The story
Gasthof Kreuz at Gut-Betha-Platz 1 in Bad Waldsee, Germany, is a Swabian country cooking inn that Gault&Millau rated 13 points for 2026. The house has operated for about 300 years at the motorway interchange, and its menu moves between regional classics and Mediterranean dishes.
Patron Stephan Gruß leads the house, and the kitchen works closely with regional suppliers. Salad comes from Horgenzell, fish from Lake Constance, and game from local hunting. The Gasthof supports Slow Food, and older Swabian dishes such as Ofenschlupfer and Saure Bohnen have been reinterpreted for the current card, which changes with the seasons.
Homemade Maultaschen and braised ox cheeks anchor the menu. A recent review singled out a salmon trilogy of rillette, smoked and pickled salmon, along with slow-cooked lamb shoulder served with beetroot risotto and asparagus baked in pastry. The monthly Amuse Gueule evening, held on the last Thursday, offers a 15-course menu with wine and water included for 39 euros per person.
The cosy stove room and a historic vaulted cellar give the house its character. Together with sommelier Walter Esch, the team assembled a wine list that looks beyond familiar names. Six recently renovated guest rooms serve business travellers, cyclists and pilgrims on the Jakobsweg. Michelin lists the Gasthof as Recommended for 2026.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
Located between the castle park and the city lake is this long-established traditional restaurant. The kitchen delights with homemade Maultaschen, braised ox cheeks, and an amuse-bouche menu. Excellent!
Even today, dancing continues at many weddings in the traditional inn with its 300-year history at the motorway interchange. After all, food once again plays a more important role for individual guests, and the hearth room even offers an up-to-six-course "surprise menu" once again. The warm service makes up for the proprietress's rather rustic charm, and after years, one has also grown accustomed to the manager only greeting regular guests. Nor should one judge the kitchen's actual performance by the many errors on the online menu—the kitchen itself has improved. This was already demonstrated by the fine amuse-bouches: a carrot soup served in a test tube and anchovy foam on pumpernickel. The starter of pan-fried goat cheese with hazelnuts and a small salad tasted excellent. Although the bland lobster soup was a letdown, this was more than compensated for by the flawless salmon trilogy (rillette, smoked, and pickled). The sautéed prawns on curry spinach with wild garlic agnolotti in a white wine sauce were skillfully combined; the only possible criticism of the main course was that it was served in enormous portions. Flavor-wise, however, the slow-cooked lamb shoulder with beetroot risotto and asparagus baked in pastry was a complete success. The dessert—a warm chocolate cake filled with Toblerone mousse—was perfectly adequate. The wine list leans heavily toward European selections.
Location