Baden-Baden in the Autumn

Autumn in the Black Forest is beautiful. Using the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) to Munich I spent 5 days exploring Baden-Baden and its nearby towns.

Hotel: Roomers Hotel
F&B: Moriki – Geroldsauer Muhle Inn – Cafe Konig  – The Wintergarten Restaurant – Mamma Lina

The Flight

The flight was almost full. Not just from Singaporeans eager to rush out of Singapore, but families returning home from holidays too! There were a few German families on board who had spent a few days in Singapore for holidays and were heading home. Singapore Airlines has stepped up in enforcing new COVID guidelines and now provides care packs that include a face mask, a small bottle of hand sanitiser and an alcoholic wipe to wipe down our seats. 

Note: Travelling during COVID

German immigration was smooth. They require your vaccination certificate and the registration form from www.einresideanmeldung.de. Ensure you have printed versions and not screenshots. You can go to https://www.notarise.gov.sg/ to download your vaccination certificate. Travel was done in early November. Always check the current travel requirements/restrictions before your departure due to the ongoing pandemic.

The Hotel

We chose to base ourselves in the spa town of Baden-Baden, 4 hours from Munich and 2 hours from Frankfurt (by car). Baden-Baden was named as a part of the “Great Spa Towns of Europe” by UNESCO in 2021, which highlights this small town as a must-see destination in Germany.

Known in German as Schwarzwald, the Black Forest is 160km in length and is in the state of Baden – Wuerttemberg. There are other towns (such as Freiburg) that you can choose to base yourself in to explore different parts of the Black Forest. You can research to see which area would be suitable for you.

Opened in 2016, the rooms at the Roomers Hotel are well-appointed with large spacious rooms.

Food & Beverage: Breakfast is served in the Pan-Asian restaurant, Moriki and there is a rooftop bar and outdoor pool.

Location: The Roomers Baden-Baden is not located in the town centre. It is an easy 10-minute walk to the town centre and a 20-minute walk to the Brenners Park Hotel & Spa. In the lovely Autumn weather, the walk was extremely pleasant.

Lobby leading to the Moriki restaurant where breakfast is served

The Reception / Lobby

Roomers Baden-Baden
(Autograph Collection – member of the Marriott Group)
Lange Strasse 100, 76530 Baden-Baden

Dining Experience in and around Baden-Baden

If your flight arrives in the morning, it is likely that you will arrive into Baden-Baden at lunchtime or in the mid-afternoon (depending where you flew in from). For nearby bites head to the Geroldsauer Muhle Inn for great German food (10-minute taxi ride) or to 87 Mamma Lina for a good pizza or pasta.

In the town centre, there is the Cafe Konig and the restaurants of the Brenners Hotels & Spa.

There are other restaurants and cafes that interested me. Unfortunately, I did not have enough time to visit them all.

Geroldsauer Muhle Inn

Just a 10-minute drive from the hotel is this German tavern cum hunting lodge, beer garden and hotel. Ask for the English menu. We went for the classics. Crispy Roast Pork ( €19.80)and a Wiener Schnitzel (€ 25.80). To end we had a most delicious but potent Black Forest cake (€9.80). There was a serious amount of kirsch that went into the cake. Service was friendly and the food was good. Suitable for families.

After your meal, head to the Butcher’s shop to have a look at the local produce. Note that the Butcher’s Shop closes at 7 pm (6 pm on Sundays).

Note : We were asked to show our Vaccination Certificates (screenshot permitted) and to log in to Germany’s version of our Trace Together App called the Luca App. As we did not have the app, we filled in our details manually.

Geroldsauer Muhle Inn
Geroldsauer Strasse 54, 76534 Baden-Baden
9/11:30am – 10pm

Cafe Konig and the Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte (Black Forest Cake)

Just a 10-minute walk from the hotel is the 250-year-old Café Konig. Do head here for breakfast and/or tea and cake. Look out for the beautiful patisserie which boasts a delectable selection of cakes, tarts, pralines and pastries. You can enter the dining area from the patisserie or via the side entrance to the left of the shop. Place your order at the counter (for cakes and pastries) and collect your ticket. Hand the ticket to the wait staff at the dining area so that they can serve you your order. There is also a hot food menu available which the staff will present to you. Enjoy the ambience of a traditional European café and know that Franz Liszt and Leo Tolstoy sipped coffee here too.

The entrance to Cafe Konig’s Pastry shop. A little bit of heaven

I only had stomach space for cakes and coffee but the Cafe does have normal hot meals and what looked like a luxurious breakfast! I shall have to return.

Cafe Konig
Lichtentaler Strasse 12
9:30am–6:30pm

Note: Again have your Vaccination Certificate on hand and be prepared to fill in the contact tracing form.

SG Butler Tip: A short word on the Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte (Black Forest Cake)

1 only had 2 versions of the famed Black Forest Cake this trip and loved both. The one at Geroldsauer was heavy on kirsch whilst Cafe Konig’s was more moderate on the alcohol. Expect 3 layers of delicious chocolate sponge cake filled with fresh cream, morello cherries and kirsch. The key difference I felt was the generous amount of fresh cream and intense flavours from the cherries and kirsch. The German cake also has a crust base vs the ones we have in Singapore.

The Wintergarten Restaurant (at the Brenners Park Hotel & Spa)

Located at the Brenners Park Hotel & Spa, the Wintergarten is located in the Conservatory facing the beautiful Lichtentaler Allee. Awarded 16 Gault & Millau points and listed in the Michelin Guide, I stopped here for lunch.

There is a lunch set available. I opted for the a la carte menu and thoroughly enjoyed my Beetroot Consommé (€24.00) and Local Trout Meuniere (€33.00).

This was a very smart meal with fine service. The Beetroot Consommé was light and refreshing and balanced the trout which was prepared perfectly though some may find the Meuniere sauce a touch heavy.

The hotel also is home to the Fritz & Felix restaurant. It is open only for dinner. I didn’t manage to dine there but a local friend recommended it highly.

Wintergarten Restaurant
12pm – 10pm
Schillerstrasse 4/6, 76530 Baden-Baden

Note: A vaccination Certificate was required to enter the hotel. No contract tracing form was given.

87 Mamma Lina

Just across the road from the Roomers hotel is this terrific Italian restaurant that is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For those looking for something nearby the hotel then 87 Mamma Lina is the place for you. This chic Italian restaurant offers a full Italian menu with a wide selection of dishes (pastas and pizzas included). The wine list is equally good.

The menu at 87 Mamma Lina that has something for everyone

SG Butler Travel Tip: A word on masks, hand sanitisers and social distancing

Face mask to be worn when indoors including taxis.

Table to bathrooms – face mask to be worn.

Hotels, supermarkets and taxis all have protective screens installed.

The N95 or KN95 mask is commonly used. At Munich airport, it is mandatory to have on either N95 or KN95 masks.

This is a non-sponsored review, no freebies or extras.

If you would like to experience this hotel, feel free to visit their website here: https://www.roomers-hotels.com/en/baden-baden/

Otherwise, feel free to contact us for any questions or recommendations.