French Cuisine in a Moated Castle

Come with us to a medieval castle surrounded by an ancient moat and wonderful grounds which has been turned into a restaurant.  Climb up the staircase decorated with wonderful garlands and red ribbons for the festive season.

Open the old oak door and you enter another world.  There is a wonderful antique fireplace with crackling fire in the huge hall next to a very tall Christmas tree. 

A waiter leads you to a table surrounded by antiques with a view over the grounds and horses.  In the kitchen the chef with a Michelin star prepares the most delicious French dinners.  If you think this is terribly expensive, you are mistaken.  Of course, the exchange rate is not very good for you, but you can still afford and enjoy such a wonderful treat.  We went there on Saturday and chose a four-course dinner which we would recommend. After a wonderful "amuse bouche", we had loup de mer in four varieties and accompanied by the most delicious small rolls and bread.  The second course consisted of a very unusual soup (pot au feu) with deer and vegetables.  Our main course was a risotto with wild mushrooms and Argentinian filet of beef. 

We could not wait to try the dessert, which is always a highlight:  creme brulee and ice cream from white chocolate, delicious.  And, of course, our espresso came with a small etagere full of chocolates and French pralines. 

We find the meals reasonably priced and paid Euros 59 for the meal.  The castle is approximately a 30-minute drive from Cologne in Germany.  In the summer they have opera evenings on the grounds and a wonderful dinner in the restaurant and catering in the garden. 

If you are planning a trip to Germany and prefer French cuisine to Sauerkraut and Haxn, look at the following website:  www.schlossloersfeld.de