Restaurant review
Bootshaus, Bingen
"After three courses, we were more than full, so the service was right to be very sceptical when we asked about the portion size at the beginning and whether four courses would be manageable. In view of what comes out of Nils Henkel's kitchen, it is actually regrettable that multi-course menus are only offered in such limited quantities. Because even if everything here is deliberately designed to come across as very casual and the menu promises a more bistro style, the result on the plate is considerably more complex than you might expect. On the other hand, it's not really surprising, as Nils Henkel hasn't forgotten how to cook since his time at Schloss Lerbach and Burg Schwarzenstein. He is still regarded as a pioneer when it comes to contemporary and sophisticated vegetable cuisine. His dishes are rich in detail, finely balanced and visually captivating. It fulfils all the criteria that you would expect in a fine dining restaurant, but that's not what you want to be here. The "Bootshaus", like the rest of the hotel, is on a first-name basis. I don't mind, even though the service is more business-like than authentic. In other respects too, the service is routine, but also somewhat impersonal. If this were a longer menu, it might bother me a little, but with three courses you're done after a good two hours and so it's fine. But if I could wish for something, it would be an additional offer with a menu in slightly smaller, but more courses. And not just once a month for a handful of guests. Because what we had today was good. Really good." (Published in April 2025)
