EThe Flemings Hotel at Eschenheimer Tor has one of the most attractive roof terraces in Frankfurt that is used for gastronomy. The associated restaurant has recently been reopened under the name “Occhio d’Oro”, it offers Italian regional cuisine that has its roots in Tuscany. If that sounds familiar and if you might recognize one or the other in the restaurant: A large part of the team used to work in “A Casa di Tomilaia”.
The Hotel am Eschenheimer Tor was once an office and commercial building known as Bayer-Haus, it was built in 1952 and is a listed building. It has been a hotel since 2008 and is the so-called flagship hotel of the Flemings chain, which now has 13 hotels. Due to the pandemic, three hotels were closed in 2021, now the management is talking about expansion again and also about a realignment, which includes the “Occhio d’Oro”.
The view from the restaurant remains beautiful, be it from inside to outside or from the terrace over the city, not because of the height, but because of the lines of sight. Also nice: There is a paternoster lift in the house that you can use to drive up to the restaurant. But walking is also appealing: the stairs have art deco railings and the stairwell is extravagantly dimensioned, considering that nowadays buildings tend to be taller than wide.
A few true professionals are at work
On an early evening in the middle of the week, the restaurant and interior are busy, later on almost all tables inside and outside will be occupied. The service bravely holds the fort and, where there are gaps, which are probably rooted in the fact that many temporary workers are employed, throws special friendliness in its favor when other times don’t work so well. But there are also a few real professionals at work, which makes up for it. What the kitchen has to offer is unreservedly good.
She works product-oriented and imaginatively with good goods and fine taste coordination, which keeps the food on the line that separates an Italian-like-it-is-everywhere-cuisine from the elaborate gourmet level; many like it, few offer it. Examples of the starters are the burratina, which is served with tomato jam and a large, mild, stewed and skinned pepper, or the tomato and bread salad, in which red and yellow tomatoes and a bit of fennel add a summery, sunny and mild produce a sour taste.
The pappardelle with salsiccia are fine and hearty, the parmigiana is served in a form that is almost elegantly devoid of any heaviness, juicy and crispy and reduced to the decisive components of tomato and aubergine. The grilled sea bass slices are also top notch. Tip: choose the rustic spinach with onions or the roasted potatoes as a side dish, if you order both, you have a lot that you can eat for two (main courses up to around 30 euros).
“Occhio d’Oro” at the Flemings Hotel, Eschenheimer Tor 2, Frankfurt. Telephone: 0 69/9 89 72 85 00. Opening times: Tuesday to Saturday from 5 p.m. Sundays and Mondays rest days. www.occhio-doro.com