Eisanacher Hof Lutherstuben Restaurant

From: Eisenach, Germany

ABOVE: A flaming dessert in the Lutherstuben.

By Durant Imboden

It may be touristy, but the Lutherstuben restaurant at the Hotel Eisenacher Hof is also a lot of fun--especially if you're visiting with friends. It's the German answer to the "medieval banquets" that have long been popular in the U.S. and Britain, but on a smaller scale: The Eisenacher Hof's restaurant consists of a few small rooms, instead of a banquet hall, and the tone is set by Martin Luther rather than Henry VIII.

I had dinner at the Lutherstuben with a small group of travel writers and tourist-office representatives. When we arrived at the restaurant, we were shown to a rustic table in a candlelit room and given white linen bibs to protect our clothing. (As our eyes adjusted to the darkness, we noticed that we were the only diners wearing bibs; the locals were either neater eaters or more inhibited than we were.)

We ordered drinks, which were served in earthenware tumblers with cone-shaped bottoms that fit into holes on the tabletop. (We were told that, in Martin Luther's day, diners didn't sip their beer: They swigged it, then set their empty tumblers upside-down on the table to show that they were ready for a refill.)

Next, we took our pottery bowls to a soup station, where we had a choice of two different soups. The soup went well with the crusty peasant bread at our table, which may have been the best white bread I've ever eaten in Germany. A few minutes later, waitresses brought wooden racks laden with grilled meats and vegetables on long skewers. (Another rack held a meter-long Bratwurst sausage.) We were also given bowls of potatoes, red cabbage, and other vegetables to pass around the table.

Dessert was a long skewer with thick slices of apples and other fruit that had been rolled in sugar, doused with a liqueur, and set on fire. (See photo at top of page.) After the flames died down, the narrow wooden trough beneath the skewer contained chunks of liqueur-flavored caked sugar that most of our group found irresistible.

Verdict:

Dinner at the Lutherstuben isn't high gastronomy, but it's tasty, filling, and a pleasant way to spend an evening with companions in Eisenach, Germany.

If you're the sort of person who enjoys Renaissance Faires and other cornball theatrics, try to book a table during the "Small Luther Play" on the first Sunday of each month.

"Best of the Web"   - Forbes and The Washington Post From Durant and Cheryl Imboden:   About Europe for Visitors Need a car, SUV, or van in Europe? If you live outside the EU, a tax-free Peugeot, Renault, or Citroën tourist lease can be cheaper than renting for visits of 21 days or longer. Minimum driver age is 18, there's no upper age limit, and rates include insurance.   Read "Short-term car leasing"