There are no tour buses and you’ll rarely hear English spoken as a first language (although spoken widely), but foodies are pointing their forks this way, the Deidesheim map blip sashaying centre stage.
As Laidner says, “Around 75 per cent of our visitors are German, but L.A. Jordan is the new and modern Deidesheim that’s just added an international impact to the landscape. That’s what this latest star does to an area.” Michelin just gave this town three stars, but the locals would rate it a million.
Weinstrasse is the main street with half timbered medieval houses
Getty ImagesIf not L.A Jordan, their more casual, French-themed 1718 restaurant is the place to be. Elsewhere, the Riva terrace of their sister property, Kaisergarten, with koi pond and impeccable service, is a dream on sunnier afternoons. Of a morning, swing by Friendly couple-run Café-Bistro Bellavigna for healthy, hearty breakfasts and barista coffee, before building up an appetite again in preparation for Gaststätte Winzerverein’s face-sized schnitzels, which are irresistible in a pretty, pergola-covered setting.
Waldschenke Deidesheimer Hütte is a cabin-come-beer-garden in the forest, a short 30-minute hike from the Weinstrasse. Sushi.B in Deidesheim (in Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl) is a high-end island of Asian delicacies with Japanese chefs in an otherwise Euro-centric banquet of restaurants.
Ketschauer Hof wine cellar
Kurt E. GroßWeinbar 1911 for a Riesling Weinschorle with excellent people watching in the main square, or the rear courtyard of Gasthaus Zur Kanne is a little oasis with lavender syrup mocktails. Head to Kimich Winery for wine tastings in an original villa, featuring fruity whites like Paradise.
Top tip: a Dubbeglas looks like a dimpled pint glass, holds a half litre of wine, and is traditional to the Pfalz region. To slow the pace, many drink a weinschorle, a 50/50 mix of wine and sparkling water.