I always recommend this restaurant to folks local to Wiesbaden who need a “nice” restaurant for a special occasion or, maybe just a very nice Sunday lunch!

I think it was time and money very well spent today…

Sundays

Sublime lunch at Landhaus Diedert…

After the tough week I endured, Bill decided that we needed a nice Sunday lunch. He decided to book us a 1:30 PM reservation at Landhaus Diedert, which has become one of our favorite fine dining restaurants in Wiesbaden. We have been there a few times now, and we have never been disappointed any time we’ve dined there. It’s become a favorite place for Sunday lunches, although we have a few other go to establishments we frequent.

We arrived a few minutes before our reservation to find their main parking lot full. I got out and waited for Bill to find a place to park, which turned out to be on the other side of the Biergarten/park area for kids. The weather was perfect today, so everyone ate outside under the massive oak trees. And what a divine lunch we had… feast your eyes!

I started with a glass of Sekt. Bill had a non-alcoholic sparkling drink made with cranberry juice. We had a round of their wonderful bread, with salted and unsalted butter, and a red pepper hummus.

For our first courses, I had burrata, which was very fresh mozzarella and cream with candy sweet cherry tomatoes and basil pesto. Bill had a colorful green salad with bacon and fried Pfifferlingen mushrooms. I normally get a little freakout out eating cheese and fresh tomatoes, but burrata is different. German cherry tomatoes are so beautiful and flavorful. They married perfectly with the basil pesto.

For our main courses, I had roasted Barberie duck breast with Asian inspired vegetables and Dim Sum. The vegetables were carrots, beans, and edamame. Bill had shrimp served in a sizzling Le Creuset frying pan, with olive oil and peppers. We washed it down with a locally produced Pinot Noir.

I got a video of the shrimp sizzling away… I almost got the shrimp myself, since it was clear they had no mushrooms. But I ended up with the duck, which was also a very good choice.

Living in Germany doesn’t suck… most of the time, anyway.

Naturally, we had dessert. I had a cherry filled chocolate eclair with chocolate mousse, cherry sorbet, and sliced cherries. Bill had warm lemon cobbler with sour cream ice cream and citrus fruits. Since he takes medicine for his high blood pressure, I ate the grapefruit.

Dessert was wonderful!

And a few final photos…

We definitely love dining at Landhaus Diedert, which has a long and storied history in Wiesbaden. It’s definitely a great restaurant to visit if you need some culinary style pampering!

The drive to and from there isn’t too shabby, either… Wiesbaden is a very beautiful city.

Total damage before tip was about 200 euros. Yes, it’s a lot, but it was so worth it after this week. I definitely want to bring Bill’s mom there sometime. I think she’d love it as much as we do!

Sundays

Our second visit to Landhaus Diedert in Wiesbaden…

Yesterday, Bill asked me if I might like to go out for lunch today, since, because of the weather, we didn’t go anywhere special on Saturday. I suggested Landhaus Diedert, an upscale eatery in Wiesbaden that we discovered almost exactly a year ago. On April 3, 2022, we visited this hotel/restaurant for the very first time and had an impressive Sunday lunch. It wasn’t planned in advance that we’d visit again on April 2, 2023. I simply remembered really enjoying our first visit, and thinking it would offer a pleasant midday repast. Also, Apple keeps showing me pictures from last year’s visit, and that reminded me we were overdue for another trip.

Bill booked our table through his trusty OpenTable.de app, and we showed up promptly for our 1:00 reservation. I think Bill was especially excited about the menu, which he studied before we arrived. Landhaus Diedert, which is located in an old Kloster, changes its menus regularly, and Bill noticed they had some rather exotic (for us) offerings. Today, they had rabbit, ox, halibut, and turbot, as well as Iberico pork steak with truffles. Bill is a more adventurous eater than I am, so he had a lot of choices.

The waitress brought out white and wheat breads, with butter and hummus. We also had aperitifs– Champagne for me, and a sparkling non-alcoholic sour cherry juice for Bill. I loved the cherry juice and would probably opt for that next time, should I have the opportunity. It was not too sweet, but light and refreshing.

As we were deciding on lunch, Bill ordered a bottle of local dry red wine, as well as a bottle of sparkling water. After a perfectly done wine service, our wine was “held hostage” on a nearby table full of liqueurs and digestives. I actually dislike this practice of wait staff insisting on pouring wine for clients, because sometimes they get super “weeded” (busy) and forget this part of service. You sit there waiting for them to notice you need a refill. And if you try to rectify it yourself, they get upset. Fortunately, this wasn’t too much of a problem at Landhaus Diedert today, as our servers were very attentive. I guess I should amend my comment. I don’t mind my wine being held hostage, as long as the wait staff doesn’t leave me wanting for long. 😉

For my starter, I ended up choosing an essence of tomato soup with basil oil, while Bill had the wonderful wild garlic soup with goat cheese. I was tempted by the wild garlic soup myself, but scared off by the goat cheese, which I worried would be too strong for me. I did taste the wild garlic soup and found it to be excellent, and not too strong. However, I’m glad I got the tomato soup, because it was lighter, and because it was different from the other soups we’ve been eating lately.

For our main courses, I had the fried halibut with flamed leeks and celery, chickpea foam, rhubarb, and tarragon. Bill went with the braised ox cheeks with Vichy carrots, pearl barley risotto, parsley root cream, and port wine shallots. Both dishes were beautifully presented and delicious, as well as filling. There are vegan and vegetarian options for those who would prefer to skip the meat. They also have a “healthy menu”, which offers lighter fare.

I noticed the restaurant was well attended today, with several couples and a couple of family groups. I always enjoy watching German families dining out. It makes me miss home a bit.

After we finished our main courses, we had dessert. I had Cocos Rocher with mango passion fruit seeds lychee espuma, and guava sorbet. Bill had an apple and walnut tart, with pistachio ice cream and mascarpone espuma. We were offered coffee and espresso, but we had to finish the wine!

All told, we spent about 185 euros for today’s marvelous lunch. It was worth every euro cent. And, as I looked at the Biergarten under the trees out front, it occurred to me that we really need to visit when the weather is good. Or, really, just more often altogether. I have some favorite local restaurants, but I think there’s easily room for Landhaus Diedert. Parking, by the way, is free– but the hotel kind of runs into a neighborhood, so it can be tricky to access.

Below are some photos from today’s excursion!

I’m really glad we decided to go out today. I think our Sunday lunch habit is about to resume!

Uncategorized

Our first visit to Landhaus Diedert… I give it an A+!

Yesterday, as I was considering where we might visit in Italy later this month, I realized that it had been awhile since our last nice meal. I asked Bill what he thought about going to one of our favorite restaurants, Villa Im Tal. He was up for it, but Villa Im Tal was closed this weekend. Then Bill noticed Landhaus Diedert, a restaurant and hotel located in the Kloster Klarenthal, which dates back to the 13th century. While I was searching for places to stay during our upcoming trip, Bill was reading up about this restaurant, which is family run and has a mention in the Michelin Guide. After today’s lunch, I can see why. We had an absolutely FANTASTIC experience.

The restaurant is located on the outskirts of Wiesbaden, in an area not far from nature. There’s free parking, and in the warm months, they offer a very nice outdoor area, complete with a little playhouse for the kids. But the food here is anything but kid stuff. It was more what I would call a mix of comfort food and haute cuisine.

The mask requirements in Hesse were dropped yesterday, and our vaccine statuses weren’t checked, but I noticed everyone wore masks in the lovely dining room at Landhaus Diedert. I don’t know if that was required; they didn’t have a sign up. I suspect people are just used to masking, and as time passes, more people will relax. The staff all wore masks, and there were two hand sanitizing stations in the restaurant, which is very beautiful. I do know that the health minister wants people to keep masking. Personally, I look forward to being done with the fucking things… but I did wear a mask today, since everyone else was doing it.

When we first arrived, we were taken for Germans. That always pleases me. One waiter delivered the specials in German. I understood most of what he said, but when he was finished he heard me say in English, “It’s asparagus season.” And indeed, they did have a number of asparagus specials available. He was kind enough to give us the specials in English, and brought us menus in English, too. I was grateful for the English menus, although they weren’t necessary. We enjoyed a round of Sekt and some fresh breads with hummus and butter, then perused the extensive wine menu. Bill chose a lovely Shiraz from South Africa.

To start, I had a delicious wild garlic soup with a won ton filled with smoked trout, and served with a side of wasabi mayonnaise. Bill had a cannelloni filled with goat cheese and served with greens and a walnut dressing. I tried the walnut dressing, though I’m not a goat cheese fan. Bill liked his starter very much, but I LOVED the wild garlic soup. It made my tastebuds sing from the first taste. Although it was a bit rich, I had to finish the whole thing. I exclaimed how good it was as one of the servers cleared the first course. I have a feeling it’s a popular offering.

For our main courses, Bill had a perfectly tender U.S. flank steak with prosciutto wrapped asparagus and pureed sweet potatoes, topped with chimchuree. I had a braised beef short rib with smoked roasted and mashed potatoes, leeks, roasted corn, and a sweet gravy with blueberries. It was very rich, but absolutely delicious and comforting. We had to take our time with the main courses, because they were substantial. I did end up bringing home some of the mashed potatoes.

Then, for dessert we decided to go with something different. Bill decided to have a flambeed pineapple slices, with ice cream. This was prepared at the table for us, and the gentleman who served us was kind enough to let me take a video, which I have posted at the bottom of this post. I had a rhubarb crumble with vanilla ice cream that was very extreme. I mean, I’ve had vanilla ice cream, but this was something very special.

Service was kind, competent, and expedient. The pacing of the meal was perfect, and we noticed that everyone seemed very jovial. It must have been the food and the friendly service. I wouldn’t say this restaurant is particularly kid friendly, but I did see some children there, and they seemed happy to be there. And, again, in the summer, they can play while the adults enjoy the food, which is really something to behold. Total bill was about 185 euros, before the tip, and we paid with a credit card.

Landhaus Diedert makes a great place to celebrate a special occasion, or just celebrate great, seasonal food. We really enjoyed ourselves today. This is one place I’m glad we didn’t miss.

I’m sure we will be back again… Below are some photos from today’s fabulous lunch!