Christian & Friends Tastekitchen

Rating: 16
Author: Gault&Millau

Nonnengasse 5, 36037 Fulda, Germany

16/20
Remarkable Restaurant

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1 PHOTOS

Chef: Christian Steska | Jansen Schouten
Cooking: French | Gastronomic | International | Local
Style: Elegant | Exceptional setting | Romantic | With friends

Gault&Millau's review 2025

In the romantic old town of Fulda, two destinations that are already attractive in their own right have grown together in recent years: Christian Steska's "Christian & Friends" and Jens Diegelmann's former "Bordeaux & Friends", which was freshly renovated in 2024. This is how great wines now come to great cuisine: the wine list includes 600 items with the rather unusual focus on the USA, Australia and New Zealand, and Christian Steska cooks his catfish baked with black pudding, topped with grated pickled egg yolk with green sauce ice cream and potato foam: Welcome to northern Hesse! The combination is also included in the four-course Tastekitchen menu, which is now available as an alternative to the eight-course dinner menu (always punctually at 7 p.m. for all guests together) for a reasonable 69 euros during the week. Just like the tartare of Rhön trout, which is spiced up with kimchi and couscous with Asian spices up to the regional round. Even the caviar with scallops with fine cauliflower-salted lemon hazelnut salad and sesame ice cream comes from the region, because sturgeon is bred in Fulda, but its quality cannot keep up with the production of classic origins. Unfortunately, some of the consistently creative dishes also lack the last spark of precision in preparation - for example, the too hard popped buckwheat in catfish smoked à la minute or too many cold components in the side dishes. The announcements about the course, some of which have been served long before, are also not good for the temperature control. This is more than compensated for by the amuses (gossamer tuna belly with croutons, algae powder and fine citrus notes to wind up yourself) and the patisserie (a firm matcha mousse with papaya and basil variations), for whose sensitive aromas Erik Schmidt is responsible in each case. Special praise for this and all in all the well-deserved upgrade to three toques: Word of the quality of the cuisine has now even spread in the otherwise rather pick-up Fulda, which is why a reservation in Nonnengasse (sic!) is urgently required.