About us
The Lafleur, whose name is reminiscent of the famous wine estate Château Lafleur in Pomerol, is a gourmet restaurant and offers a cuisine of international standard, oriented towards the top restaurants in Germany. Since 2015 the Restaurant Lafleur has been a proud member of Relais & Châteaux and is hence one of a total of 500 of the best restaurants in the world. 2-star chef Andreas Krolik himself describes his cuisine as contemporary classic, combined with Mediterranean aspects and regional products. His dishes are strongly marked by intensive essences and are characterised by a balanced interplay between a light sweetness and a pleasant acidity. Despite a high sophistication and finesse, he cooks in an uncomplicated and clear manner, and this makes his cuisine so unique. His dealing with fish is just as special. Amongst the leading chefs in Germany he ranks amongst the absolute fish experts, and his creations constantly attract a lot of attention. Since February 2014 Andreas Krolik has also offered a vegan menu with six courses, which is not only very popular amongst vegans. Krolik is the only starred chef in Germany with a completely vegan menu.
Based on a concept by Robert Mangold, the Restaurant Lafleur not only boasts high quality dishes but also the calm and vistas of the Siesmayer flower parterre.
Its own wine cellar reveals a selection of regional and international wines of the best wine growers in Europe. The restaurant offers 50 seats, the separate lounge is perfect for a private dinner or for groups up to 14 people. Thanks to its historic fumed oak parquet and the furniture which is a harmonious combination of classical and modern style elements, the Restaurant Lafleur conveys a cosy atmosphere.
The experienced sommeliere Alexandra Himmel and sommelier Miguel Martin are your hosts at the Restaurant Lafleur together with their team.
Grown up in a little village near Halle an der Saale, he has been marked at a young age by the countryside environment of Saxony Anhalt. In his parents’ garden, he was already as a child in touch with the cultivation of fruit and vegetables as well as cattle breeding for the family’s own consumption. As a result, he developed through the fresh, natural products, a sustained fine gustatory sense and a deep understanding for high quality basic products. His love of nature is, however, not only expressed during his childhood and his professional beginnings, which he spent in various hotels in the Black Forest and in Switzerland.
Krolik’s special passion has been fishing since childhood days. At present his fishing tours take him to the Norwegian fjords and the islands of the North Atlantic. Once a year Krolik spends time with his family there and seeks inspiration from the biodiversity of the North Atlantic, the breath-taking nature and the idyllic tranquillity for new ideas. These often find their way to his kitchen and explain Krolik’s special affinity to fish and seafood as reflected by his creative, clear and tasty dishes.
In 1998 he came to Frankfurt, to the Tigerpalast, for the first time, from the Swiss Vitznau. Under the then executive starred chef Viktor Stampfer, Krolik enhanced his feeling for perfectly co-ordinated aromas and creative compositions as chef gardemanger. After a one year stay at the Vierseithof Luckenwalde, Krolik joined the Park Restaurant of Brenners Park Hotel & Spa in 2000 and took it over four years later as “chef de cuisine”. At Brenners Park Hotel, one of the most renowned hotels in Germany, Andreas Krolik upgraded his modern-classic cuisine continuously and was rewarded with a first star by the Michelin Guide in 2005. However, true to his maxim “Whoever stops wanting to be better, has stopped being good”, Krolik showed during the following years with how much creativity, artisanal precision and, in particular, passion, he works for a balanced interplay of texture and aromas. This consistent process of enhancement of Krolik’s culinary style was finally rewarded with two Michelin stars in November 2010.
After only a little less than 12 years at Brenners Park Hotel & Spa, Krolik fascinated his guests at the Tigerpalast with his modern classic “aroma cuisine”, focusing in addition to Mediterranean influences also on regional products. In November 2012 Krolik’s cuisine was once more distinguished by the Michelin Guide with one star and 17 out of 20 possible points by Gault&Millau. In November 2013 two stars were again awarded to Andreas Krolik’s outstanding cuisine. In March 2015 Andreas Krolik changed within the Tiger & Palmen Group to the Restaurant Lafleur, where he now celebrates his culinary arts. In November 2016 Krolik also received 18 out of 20 possible points from Gault&Millau and hence the highest number of points for a Hessian restaurant. Furthermore, Gault&Millau elected Krolik “Chef of the Year 2017”. In addition, the Michelin Guide awarded the Restaurant Lafleur two stars for outstanding cuisine.
Whoever identifies the wishes of his guests without asking, whoever does not only perform the role of a host but lives it, whoever can perfectly mediate between the culinary philosophy and the demands of the guests, may refer to himself as “Maître”. Boris Häbel and Miguel Martin are such Maître, a host which conducts the service silently and attentively with fine grandezza and a competent reference person for the guests. The friendly service always acts discreetly and without hectic, who has already guaranteed fine dining culture at the highest level for many years. It‘s the relaxed calm and warmth that the friendly team radiates, which gives the guest the unmistakeable feeling to have reached a culinary refuge of a special kind. The entire service team fills this idea of hospitality with life and gives the guests this feeling. The role of the “Maître” seems to be tailor-made for them; they couldn´t have imagined any different professional life.
Miguel Martin started his professional career in the mid-70s in the former Wiesbaden-based “Grand Hotel Rose”, where Miguel Martin went through different career stations from chef de rang to dining room manager. And he takes an interest in wine. His interest becomes a passion which Miguel Martin finally perfects through a sommelier training. After a side trip to a restaurant in Nürnberg, Miguel Martin came back to the Tigerpalast in Frankfurt as restaurant manager and sommelier in 1996. With his always perceivable but nonetheless unobtrusive passion for service, with his reliable sense for the wishes of the guests and his wine competency, he rapidly became a “Maître” and hence an ideal host.
At the Restaurant Lafleur he has continued the concept of fine dining of the Tiger Gourmetrestaurant in a highly skilled manner. In the walk-in Weinkontor of the Lafleur impressive rarities and top class wines are available as a perfect pairing for Andreas Krolik’s dishes. Miguel Martin not only focuses on the current vintages, but also on the depth of his range which can include whole collections of an estate. If desired, Martin can make wine recommendations with great enthusiasm and deep expert knowledge. His passion goes, in particular, for wines from Germany, France, Italy and his home country Spain.
Alexandra Himmel is the new Head Sommelière beside Miguel Martin. Since she was a child, the daugther of a Rheingau vintner, has emotional points of contact with the topic of winegrowing and wine producing of quality wine. After her apprenticeship as a restaurant specialist she moved to the vineyard Tantara Winery in Carlifornia for a internship, where her big passion for wines coined. When she came back to germany she worked in the prestigious restaurant Tantris as Commis Sommelière. In 2011 she visit the german wine and Sommelière school in Coblenz and completed her apprenticeship to a Sommelière. Afterwards she worked as Assistant Head Sommelière in the Les Solistes by Piere Gagnair and also as Head Sommelière in the Restaurant Storstad. During this stations she gained new experiences on her specialist field.
Ever since Boris Häbel, the restaurant manager at the Lafleur, graduated highschool, he was fascinated by the way waiters operate and are able to recognise their guests wishes without having to ask. When his parents took him to a 1 star restaurant he was delighted by the skills of the waiters: "They remembered everything - without taking any notes". A defining experience, which made him train as a restaurant specialist in the 5-star Hotel “Bareiss“ in the Black Forest, followed by numerous positions for well-known companies in the catering industry. After working in a large number of (Michelin-)starred restaurants, like the "Tigerpalast" in Frankfurt, where he worked as head chef, head waiter and deputy restaurant manager from 1999-2001, he moved to the Middle East in the summer of 2005. He became an Assistant Restaurant Manager in the world famous Hotel Burj al Arab in Dubai. After a few successful years in the Orient, the native Baden-Wuerttemberger moved back to the Hessian metropolis and worked as the gastronomic director in the King Kamehameha Suite. After eight years in the capital working as the restaurant manager at the Hotel Adlon, he became maître in the Tantris gourmet restaurant in Munich. Since Mai of 2020 Boris has been has been complimenting our excellent service team
On account of her widespread knowledge and her sensitivity she always has the right wine recommendation for Andreas Kroliks multilayered food creations.
Boris Häbel, Miguel Martin and Alexandra Himmel form the lead of our Service-Brigade.
Colourful and fascinating, diverse and difficult to overview – that is the world of wines. No other beverage offers this diversity of flavours. Because wherever vines are growing: a good wine cannot and does not deny its origin; it marks its individual taste, its personality. The wine cellar of the Restaurant Lafleur wants to open you the way to this multi-faceted wine environment. Noble woods, a well-tempered ambient climate and selected wines – the Weinkontor at the Restaurant Lafleur makes the heart of every wine lover leap for joy.
Located between the restaurant and the lounge, the Weinkontor offers insights into the core piece of the wine cellar for interested wine lovers. The selection across vintages of around 1,200 bottles, including some rarities, stems from top wine estates in Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Young, fresh wines with current vintages are stored here in an ideal climate, next to the more mature vintages. Well-known names, highly praised vineyard locations, renowned estates, highly appreciated newcomers and proven vintages: our cellar offers many exciting journeys through time and discoveries in the world of wines. They take centre stage when they are perfectly paired with an exquisite dinner by Andreas Krolik.
All around the world, unique in the world!
Since the summer of 2015 the Restaurant Lafleur has been a proud member of Relais & Châteaux and is hence one of the world’s 500 best hotels and restaurants representing partly the best chefs in the world. Relais & Châteaux, founded 60 years ago as an association of outstanding hoteliers and chefs in France, is considered today as a unique benchmark for excellence in the field of hospitality and fine dining. It stands for a unique experience and wishes to enthral every single guest in its own way. The members of Relais & Châteaux commit themselves to the same high demands and want to be the mirrors and promoters of the unbelievable cultural and culinary diversity of our planet. Every single Relais & Châteaux restaurant is unique and cultivates its authenticity taking into account the traditions, with a wish to surprise. A meal in a Relais & Châteaux property is a happy moment of sharing and joy which is individually shaped by each single guest.
The Values and Experiences
Even if every property has its own personality, there is nonetheless a philosophy which is shared by all the members throughout the world and can be summed up in five values or five experiences.
- The soul of the innkeeper – each innkeeper puts his or her highly personal stamp on their place and its surroundings, and on the hospitality, service and cuisine they provide. The entire property beats to the rhythm of the innkeeper’s heart.
- The taste of the land – for our members the local terroir is expressed through architecture, landscaping, leisure activities and the fine dining offered by Relais & Châteaux chefs.
- The passport of friendship – each property is unique, and yet all share the same core values. They all offer our guests the same feelings of belonging, the same desire to get to know other members.
- The celebration of the senses - Relais & Châteaux properties provide a natural setting for the awakening of the senses and feelings of wellbeing, on a daily basis and for a very special occasion.
- An awakening to Art de Vivre – at the heart of the Relais & Châteaux philosophy is a notion that travel should be a journey of discovery into the pleasures of the fine arts of living. The ultimate goal of the Relais & Châteaux innkeeper is to introduce our guests to these pleasures.
In 1954 Jean Barnagaud, André Vrinat, René Lasserre, Claude Terrail, Raymond Oliver and Louis Vaudable founded the association with the original name "Traditions et Qualité". The aim was to defend the values of the gastronomy and the art of life. In 1956 the first restaurant guide was published (19 destinations).The "Les Grandes Tables du Monde" association consists of 181 exceptional restaurants in 25 countries on 5 continents. Only the most passionate restaurateurs with a burning passion for haute cuisine and an excellent service are included in the association. True to the motto "Traditions & Qualité" the members stand for the classical French cuisine, the service and the best ingredients that make your dishes unique. The common goal of all members is to maintain the culinary culture and values of the fine dining gastronomy. The exchange between the best of the best promotes the entire industry and accompanies the gastronomic path into the future while at the same time preserving important traditions. The author Jean Cocteau found the right words: "Tradition is an eternal movement. It moves forward, it changes, it lives. " The admission criteria for new members are correspondingly strict, since only those restaurants are accepted that are completely identical with the values of the association. Therefore, only a few new applicants qualify each year. The admission to the association "Les Grandes Tables du Monde" is made through the address from the circle of the Presidium from Paris.
Since 2018, the restaurant Lafleur is official supporter of "Slow Food" and identifies strongly with the values of the organization. Andreas Krolik mainly uses organic ingredients and locally-sourced products.
Some components of the unique food grow in own garden of 2-star chef Andreas Krolik.
