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A veal filet and mussels on a bed of spinach was part of a "surprise menu" on a recent evening at Krossis, in Schopp, Germany, near Kaiserslautern. An English menu is available, and offerings include  appetizers, salads and ice cream for dessert, coffee drinks, wine and beer.

A veal filet and mussels on a bed of spinach was part of a "surprise menu" on a recent evening at Krossis, in Schopp, Germany, near Kaiserslautern. An English menu is available, and offerings include appetizers, salads and ice cream for dessert, coffee drinks, wine and beer. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)

A veal filet and mussels on a bed of spinach was part of a "surprise menu" on a recent evening at Krossis, in Schopp, Germany, near Kaiserslautern. An English menu is available, and offerings include  appetizers, salads and ice cream for dessert, coffee drinks, wine and beer.

A veal filet and mussels on a bed of spinach was part of a "surprise menu" on a recent evening at Krossis, in Schopp, Germany, near Kaiserslautern. An English menu is available, and offerings include appetizers, salads and ice cream for dessert, coffee drinks, wine and beer. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)

Diners celebrate a birthday at Krossis, a restaurant in Schopp, Germany. The restaurant will create special occasion menus based on what your party likes. Be sure to make reservations for a large group.

Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes

Diners celebrate a birthday at Krossis, a restaurant in Schopp, Germany. The restaurant will create special occasion menus based on what your party likes. Be sure to make reservations for a large group. Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)

Sabine Riefler always greets her customers at Krossis in Schopp, Germany, with a smile. She makes a point of getting to know them.

Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes

Sabine Riefler always greets her customers at Krossis in Schopp, Germany, with a smile. She makes a point of getting to know them. Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)

A perfect evening out for me begins and ends at Krossis, one of only two restaurants in the village of Schopp, near Kaiserslautern.

Though it’s the food that I look forward to the most — I could eat the brown Jagerschnitzel sauce on a spoon by itself, and the salty, crisp french fries are divine — the warm hospitality and comfortable ambience make the dining experience a cherished treat.

Sabine Riefler, who opened the restaurant with her husband, Christoph Braun, in 2005, usually can be found behind the counter, where she pours drinks and greets customers with a friendly smile when they walk in the door.

Riefler, who’s German but speaks some English, makes a point of getting to know her diners; she may remember the name of the wine you enjoyed so much the last time, and she or the chef often will stop at your table to ask how your meal is.

Her wish, she said, is that “for each person that comes in, it’s a wonderful evening for them.”

To that end, Riefler brightens the restaurant with fresh flowers and surprises diners with a small hors d’oeuvre on the house, usually a piece of bread with a topping.

Riefler and her staff are always trying new creations and combinations, she says.

The food has a European flair, with a touch of German, Italian, Greek, French and even Spanish sometimes on the menu. Fresh fish is a daily staple, as are the German standbys pork cutlet (Schnitzel) and rump steak. A “gourmet” menu, featuring weekly specials, complements the standard menu.

Mouth-watering specials for the last week of June included a “winemakers” steak with fried potatoes, vegetable spaghetti with Gorgonzola, veal medallions with scallops on a leaf of spinach with mashed potatoes, halibut fillet on risotto, and swordfish fillet in lemon butter.

Riefler even offers customized surprises: “You tell me what you love, what do you not want to eat” and how many euros per person you want to spend, “and we make a surprise menu,” she said. She only asks for a few days’ or more notice with reservations so the kitchen can prepare.

Every Wednesday, Krossis hosts a special menu night. Pizza, tapas, paella buffet, Asian, burgers and spare ribs are just some of the themes. Reservations are required.

Other events include a wine-tasting with special menu several times a year and special holiday menus.

The clientele at Krossis includes both Germans and Americans. On a recent evening, David Corl, an Air Force captain, brought his visiting family to Krossis on their first night in Germany. He said he enjoys the restaurant’s friendly hospitality and rotating menu.

It seemed to be a good choice.

“The best fried potatoes I’ve had since a kid,” raved David Corl Sr., the captain’s father. “To make a potato memorable says a lot.”

svan.jennifer@stripes.com

Address

Hauptstrasse 6, Schopp, 67707

Directions Krossis is located in the center of Schopp on the village’s main street; to get to Schopp, take B-270 south of Kaiserslautern, headed in the direction of Pirmasens.

Hours Tuesday to Sunday for dinner, from 5 p.m.; Sunday lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Closed Mondays.

Menu English menu available. Includes appetizers, salads and ice cream for dessert. Coffee drinks, wine and beer. Special theme nights on Wednesdays, discounted Schnitzel on Tuesdays and discounted steak on Thursdays.

Prices Main courses range from about 6.60 euros (about $8.85) for a (giant!) hamburger to about 17.50 euros for rump steak.

Attire Casual.

Special services Catering and party service, large upstairs room for up to 80 people, cooked goose to take home on Christmas Eve.

Reservations Accepted; required for special menu nights and large groups.

More information Phone: (+49) (0) 6307-4010340; website: www.krossis.de, in German and English.

— Jennifer H. Svan

author picture
Jennifer reports on the U.S. military from Kaiserslautern, Germany, where she writes about the Air Force, Army and DODEA schools. She’s had previous assignments for Stars and Stripes in Japan, reporting from Yokota and Misawa air bases. Before Stripes, she worked for daily newspapers in Wyoming and Colorado. She’s a graduate of the College of William and Mary in Virginia.

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