Intense

Rating: 18
Author: Gault&Millau

Weinstraße 31, 67157 Wachenheim an der Weinstraße, Germany

18/20
Prestige Restaurant

BOOK

1 PHOTOS

Chef: Benjamin Peifer
Cooking: Gastronomic | German | Japanese
Services: Access for people with disabilities | Accommodation | Electric charging station | Private Parking | Private Room
Style: Casual | Elegant | Exceptional setting | Romantic | With friends

Gault&Millau's review 2025

In the tranquil Palatinate winegrowing village of Wachenheim is what is certainly the most inconspicuous restaurant in Germany - from the outside. And just as certainly one of the most spectacular - from the inside. There are no walk-in customers - because from the outside, only an inconspicuous little bell like in Copenhagen's Kadeau refers to the realm of Bettina and Benjamin Peifer, which extends over the old rectory and a new building behind it. Since the end of 2022, the two have been staging something dramaturgically, architecturally and culinarily here, for which the term Gesamtkunstwerk comes to mind at the latest when you have the first courses behind you - both those through the premises and those from the kitchen. The journey begins in the dark green-panelled "Gude Stubb": You take a seat in front of small side tables on which four interchangeable, painted tiles illustrate the first greetings from the kitchen and give the first hints of the fusion of Japanese-inspired haute cuisine and traditional Palatinate inn cuisine that stretches over around 20 courses and lies ahead: For example, "Weck Worschd un Woi", a Japanese toast with home-made ham, lardo and fried parsley. Or the "Dampfnudel in Woisoß": Far from it, if you think of a sweet heavyweight here - the noodle is airy on the inside and crispy on the outside, but only unfolds its nutty aroma when it is dipped in the accompanying Riesling beurre blanc. Heavenly! It is no longer surprising that the banal "Kerschplotzer" turn out to be fine goose liver slices with smoked almonds on a crispy cherry chip, nor is it surprising that the wine list in the rectory is presented as a Bible. Then we continue to the new building, where we first catch a glimpse of the bakery where the trained baker Peifer prepares his sourdough bread fresh every day - and into his "pantry", where the main ingredients of the evening are presented. But how: In the darkened room, we stand in front of a perfectly lit arrangement appetisingly sprayed with water droplets, which seems to have sprung in its perfection from a Dutch still life of the 17th century: a great eye cinema. And yet only the stage for another umami and acidic aperitif: a macaron made of sauerkraut juice with trout and horseradish, crispy potato chip and sauerkraut gel. Passing a Zen garden, we go to the main restaurant, which is decorated in black – essentially (in addition to a few small tables and private rooms) a long counter in front of the open kitchen, which is also characterized by black flamed stainless steel, which is aromatically and visually characterized by a blazing wood fire under a grill, as we only know it from the Etxebari. No question: The Peifers have traveled far and wide and have combined the best of many worlds into their very own, and obviously without major financial restrictions. Above all, however, without copying or imitating the tastes of other top cuisines. The menu, which Benjamin Peifer serves himself throughout and is just as happy to answer all questions as his wife is to answer all questions about the wine from the extensive menu, which is of course palatinate-heavy, is becoming increasingly Far Eastern. Peifer first presents a jellied beef tea on drained yoghurt and clarified Wagyu broth and truffles, accompanied by an XO sauce made from sections of fish and beef. Acidity, fruit and spice dance playfully through the aisle, as is the case with the fruity, spicy grilled watermelon on Koshihikari rice with iced ponzu, jalapeño and sesame oil in cucumber stock. The thoroughly complex plates of Peifer and his kitchen team, who are also present in the service department, never lose their grip on the ground when playing with crunch and melting, sensory and textural variety - if only because almost all ingredients are regionally sourced or produced in-house, but also because the dishes remain accessible and are not cooked past the audience in an art pour l'art high-altitude frenzy. Whether it's the melted pig's foot terrine with vineyard peach ceviche, the Aburi trout tartare peeled in a bowl made of ice with charcoal, covered with roe, a creamy leek cream, habanero miso and crispy rice pearls with nasturtiums, or the marinated, slow-grilled duck glazed with lard on rice dough medallion with duck liver and mushroom chips: . The combination of smoke aromas from the charcoal grill and citrus elements (if there were a common thread through the dishes, it would probably be the use of yuzu) based on umami is completely independent in this form - and worth the award for Chef of the Year for us. Here we could conclude with the eulogy, if it weren't for the patisserie from the pre-dessert with lemon-ginger cream and scratch ice cream, to the independently interpreted, deconstructed bee sting XO to the caramelized berry jar on berry jus with Mieze-Schindler schnapps, kaffir lime and rose water ice cream, on the same outstanding level as the entire kitchen brigade. Special praise at this point, then, for a real team effort - and the entrepreneurial and creative courage of the Peifers. Off to the Palatinate!