In the northeast corner of Germany’s Black Forest mountain range, you’ll find Baden-Baden, a historic spa town known for its thermal springs, striking architecture and Lichtentaler Allee, a 350-year old park along the Oos river. Alongside the scenic park, on the ground floor of the Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa, is Wintergarten, a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence winner with an impressive wine list to pair with contemporary European cuisine.
The gardens of Lichtentaler Allee are like the restaurant’s backyard, and Wintergarten’s two main dining areas capitalize on that local beauty: The main dining room features floor-to-ceiling windows and large skylights, letting light pour in over flowery decor and white wicker chairs. In spring and summer, the windows frame a sea of greenery in Lichtentaler Allee and diners can enjoy an alfresco experience on the restaurant’s plant-filled terrace, which overlooks the river and is open April through October.
Wintergarten’s Cuisine: The Global and the Local
Chef Stefan Naatz’s menu draws primarily from German and French traditions (the French border is just eight miles west), but touches of global, contemporary influences appear throughout: Tuna espuma accompanies a smoked veal fillet, Hokkaido pumpkin appears in a ham terrine and Atlantic tiger prawns are served with grilled avocado and salsa. More traditional and local options include venison with Brussels sprouts and spaetzle, as well as Wiener schnitzel served with a potato-cucumber salad.
The lunch and dinner menus include prix-fixe and à la carte options, and breakfast is served daily. Wintergarten also offers a daily afternoon tea service, which consists of small sandwiches, canapés and sweet treats, plus an optional accompaniment of Bollinger Champagne
Popping Champagne, Sipping German Riesling
Master of Wine Konstantin Baum curates the restaurant’s 220-selection list, which offers impressive variety for its size, while showcasing high-quality wines. The list also includes informative paragraphs with each section, providing insights on regions and grape varieties.
Champagne is well-represented with names like, Billecart-Salmon, Alfred Gratien and Krug. Another highlight is the Pétrus vertical that goes back to 2004. Diners will also find bottlings from Australia’s Penfolds, as well as three wines from the Hospices de Beaune, which the restaurant purchased directly from the historic charitable auction in Burgundy.
Riesling, the grape most closely linked with Germany, also features heavily throughout the list, with versions from Mosel wineries like Joh. Jos. Prüm, Maximin Grünhäuser and Schloss Johannisberg. There are also bottlings from Alsace’s Zind-Humbrecht and Ostertag, whose vineyards are only about an hour’s drive from the restaurant. Roughly 15 wines are available by the glass, ranging from less expensive sippers to pricier pours of Ruinart and Taittinger Champagne.
