Esplanade

Once a school, this exceptionally refined building in the centre of Saarbrücken now houses a spruce little boutique hotel. At its heart is the chic, modern restaurant, where chef Silio Del Fabro combines classic and modern Mediterranean influences in his cuisine. His creations are extremely accurate and detailed, and the ingredients are top-notch. For example, there is a fantastic dish of veal sweetbreads done in two ways – a whole piece baked until crispy yet wonderfully creamy and tender in the centre, and finely seasoned; secondly, as a timbale made from a precisely soured, delicately aromatic veal farce with diced sweetbreads. Take the "Signature" set menu (five, six or eight courses) or order à la carte; at lunchtime, the "plat du jour" is interesting. Last but not least, experienced and charming service from a team led by Jérôme Pourchère – this passionate host and sommelier, always manages to strike the perfect balance between pleasant, friendly informality and the right distance. The wine list revolving around France and Germany is a delight.