The story
Zum Krug, at Hauptstraße 34 in Eltville am Rhein (Hattenheim), pairs a seasonal kitchen with its own winery and hotel. The Schlemmer Atlas awarded it 2.5 Kochlöffel in 2026.
The half-timbered building began as a wine tavern around 1720. Josef Laufer I bought it in 1945 and opened the hotel and restaurant in 1948. His grandson Josef Laufer III took over in 2003 after years as a cook with Johann Lafer and at the Wiesbadener Ente. His guiding line is "Die Vielfalt des Einfachen", the variety of the simple.
The menu mixes regional comfort with a finer hand. Starters include a Handkäse cheesecake with cauliflower, apple and walnut salad, and house-cured Norwegian salmon with a Rheingau egg yolk sorbet. Among the mains are Sauerbraten of organic pasture beef with potato dumplings and cranberries, and a Wiener Schnitzel. Riesling turns up in the cream soup and in a dessert of marinated vineyard peach with Riesling cream ice cream.
The wine list draws on the estate's own bottlings, and the cellar holds a broad collection of Rheingau wines. Michelin lists the house as Recommended for 2026. The dining room has two side rooms for private dining, and the hotel offers seven regional themed rooms in the neighbouring former town hall.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
Between picturesque half-timbered houses in the idyllic Rheingau are a wine house and hotel. The extensive wine list, featuring exquisite wines from its own winery, is especially worth a second look.
Location