4 Best Restaurants in Eltville, The Rhineland

Perched on a hilltop, this restaurant overlooks the Rauenthaler Baiken vineyard. In addition to the lovely panorama vista from the vine-canopied terrace, the regional cooking, friendly atmosphere, and local wines make for a complete "Rheingau Riesling" experience.

Beneath the vaulted ceiling of the Klosterschänke you can pair local wines with seasonal German cuisine. Menu highlights include their hearty winter soups, Klosterzeit (Abbey-time: a bread-and-cold cuts platter), and the delectable crème brûlée with pear sorbet.

The quiet, walled, rose-filled wine garden at Koegler's is a wonderful spot to enjoy some of their excellent food, which includes German and Russian specialties as well as some very good options for kids. If you fall for their classic quality wines, you can purchase them at the neighboring Koegler Vinothek on your way home.

Winegrower Josef Laufer more than lives up to the hospitality promised by the wreath and Krug (an earthenware pitcher) hanging above the front door of his hotel and restaurant. The wood-paneled restaurant, with its old tiled stove, is cozy; the service warm and welcoming; and the regularly changing seasonal German fare includes trout from the Wisper river and game.