Villa Merton — Restaurant in Frankfurt

Villa Merton: A New Happy Place in Frankfurt's Dining Scene

Nestled in the serene residential district of Frankfurt, Villa Merton is a culinary gem that has quickly become a new happy place for both locals and travelers seeking an extraordinary dining experience. The restaurant, located in a beautiful historic villa, offers a perfect blend of elegance and comfort, making it a must-visit destination for food enthusiasts in the city.

From the moment you step into Villa Merton, you are enveloped in a warm, inviting atmosphere that sets the tone for an exceptional evening. The décor, a tasteful combination of classic and contemporary elements, provides a relaxed yet refined setting. The large windows allow natural light to flood the dining room during the day, while at night, the softly lit chandeliers create an intimate and cozy ambiance.

The menu at Villa Merton is a delightful mix of traditional and modern European cuisine, with a strong emphasis on high-quality, locally sourced ingredients. One of the standout dishes that encapsulates the restaurant's philosophy is the Marillenknödel. These delicate apricot dumplings are a traditional Austrian dessert that Villa Merton has perfected. The dough is light and fluffy, while the apricots inside are sweet and slightly tart, creating a beautiful balance of flavors. Served with a dusting of powdered sugar and a drizzle of buttery breadcrumbs, this dish is a nostalgic nod to classic European cuisine, executed with finesse and a modern touch.

For those seeking something heartier, the steak at Villa Merton is a revelation. Cooked to perfection, it is tender, juicy, and bursting with flavor. The chefs at Villa Merton understand the art of seasoning and grilling, and it shows in every bite. The steak is accompanied by a selection of seasonal vegetables that are roasted to perfection, adding a lovely contrast of textures and flavors to the dish. The attention to detail in the preparation and presentation of the steak reflects the restaurant's commitment to excellence and its passion for delivering an unforgettable dining experience.

Wine lovers will find themselves in heaven at Villa Merton, where the wine list is as carefully curated as the menu. The sommelier is knowledgeable and enthusiastic, always ready to suggest the perfect wine pairing for your meal. Whether you're enjoying the Marillenknödel, the steak, or any of the other delectable offerings, there's a wine to complement each dish beautifully. The selection ranges from robust reds to crisp whites, with a special emphasis on local German wines that showcase the region's rich viticultural heritage.

The service at Villa Merton is impeccable, striking the perfect balance...

EDIT: I'm updating my review since I just realized it was never posted - this time I have added the relevant pictures of the food and menu since the restaurant seems to have report my review, questioning whether I really ate there and claiming no such dishes were served (guinea fowl). I ate there in August 2021 and reviewed when I got home a few weeks later. Downgrading to 1* due to unprofessional handling of this.

Furthermore based on more recent reviews it seems I'm not the only one to think their asian interpretations are poor. I think anyone who gets asian food will find it pretty blah and undeserving of any Michelin stars (maybe you can arguably call it a westernized interpretation, though I find it a massive downgrade taste and ingredient wise).

Btw there is nothing wrong with being experimental, but if we give feedback it's not working - accept it or not - what's the point in being rude and questioning whether we even ate there?! That they're questioning objective facts like whether or not I ate there and something like time to serve the food. I can even pull up my IG stories with timestamps... I'm sorry but in this day and age everything is recorded online and you can't deny facts like in the past.

To the restaurant: you need to educate whoever is responding to these reviews on food from different cultures; to claim there is nothing japanese-inspired when oden and wasabi have been served historically is just weird.

--

I don't even know why this is a Michelin starred restaurant. It was also incredibly slow, I'm not sure if they're short staffed but they took 4h to serve everything and was sometimes cold. The food was subpar, Japanese inspired (but they're not alone in this this season) but you're better off in Japan. For example, one of the courses was like tough guinea fowl in oden and a bao. Oden is cheap food and so much...

Große Enttäuschung. Dafür gibt es leider nur einen Google und keinen Michelin Stern.

Eigentlich wollten wir am Abend zum Gänseessen in die Villa Merton gehen, jedoch gab es am Abend keine freien Plätze mehr und so dachten wir, dass die Gans bestimmt auch zum Mittagessen schmeckt. Weit gefehlt!

Bereits beim Betreten des Restaurants dachte ich, dass wir vielleicht besser wieder gehen. Das Restaurant war bis auf einen Tisch mit 4 älteren Herren leer und die Atmosphäre sehr ungemütlich. Eigentlich hatten wir eine Bestätigung für das Gourmet Restaurant, jedoch sagte man uns, dass wir bitte im Bistro Platz nehmen sollen. Nicht sehr schön, aber damit hätten wir uns arrangieren können.

Gefreut hat uns, dass es einen alkoholfreien Sekt gab, der uns gut geschmeckt hat.

Die junge Frau im Service war sehr aufmerksam. Und wie bei einem so leeren Restaurant vermutet, kamen die Speisen zügig, vielleicht sogar etwas zu zügig an den Tisch.

Der Gruß aus der Küche war in Ordnung aber nichts Besonderes.

Als Vorspeise hatte meine Frau eine Maronensuppe und ich einen Feldsalat mit Gänseleber, was beides geschmacklich und optisch ganz ordentlich war.

Der Hauptgang hat das Speisenniveau jedoch sehr gedrückt. Die Gans war lauwarm, trocken und zäh. Die Beilagen leider auch nur lauwarm, aber sonst in Ordnung. Auf Nachfrage, ob es uns geschmeckt hat, sagten wir ganz offen unsere Meinung zu der nicht gerade leckeren Gans. Die Antwort der Kellnerin war, dass sich auch bereits der andere Tisch negativ geäußert habe und dass entweder die Gänse eine schlechte Qualität hatten oder etwas in der Küche schief gegangen sei. Später sagte sie noch, dass der Koch den Rest der Gänse entsorgen werde. Was für eine Aussage! Die Gans die wir serviert bekommen haben, wurde kurz darauf aufgrund mangelnder Qualität entsorgt.

Das Dessert war leider auch nichts Besonderes, aber grundsätzlich in Ordnung.

Insgesamt war unser Besuch in der Villa Merton alles andere als schön. Sehr schade! Es war ein besonderer Tag für uns und diesen wollten wir einfach nur genießen.

PS: Das Personal war von der Reservierung bis zur Verabschiedung im Restaurant sehr freundlich und zuvorkommend. Dafür...