Bidlabu — Restaurant in Frankfurt

My first visit to this Michelin one-star restaurant in Frankfurt.

We opted for the 7-course tasting menu with wine pairing. It was a Monday evening, and the restaurant was completely packed—which already hinted at the quality of the food to come. We had a 7:30 PM reservation, but we didn’t expect dinner to stretch for three hours.

While our server was friendly and pleasant, the pacing of the meal was far too slow. After two hours, we had only been served three dishes and had yet to receive our main course. It became clear the kitchen was trying to synchronize our service with other tables who arrived 30 minutes later—unfair to those of us who were seated earlier. I eventually had to speak to the waiter to request a quicker pace. Unfortunately, this delay significantly affected our overall experience.

Despite the service issues, the food itself was excellent and deserving of high praise: • The meal began with a vibrant tomato saffron dish with octopus—refreshing and beautifully balanced. • The watermelon with cheese and avocado tasted surprisingly light and healthy, with a tangy note that reminded me of apple cider. • The wine pairing complemented each course well, especially the watermelon dish. • The catch of the day, likely snapper, served with marinated cabbage, dashi, and fregola sarda, was well-cooked and flavorful. • The highlight for me was the Joselito pork—a premium cut served with horseradish, beans, and apple. It was incredibly tender and absolutely delicious.

As for desserts, the first course—featuring cheese—was underwhelming, with an aged flavor that didn’t quite work. However, the second dessert completely redeemed it: a medley of flavors that I couldn’t stop eating.

The setting is entirely outdoor, and while charming, it can get quite warm during the summer. There was no fan or air circulation, and we were told that air conditioning isn’t possible due to the building’s age. If you’re sensitive to heat, this could be uncomfortable.

In summary: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 out of 5 stars) • Food: 4/5 – Excellent flavors and creativity • Service & Pacing: 2/5 – Far too slow and not fairly managed • Ambience: Depends on weather tolerance—no cooling system in summer

Despite the long wait, I truly enjoyed the pork dish and several other highlights. However, the overall experience was held back by timing and...

The restaurants name is inspired by “bidla buh” a lyric sung by singer Georg Kreisler. It’s modern European fare with a focus of farm to table ingredients. I stopped by with my friend to celebrate his belated birthday on a Friday evening and we wanted an environment that is low key and relaxed, more of a refined bistro.

Surprisingly the menu is very flexible for an upscale dining venue. We appreciated the fact you can select the amount of courses and mix and match the dish and order however you like. Each dish was presented and explained by a staff member. We decided to go for wine by the glass although they do offer wine pairing and feature a thorough variety of wines.

Standout items for us were the kurbis ravioli, Saibling, and Karotte. All were fresh and flavors were combined with some unique Creativity. Unfortunately, the catch on that day was cod and it was prepared not too well. It was flavorless and had 0 depth. The underwhelming duck and the miso cauliflower were quite mundane and forgettable.

The venue is great value and we love the flexibility of the menu. They even brought out an additional dessert in celebration of my friend’s birthday and service was...

Greatness strangled by the limitations of the small kitchen

We had high hopes. Seated at 7:35 PM, our 7-course menu with wine pairings started strong—the amuse bouche and drinks came out quickly. But things slowed drastically. By 9 PM, we had only reached the third course. Dinner didn’t end until 10:30. It felt like we were being held hostage by the pacing.

The restaurant is tiny (about 600 sq ft), with 14 tables, 3 wait staff, and 3 chefs working in a kitchen smaller than most home kitchens. The executive chef didn’t start cooking until 8:30 PM. Our pacing seemed intentionally slowed to sync with later tables. One table next to us was seated at 7 PM and had to wait over an hour just to align with others.

Dishes were repetitive—same sauces, same pickled elements, reused vegetables. My wife’s vegetarian course was just a mix of leftover garnish components. Honestly, the wine pairings were the only standout.

For the price, Bidlabu should reduce the table count and focus on service flow and a more thoughtful menu. There’s talent here—but it’s being smothered by logistical...