Gasthaus Assenmacher

The story

Gasthaus Assenmacher, Altenahr: French and International Cooking, Michelin Recommended

Gasthaus Assenmacher, at Brückenstraße 12 in Altenahr, runs a French and international kitchen and appears in the Michelin Guide as Recommended for 2026. The inn sits at the foot of the Burg Are ruins and has been in family hands for generations.

The Storch kitchen

Christian Storch leads the kitchen. He is a master cook (IHK Rothenburg) who worked in Nuremberg, Rottach-Egern, Bad Münstereifel and at the Hohenzollern in Ahrweiler. His wife Christa, also a trained cook, runs the restaurant. Their stated view is that flavor and originality matter more than silver cloches and white gloves.

At the table

The five-course tasting menu opens with marinated lake trout, beetroot, horseradish and yogurt. Next come a carrot variation with rabbit and scallop, then pork belly with mustard, and beef fillet Wellington with celery and truffle jus. It ends on cassis, dulce de leche ice cream and vanilla pear. The Schlemmer Atlas gave the house 2.5 Kochlöffel in 2026 and describes classic gourmet cooking in up to five courses.

The house and the Ahr

The building dates to 1876 and has belonged to the family since 1928. It reopened in May 2022 after the Ahr flood. A three-course "Probier mal Ahrtal" menu pairs each course with a local wine, among them a Riesling Spätlese from Weingut Sermann in Altenahr and a Frühburgunder from Kriechel in Walporzheim.