Scenic park views, cosy brasserie vibes and delicious French food. These are just a few of the things you can expect from Rive Gauche Brasserie in Baden-Baden, Germany. If you haven’t visited this spa town before then it’s an absolute must. It has the classic, cobble lined streets and colourful buildings we all imagine – but this town has an air of luxury you may not find elsewhere in the country. Not to mention some fantastic thermal spa’s.
Looked after by Kersti Körber and chef Eugen Hartwig, Rive Gauche Brasserie is a newly reimagined restaurant from Brenners Park Hotel on the edge of the Lichtentaler Allee and with views to enjoy the lush green park. When you imagine a traditional brasserie, this is perhaps a little more high-end – but the setting is casual and so is the food. Big open windows, red velvet curtains and tables lined with tulips. It may be Winter outside but it feels very much like spring in here.
Germany loves feeding their customers and at lunch time you’d struggle to finish a three course meal in any of this towns brasseries and so we went straight in with the main courses. A bowl of juicy Bouchot mussels, cooked in Pastis and served alongside a generous portion of French fries. If you didn’t know, Bouchot (French for ‘shellfish bed’) is a traditional technique for growing mussels which are grown on ropes strung from wooden poles in the sea. This results in grit and barnacle-free mussels which are cleaner and very meaty.
One of our dining companions opted for the calf’s liver with grapes and whilst I didn’t try this dish myself, I’m assured it was excellent. Served in a mustard sauce and on a bed of fluffy mashed potatoes, I’ve no doubt that anyone who is a fan of calf’s liver will enjoy this dish which remains a popular choice for the restaurants customers.
Better still was the thick cut of entrecôte beef. Perfectly cooked to my medium-rare specification, it cut through like butter and the meat was absolutely packed with flavour. It was enhanced by a topping of red wine butter and some melt in your mouth shallots. Again it came served with more of those excellent French fries and washed down beautifully with a glass of red wine from the local region.
To finish. A nutty slice of chocolate tart which had the texture of a sponge cake, but the richness of a classic chocolate torte. It was the perfect way to finish our lunch as the sun continued to pour in through the big windows and conversation filled the air.
We had a really lovely time dining at Rive Gauche Brasserie which will no doubt become a firm favourite of ours if we were to return to Baden-Baden. Excellent location, fantastic views, delicious French food and service with a smile. This may not be the cheapest restaurant in the city, but the quality of the ingredients makes it worth every penny.
NB: My meal was complimentary. All views are as always, my own. My views are not influenced by anyone other than my own palate and slightly poor eyesight.
Oh that beef looks like perfection!!!