Eat around Frankfurt

adminonAugust 22, 2023August 28, 2023Leave a Comment

Lamps at Franziska Frankfurt

I'm often in Frankfurt for my job and of course you have to go out to eat and in the meantime I have a small list of good addresses for different occasions and the big and the small hunger. I am happy to pass on these restaurant tips and look forward to further suggestions:

Frankfurt goes out ..

Fine Dining

+ Carmelo Greco – Italian restaurant with one Michelin star in Sachsenhausen. Not for nothing awarded by the Journal Frankfurt, because the star chef is simply excellent and whether for lunch or dinner – culinary simply top class. (Link)

+ Weinsinn – restaurant with a Michelin star in the Bahnhofsviertel, not far from the main train station, near Elbestrabe. A rather inhospitable area, especially if you take the wrong turn. But there is the quiet Weserstrabe and in number 4 is the stylish restaurant Weinsinn, which offers top cuisine. (to the website)

+ Goldkammer – Aureus – No star yet, but the famous chef Senff and his team will cook the Aureus into the first league. Even more so with such a valuable museum in it: The Gold Chamber. A museum for gold.

+ Heimat – Small, fine, excellent! Check it out (website)

+ Restaurant Lohninger – I still have to say something about it? Mario Lohninger has a name. It is simply great class and has a long tradition in Frankfurt. Through his appearance with Tim Malzer, he is now also known nationwide and yes, the family restaurant in Frankfurt is always worth a visit. Sometimes the "Heurige" takes place on Saturday and you feel like you are on a short vacation Austria.

+ Holbeins – Restaurant in the Stadel Museum. Impressive interior. It looks good and the cuisine is really very good and varied. Nice after the museum visit and for a candlelight dinner

By the way, I now make reservations quite easily with the OpenTable app, instead of being on hold. Just make it easy!

Frankfurt Ristorante Carmelo Greco entrance

Ristorante Carmelo Greco in Frankfurt Sachsenhausen

Restaurant Lohninger in Frankfurt

Holbein's Restaurant Frankfurt

The restaurant Holbeins in the Stadel Frankfurt

Franziska Restaurant

The restaurant FRANZISKA Frankfurt

Other restaurants around the Opera in Frankfurt

Around the Opernplatz, i.e. in the center of Frankfurt, there are a few more gems, which I list without further ado. They are all quite good, partly also a little bit expensive, because the location is simply also very beautiful:

Restaurant Next Level in the King Kamehameha Suite (impressive event location in any case) and the Ivory Club (scene locales, where something thicker is applied)

More recommendations

Also very good is the small, authentic steakhouse Ojo de Agua in Hochstrabe, not far from the HILTON Hotel (where you can also eat well). Mediterranean flair on the Main can be found here: Restaurant MainNizza with beautiful sun terrace.

Nordes Gin Tasting at Sullivans Frankfurt

Lunchtime in Mainhattan

For the quick lunch, which is simply good and cheap, I have the following tips:

Lunch

Here are a few tips for everyday life. For a quick soup or a small lunch, there are around the office towers at Taunustor the following tips:

+ Pho Ngon in Moselstrabe – one of the best Pho soups in town

+ Lam Freres – Weserstrabe 12 – Vietnamese restaurant. (website)

+ SEN – small, simple Vietnamese at Weserstrabe 35

+ SEOULFood – small creoan snack bar at Weserstrabe 17 for bibimbap& Co.

+ Il Cantina – Italian restaurant in Taunusstrabe (next to the DB office tower)

+ Falafel 1818 – falafel, hummus and all that, so tasty! Corner Mosel-/Munchener Strabe

+ Merkez, Munchener Strabe – Turkish pizza, kebab and the classic lentil soup

+ Bar Sohuka, in the hotel 25hours, Niddastrabe at the main station. Humus, Kebab – but chic!

+ Maxie Eisen – Best pulled pork shandwich! In the Weser-/corner Munchner Strabe

Afterwork

A great location, which you don't think of at first as a Frankfurter, is the 5 star Hotel Hilton City Center near the Alte Oper. Why go to a hotel when you live in the city? Because the Hilton City Center hotel is beautifully located in the countryside – and in the middle of the city. The terrace borders directly on the park and with a long drink in your hand you feel like you're on vacation.

For the afterwork drink or the aperitivo you also go to the hip Chinaski. If the sun is still shining, I find Elaine's in the TaunusTurm very chic, or, let's say posh .

#Picnic in the park

My tip: Every Thursday from 5 p.m. there is afterwork with DJ, bartender and great party flair under the motto "Picnic in the Park". Here Frankfurt mixes with international guests and you just have fun together. Unlike on vacation, however, at 9.00 is the end, because then you have to work again. Until then, the mood is exuberant, the burgers taste excellent and also the service is obviously having fun. The location is central

Before dinner an aperitivo or afterwork drink is a nice idea. Of course you can do the same at the places mentioned below, but there are wonderful bars in Frankfurt – just try them and for the cocktail in front of the theater or opera I only say: Sullivan. Also in the former Henniger Tower there is now a bar. In airy heights the everyday life is far away.

CinCin – Thanks to Patrizia from Gourmet Connection for the lunch inspiration !

Franziska Frankfurt

Far view – from the Restaurant Franziska in the Henninger Turm

If you drive out of the center of Frankfurt at the end of the day, you might go here:

+ Franziska . Restaurant in the Henninger Turm – Food with a view – over the whole city. Breath taking! Be sure to make a reservation and then enjoy (website)

+ Restaurant Gerbermuhle in the direction of Offenbach on the outskirts of the city with a view of the Main – Yes, you already know and still always nice – especially when you stop in the beer garden, full in the fine dining area. Here you can drink an appler in cycling shorts and yoga pants and watch the sun go down in the direction of the ECB.

+ Aroydee in the Stiftstrabe. For some one of the best Thai restaurants in town.

+ Blue water, sometimes scene location, sometimes disco, but also restaurant

+ Oosten, very close to the ECB in the direction of Frankfurt-Ost / Hanauer Landstrabe

+ Goldman Restaurant, apropos Hanauer Landstrabe. If you want to be fancier… (link)

+ Life is beautiful. Legendary and delicious pizzeria in Frankfurt's Ostend (link)

+ Restaurant Walden, modern and uncomplicated

+ Mon Amie Maxie – Like in Paris, only nicer. Well, it's very French, tres chic!

And – further in the direction of Offenbach:

+ Hafen2, somehow alternative and totally great

+ Brasserie Beau d'eau – one of the really nice restaurants around Wilhelmsplatz.

+ SchauMAHL – Does the restaurant have a star? If not, then it gets one from me now!

And if you want to sail into gourmet heaven on the water, the ship named Backschaft-Offenbach is the place to go . Ahoy!

I quickly buy the digestif at the store with the name "Genussverstarker. Fits!

And here I also felt comfortable – a Frankfurt district Italian restaurant – yummi!

You have found the perfect provider for your work and travel adventure and have completed all the necessary formalities? Then it's time to pack! But what do you actually need in order to be able to work abroad and at the same time spend your free time in a meaningful way?? We have created a clear packing list with sub-items, which will make it easier for you to think of everything important.

1. Your luggage: The backpack!

Experience shows that work and travel trips are most likely to be enhanced by a good backpack. Because oversized suitcases and impractical travel bags are more likely to hinder you on the road. You can strap on the backpack in a jiffy and off you go. You are much more flexible and save your back at the same time. Provided that it is an ideal model for you. First and foremost, the backpack must have a sensible packing system and provide you with the best possible support on the road. This also includes making sure there are no pressure points on your shoulders or elsewhere. Therefore, pay attention mainly to an ergonomic design, padded straps and a good weight distribution. A breathable back is also beneficial so that you don't sweat too much in the heat. Hip and waist belts are a must for longer trips, because they fix the load optimally to the body and thus prevent back problems. The necessary volume depends on several factors such as destination and travel duration. If you are traveling in colder regions, you will need thicker clothing, which automatically means a higher backpack volume. 60 to 85 liters are recommended in many guidebooks for work and travel trips. However, if you are very thrifty and can get by with few utensils, it is quite conceivable that a 40-50 liter touring backpack would be enough for you. On the Internet, we discovered a sensibly designed range of backpacks at Campz, a specialist retailer for adventure products, which you can sort accordingly using categories such as "trekking backpacks". This will make it easier for you to find and select the ideal product.

2. Fanny packs, shopping bags and co.

In addition to the backpack it can be useful to take a fanny pack and a foldable shopping bag with you. While the shopping bag will help you while shopping, the fanny pack will keep your most important items, such as your wallet or smartphone, close at hand during excursions. If you want to make regular larger trips to various sights or active activities such as hiking, it may be necessary to pack a second smaller backpack. After all, you don't always need the generous trekking backpack. The better alternative, however, would be a flexible travel backpack that can be adjusted in terms of volume and makes carrying a second model unnecessary. A separate bag for dirty laundry should also be on your packing list, so that clean laundry does not take on odors and dirt. A toilet bag to hang up makes your everyday life in hotels, motels and other accommodations easier.

3. Clothing

You can not do without clothes. Which textiles you will need depends on your destination and activities. For example, if you are traveling to tropical regions, you will need an airy wardrobe and a change of clothes. If you are planning a trip to a cold country, you will need insulating footwear, warm jackets and accessories such as gloves, scarves and hats. Therefore, take your time to think about what requirements the textiles have to meet on site and pack accordingly. Keep in mind that you may need completely different outfits for work and for leisure, do not underestimate the space for them in your backpack. Find out in time if you can wash your clothes daily or if you have only limited possibilities to do so. Depending on this, you may need more or less clothing.

4. Toiletries& First-aid kit

first-aid kit

The list of toiletries is also individual, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Here it depends not only on female or male, but also again on destination and activities. If you spend a lot of time in the sun and have to work outdoors, sunscreen, head protection and after-sun lotion are recommended. You also need to think about individual accessories such as contact lenses or eyeglasses. We will not list the usual toiletries such as toothbrush, shampoo and the like here.

The importance of the first-aid kit should by no means be underestimated. No matter if you fall, get stung by insects or suffer other injuries, it is advantageous to be able to help yourself at least provisionally. After all, the nearest doctor or pharmacy could be many kilometers away. It is good to have provisions for emergencies. The following list is intended to make it easier to put together a sensible first-aid kit, but should by no means be regarded as complete. Instead, check yourself what needs to be supplemented for your personal needs:

Plasters and bandages for wound care
antibacterial wipes
Scissors
Wound and healing ointment
Disinfectant spray
Medication against diarrhea and nausea
Painkillers
Anti-mosquito spray / ointment
utensils for water disinfection
Cortisone ointment
Medication according to your needs (in case of illnesses, allergies etc.).)

5. Documents

Travel documents

Important documents must also be stowed away. Below passport (pay attention to validity!), tickets for flights, train journeys or buses, visa documents (confirmations, payment), international driver's license, identity card and booking confirmations. But also documents like curriculum vitae, job references, insurance documents, medically relevant documents, maps and credit cards belong here. Check the current entry regulations of the destination country online at the German Foreign Office and check which papers you need for your trip. Ideally, you should have all the necessary documents scanned and on a storage device. In case something gets lost, you can make copies of it. It is also advisable to give a person you trust in your home country access to the copies. If everything goes wrong and you personally do not have any documents due to theft or something else, you can at least have the necessary papers sent to you via e-mail.

Which deadlines regarding formalities, insurances, accounts and maintenance are useful and what is also elementary for the individual items, we have summarized in our Work and Travel Checklist. We have also arranged additional organizational assistance in a guide for travel preparation.

6. Accessories

In addition, you may need power adapters, various chargers for smartphones, laptops and other electrical devices, as well as a camera, TAN generator or camping items. If you want to spend the night mainly outdoors, tent, sleeping mat, sleeping bag and some other products equally belong on the packing list.

Say goodbye to the idea of being able to prepare for all eventualities. Most of the food can be bought almost everywhere in the world, so you don't have to carry every little thing with you. Try to reduce your luggage to a minimum to save weight. If something is missing, you will find a solution for sure on the spot.

Watch the video of Youtuber Clarissa for more tips and experiences on how to prepare for a work and travel trip:

In order to have a real, unique, and most importantly, exciting jungle experience, I first had to fly to Borneo. I knew from the beginning that I would like to spend the night during mine in the jungle. And in the most authentic way possible.

My choice fell on Batang Ai National Park in Sarawak. In the end I met very friendly people, wild Orang Utans and all kinds of creepy crawlies.

The travel market is also booming on Borneo and so I learned in advance that there are many tours that are very touristy and above all do not fulfill one thing: the true adventure. And to avoid this touristy scenery I did some more research. Because nothing would be worse for me than a played experience also with the hotel I wanted an authentic experience as possible.

By the way, Borneo belongs to Malaysia, but shares the island with Brunei and Indonesia.

Batang Ai National Park: Tips for your visit to the Orang Utans

Borneo Batang Ai National Park

Batang Ai – a green paradise in the nowhere of Sarawak

In the end I came across the Batang Ai National Park in Sarawak. Located on the border with the Indonesian part of Borneo. From Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, it is about 400 km by car and then by boat.

Batang Ai is very natural and still inhabited by the indigenous population. The national park of Batang Ai includes a huge lake and many small rivers running from the lake. And just at these rivers the peoples still live in an erroneous way.

1. Tour to Batang Ai National Park

To explore the area around Batang Ai on your own is almost impossible. The only thing that is accessible for every tourist here is a resort located directly at the lake. But if you want to go further into the jungle, you have to find a guide who will lead you.

The journey through the small arms of the river is not easy, because there are quite a few pitfalls that can make life difficult for you. Also, many orangutans live along the rivers and feel threatened when they see humans. Sounds adventurous, doesn't it?

I made these and went into the jungle with a guide. Here you can book several tours and I decided for the three days two nights tour.

Batang Ai National Park – A Jungle Adventure

In the morning at 8:00 o'clock I was picked up by my guide at the hotel. And then the wild ride to Batang Ai begins. This should now take about 4-6 hours, because the roads are partly unpaved and bumpy. Just halfway there is a stop in the small village of Serian, because you have to do some shopping for the jungle trip.

Traditionally you bring your own food to your hosts, the Iban. This is prepared by the women in the houses. So everyone brings as much as they need for the days in the jungle. So we buy vegetables, meat and a few small things.

After the ride over the bumpy gravel roads I feel quite sick by now and I am glad that there is a pharmacy where I can stock up on travel pills. Because, as fate would have it, I don't have my travel pills with me this time.

2. Approach by longboat into the jungle

Batang Ai National Park Longboat Jungle

The drive is over muddy stone tracks, bumpy terrain and through seemingly endless small narrow roads. Eventually we arrive at the huge Batang Ai lake. From here we continue our trip with a small long boat. Long boats are the traditional means of transportation of the population. The boats lie very flat on the water and make it possible to sail in shallow waters.

Basically I sit on the bottom of the boat the whole time. Really comfortable is not. The trip now takes about one to two hours, depending on the level of the water, to get to the village.

3. Wild Orang Utans on the shore

We always keep a lookout with the boat for animals that we can possibly see at the river. Although the probability is diminishingly small, we actually see one out of the blue . Madness!

A wild Orang Utan is what I wanted most for my Borneo trip. Far away from reserves or from breeding station. First we see a small Orang Utan, probably a child, which was left alone briefly by its mother. He tries to throw a stick at us and screams at us. The Orang Utan observation here is not exactly harmless, because there are also larger animals, which tear off actual whole branches and throw on humans.

Now we go on and see another Orang Utan. This time a bigger one, but it hides again relatively quickly in the thick branches. Our guide tells us that this does not happen very often and we feel honored by this moment.

Batang Ai – Playing children and fishermen

Borneo Batang Ai National Park Fishermen Jungle

Borneo Batang Ai National Park River

Now we arrive after one and a half hour uncomfortable boat ride, but also with a real high feeling in the village Nanga Sumpa. We are greeted by children bathing and playing in the water, as well as fishermen casting their nets around the village.

We spend the night here in the village in a longhouse, which was built especially for guests by the locals from the village. Traditional style through and through and completely made of wood. All rooms are connected with a veranda. We are on one side of the river and on the other side is the actual village.

Our guide tells us that we have to introduce ourselves to the village chief in the evening, because the Iban culture is very hospitable, but the chief always wants to know who is staying in his village.

4. Spending the night in the traditional longhouse

Borneo Batang Ai National Park Longhouse

I gladly accept the invitation and in the evening we go over to the village together. On the veranda of the longhouse children are playing, cats are running around and people are eating and laughing. We sit down in a circle with a handful of residents, a total of 60 people live here in a longhouse. Somehow we understand each other despite the language barrier and it is told with hand and foot.

Most of the inhabitants do not understand a word of English and we in turn do not understand a word of their language. Nevertheless it is a funny atmosphere. Then homemade rice liquor is served, because this drives away the evil spirits that could possibly bring strangers into the longhouse. Not exactly a culinary delight, but it does its job and we are pretty quickly dazed. Again and again we are given and so slowly we get really dizzy. Time for bed!

How noisy the jungle is? Deafening!

Borneo Batang Ai National Park Nanga Sumpa Lodge

Armed with our flashlight we then make our way back to our room and lie down in bed. What awaits us then we would not have thought. Then so far from civilization, it's pretty darn loud. We hear the pure jungle and it can be very loud! We would never have thought that. So we sleep amidst all the noise, have no electricity and only rain water for showers.

We feel a bit queasy and so we sleep in our bed with the mosquito net thrown over us the whole night with a switched on flashlight. You never know what to expect. Finally, the whole room is also only made of wood and gaps can let everything come in.

5. Trekking in Batang Ai National Park

Borneo Batang Ai National Park Longboat

The next morning still wakes us up with an extreme loudness. After a short breakfast we get ready for a trek through the jungle. We hike past rubber plantations and then wild pineapple plantations. Our guide explains us again and again, with which vegetables or which plants are cooked here. Partly we had most of it already the evening before our meal, as a spice.

Our trek takes us about one and a half hours through the jungle and we are picked up by a local with a long boat at the river bank. The journey continues and we take the boat towards a waterfall in the middle of the jungle of Batang Ai. The ride is very adventurous because the water level is very low that day.

And so our "captain" has to get out partly and push the boat from behind. We drive completely without engine power and only with a long bamboo stick as a drive. The ride is very relaxing and we get to know the nature for the first time without the noise of the rattling engine.

Our traditional barbecue at the waterfall

Borneo Batang Ai National Park Cooking Class

Arrived waterfall we go first of all bathing and frighten us quite fast. We are pinched quite often by the feet. In the waterfall and in the river live a lot of nibbling fishes that nip at the feet because they want to nibble off the cornea. It is strange at first, but the water is a dream.

On the other side of the river our guide prepares lunch with the men from the village. In a completely original way. He brought meat and some vegetables and rice. We are shown how the locals cooked here in the jungle at that time. He puts a grate on a fire and builds a makeshift barbecue with a bit of wood.

The rice he cooks in a bamboo pole, because at that time there were of course no cooking pots yet. The bamboo pole is peeled and the rice is stuffed into the pole, the pole is then put into the fire and heated until it is completely black on the outside. The rice is now cooked. So simple. And then I recognize them, the spices we saw during our trek in the morning. These are also used. Mixed with meat, the mixture is also put into a bamboo tube and cooked in the fire.

Time to say goodbye

Borneo Batang Ai National Park Cat

With a full belly we make our way back to the longhouse after a few hours. Here we have only a little time to walk around and explore the area and have fun with the wild running dogs and cats. The children romp already again in the water and altogether it is a very boisterous mood.

Borneo Aiman Batang Ai National Park Resort

6. Overnight stay at Batang Ai National Park

Then it's time to say goodbye, because we will spend the next night at the Aiman Batang Ai Resort. We have already seen this at the beginning of our little adventure trip. It is nice and very comfortable, but after these intensive days we would have preferred another night in the jungle.

The Aiman Batang Ai Resort is also the only hotel in the area. The alternative is an overnight stay in the jungle, but unfortunately this is not possible on our own. But the resort is very nice and also a retreat is possible here near the jungle.

And you know what? It was so quiet with no noise that we almost missed something.

This article is part of a series about Borneo. Find more articles here:

Do you have any questions about Batang Ai National Park?

Did I forget an important topic or tip for you for your Borneo trip in Malaysia? Feel free to leave me a comment.