Forsthaus is a tastefully decorated restaurant, holding more than 120 years of culinary history within its walls. The restaurant features a large outdoor eating area in warmer months. (Eric A. Brown/Stars and Stripes)
Forsthaus is a tastefully decorated restaurant, holding more than 120 years of culinary history within its walls. The restaurant features a large outdoor eating area in warmer months. (Eric A. Brown/Stars and Stripes)
Grilled salmon served with braised cucumbers in a creamy dill sauce. The cucumbers weren't mushy by any means, and worked perfectly with the salmon and dill hollandaise sauce. (Eric A. Brown/Stars and Stripes)
A bowl of immense boiled yellow potatoes and a dressing of butter dill sauce accompanied the grilled salmon with hollandaise sauce. (Eric A. Brown/Stars and Stripes)
Forsthaus offers an intimate dining experience, featuring a nicely balanced mix of old and new character as you and your companion enjoy a candlelit setting. (Eric A. Brown/Stars and Stripes)
Forsthaus' delicious potato-and-mushroom soup was a fine balance of pureed mushrooms and carrots swimming in a creamy base. (Eric A. Brown/Stars and Stripes)
Nestled in a rural setting in the quaint Hessen town of Frauenstein, not far from the rumbling city streets of Wiesbaden, Forsthaus Rheinblick is a tastefully decorated restaurant with an idyllic balcony for summer dining.
Sporting more than 120 years of culinary history within its walls, Forsthaus offers an intimate dining experience, featuring a balanced mix of traditional German fare such as schnitzels and culinary flair from many of its European neighbors, which you and your companion can enjoy in a candlelit setting.
You won’t find your normal appetizer menu here, but rather a showcase of what Forsthaus does well, such as its delicious potato-and-mushroom soup. My wife and I were eager to see how these two flavors would blend, since American versions are almost always served separately. We were amazed at just how good it was.
It consisted of puréed mushrooms and carrots swimming in a creamy base. Delicately cooked potatoes were afloat in the soup, but the mushrooms retained their prominent flavor and texture. Not only was it divine on the taste buds, the presentation was spot on, with a dollop of crème fraiche on one side, soup on the other, and highlighted by a seam of crispy, homemade croutons. Simply swirling the crème fraiche took the soup to another level.
After being so impressed with the soup, we wanted to carry on the culinary experience, so I chose the grilled salmon served with braised cucumbers in a creamy dill sauce. I would liken the sauce to a thin hollandaise, and the grilled salmon was some of the best I have had.
The braised cucumbers were even more of an eye-opener. The thought of braised hothouse cucumbers (those without seeds) didn’t really appeal to me, but I was pleasantly surprised. The cucumbers were perfectly soft, hanging out in the dill hollandaise sauce and not mushy by any means. Served on the side were a bowl of boiled yellow potatoes and a dressing of butter dill sauce.
My wife chose a house specialty dish: chicken braised in local Rheingauer wine sauce with vegetables and fruit. While she was really looking forward to a juicy breast of chicken braised in wine sauce, this was completely different fare than expected, with small pieces of chicken bathing in the sauce. One highlight of the sauce was the addition of pears and grapes — actually her favorite of the meal. On the side, a perfectly cooked mixture of broccoli, carrots and cauliflower. The chicken dish also came with a side of fried, crispy potatoes, which had nuggets of crunchy ham hugging their edges. Also a highlight was the house Rheingau dry wine, a perfect pairing to the chicken dish.
Although we were eager to try one of the desserts, such as panna cotta with mixed berries, we were too stuffed to attempt it. While a little on the high side pricewise, Forsthaus’ chef-driven entrées are worth every penny — or euro cent.
brown.eric@stripes.com
Forsthaus RheinblickAddress: Frauensteiner Strasse 117, 65199 Wiesbaden.
Times: 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday. Closed Monday.
Costs: Appetizers from 3.90 euros (about $4.95) to 10.90 euros; main dishes are priced from 10.50 euros to 23.50 euros; desserts range from 1.50 euros to 10.50 euros.
Attire: Dressy casual.
Menu: German only, but the wait staff speaks English.
Information: Telephone: (+49) (0)611 429171; website: www.forsthaus-rheinblick.net; email: info@forsthaus-rheinblick.net; or look up Forsthaus-Rheinblick on Facebook. Reservations are not needed for couples, but are recommended for parties of four or more.
