Just south-west of the downtown area of Frankfurt, within walking distance of the big cathedral is the restaurant Atelier Wilma. It is in a nice area with some shops, away from the fancy high-rise office buildings of some of Europe’s largest banks. For some reason, the face of the building reminded me of Hansel and Gretel, with small windows and a candle at the front door.
When I entered the building, I almost turned around, thinking that I was in the wrong place. With this being a Michelin star-awarded restaurant, I was not expecting a bar with lots of bottles almost lying around. Standing still and having a good look around quickly made me realize it isn’t just any place. Even though it is small, with approx. 16 to 20 guests max., it is nicely decorated. The most beautiful wooden tables with comfortable seats. More importantly, very friendly staff. Although the waiters may not be used to non-German speaking guests, they made a real effort to serve me in English. Every dish that was brought to the table was (with the help of the chefs) translated for me. The atmosphere was very relaxed and the waiters did not wear any uniforms.
Before the set menu started, it was time for an amuse bouche: Savoury eclairs with a herbal cream cheese filling. It really was just that, but really, really well executed. Nice and crispy outside and I know this sounds silly, but a subtle yet very tasty filling. Shortly after, the waitress came with the second pre-menu dish: Pumpkin soup with a foam of almond. Pumpkin dishes are sometimes a little too sweet to my liking. No such ‘issues’ here as the only sweet note came from the almond foam.
What I did not know at this point in time is that the dishes are slightly different in Germany, both in the presentation and ingredients used. The menu started with sea wolf accompanied by barley risotto and chicory. I have to admit that when brought to the table I thought it looked like something that had been eaten before. The risotto made of barley was absolutely delicious and perfectly seasoned. It had some spices and herbs in it in a combination that was difficult to recognize individual spices and herbs, but trust me when I say it really was delicious. Somehow it had some sweet tones, offsetting the bitterness of the chicory. As you’d expect in a restaurant like this, the fish was cooked perfectly and it had a nice crispy skin. Despite the spices and herbs in the risotto, this did not go at the expense of the fish. Nice dish!
Visually, the next dish in line is really some of the nicest (fish) dishes I have seen in the past months. In the middle of the plate is a nice portion of whiting. Presented on a simple white plate, the fish is ‘swimming’ in the most delicious puree of herbs and vegetables. To add a little crunch and offset the creaminess of the puree, some pickled onions have been added. If it weren’t for the dessert, this would have been my favorite dish of the evening. Every ingredient really added something to the dish and there weren’t any unnecessary items on the plate. Leave out one item and the dish would have felt unfinished.
By now it was time for some meat: Pork belly with carrot, sauerkraut and bacon bits. In an earlier post, you may have read that I am not a fan of pork belly because of its fat. The pork does have a really nice caramelized skin that is almost crunchy. All the elements added something to the dish: Nice saltiness of the bacon bits, some acidity from the sauerkraut and slight sweetness from the carrots. Because of some elements that I would skip when given the choice, this wasn’t my top dish of the day. I would like to note that this does not say anything about the ingredients used or the skills of the kitchen staff.
Next in line were some cheeses. Normally I don’t have cheese, but every now and then it is nice to try something new. The recommendation was to eat the cheeses clockwise, starting at the top left. This was a really strong-flavored cheese and I am still not sure how I feel about it. The top right cheese was a little to ‘foreign’ for me. It was a flavor that I could really not place as I am not used to it. The last one was a known cheese to me; a delicious Parmesan cheese. Perhaps cheese is something you have to learn to enjoy, like whiskey or cognac…..
Two desserts were left, to start with carrot cake with a pistachio and white chocolate mousse with pistachio ice cream. A nice and fresh dish. Cake was moist but did not have a very outspoken taste. The mousse provided some creaminess where the pistachio ice cream a cool and fresh element. The white specs on the plate were sugar, which made me worried that it was going to be sweet. It was just right and I did really enjoy this well-balanced dish.
It is no secret that I really like chocolate, so the last dish of the evening really made me smile. The presentation alone was worthy of a Michelin star restaurant; Lots of components beautifully lined-up on the plate. What it was? Chocolate with kumquat. Chocolate ice cream with next to it a chocolate sphere filled with chocolate mousse. This dessert really is my idea of heaven: Nice cool/fresh ice cream and mousse, both chocolate flavored. To offset the richness, the kumquat and some citrus gels were an excellent addition. The whole dish was just right in sweetness and also in the amount of chocolate used. Some people say that very soon you have eaten enough chocolate. Well, clearly they have not (yet) eaten this dessert.
All together, including drinks, you will spend a little over EUR 100 on the menu. The restaurant may not be directly in the city center, but it really is not far and well worth the detour. When you visit, make sure you have some time so you can eat as many courses as you can. Unlike some other (formal or even very formal) fine dining places, this restaurant has a more romantic and small-scale setting. Because of this, the restaurant is an excellent location for intimate celebrations. Needless to say that I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone.
Restaurant location: View on Google Maps
Restaurant website: http://atelierwilma.restaurant