Perhaps nothing personifies an exquisite meal more than a candlelit dinner in one of France’s many award-winning restaurants.
Thanks to Le petit Tartin, I didn’t have to pack my suitcase for a weekend getaway to Paris.
Nestled in a cozy strip of downtown Wiesbaden, Germany, Le petit Tartin offers diners fine French-Mediterranean-inspired cuisine that’s perfect for impressing your significant other or just as a reward for a hard week of work.
The charming restaurant features an atmosphere reminiscent of a French countryside home. Candles and flowers at the restaurant’s 11 tables, decorative columns and handwritten specials on a chalkboard add a welcoming, homey touch.
Large windows allow guests to take in the comings and goings of downtown shoppers or to gaze at the surrounding picturesque buildings.
Le petit Tartin also delivers where it counts — the food. There’s something for everyone’s taste and budget.
On a recent visit with my wife, a smile quickly came to my face as I read the day’s special, which was a fish entrée. My wife doesn’t eat fish, and I adore it, so I usually jump at the opportunity whenever we dine out and fish is on the menu.
The special I settled on was a three-course offering for 29.50 euros that started with marinated prawns atop a bed of lamb lettuce and thinly sliced potatoes. The prawns were large enough to satisfy a small appetite, and I was worried I would overindulge before my main course.
My fears were for naught, however, because once my monkfish arrived, there was no slowing me down.
It was the first time I had eaten this fish, but it definitely won’t be the last. The meat was light and fluffy with a flavor that reminded me of lobster, but without all the work that lobster-eating entails. The generous portions of fish came surrounded by aromatic fennel and was draped with a pastis sauce. The anise flavor of the sauce mixed perfectly with the fennel and monkfish. The side dish of baby spinach and carrots in a cumin sauce was also delicious.
I paused to enjoy my dry Riesling before I found the stomach room to finish my meal with a pistachio parfait.
In addition to a variety of fish, snails and caviar, Le petit Tartin offers plenty of beef and duck dishes, Flammkuchen (a pizza-like dish), pasta, soups and quiche Lorraine. The daily specials and offerings change frequently, so check the chalkboard in the back to see if there is something on it that isn’t on the menu. Special weekday lunch offerings and weekend multiple-course meals are also available.
There is a nice outside seating area with long wooden benches for the warmer months.
An added bonus for those who love culture and cuisine is that Le petit Tartin is one of the few nice restaurants close to the theater and the Kurhaus concert hall that offers late-night dining.
LE PETIT TARTINLocation: Wilhelmstrasse 52, 65183 Wiesbaden
Directions: From Wiesbaden, head toward the downtown area and turn right on Wilhelmstrasse. Best bet is to park in lots along Wilhelmstrasse or behind the Kurhaus and walk across the street to Kaiser-Friedrich-Platz. Sometimes closer parking is available by taking a left onto Burgstrasse off Wilhelmstrasse (near the Kurhaus). Take an immediate right onto An den Quellen/Spiegelgasse and a quick left onto Georg-August-Zinn-Strasse. Then take the next right onto Taunusstrasse and park nearby where it circles back to Wilhelmstrasse.
Hours: Open daily at 11:30 a.m. Kitchen officially closes at 11 p.m., but the restaurant will stay open as long as needed.
Food: French-Mediterranean.
Clientele: Mostly German.
Dress: Smart/business casual.
Prices: Run the gamut on entrees from 6 euros for a small Flammkuchen to 26.50 euros for beef filet. Monday-Friday, two-course business lunches (choose from three starters and three main dishes) are offered for 9.50 euros. A three-course “shopping menu” for 18.50 euros is available on Saturdays. Sunday also offers a three-course meal for 19.50 euros.
Information: Reservations are recommended on weekends and evenings when there is a show at the nearby theater. The menu is in German only, but the staff speaks English. We’re told a menu in English is in the works. Phone (0) 611 580 69 97; visit le-petit-tartin.com; email le-petit-tartin@t-online.de.
