Have a Meal Overlooking Eppstein

2026/ Restaurant seems to have closed permanently. What a pity!

The views from the balcony at Ristorante Kaisertempel are wonderful: on the left, you see the classical temple (1894) after which the restaurant is named; below, you see Alt-Eppstein; beyond, the valley all the way to Niedernhausen.

The panoramic view and tasty Italian food are well worth the drive up the windy one-lane road (Gimbacher Straße) to the top of the Staufen.

If you have extra time, take the forest path to the right behind the restaurant's parking lot to visit the Mendelssohn Memorial. The composer Felix Mendelssohn stayed in Eppstein several times between 1837 and his death in 1847.

Have a Drink at Eppstein's Bahnhof

Eppstein's turn-of-the-century train station (1903) has been newly renovated and houses not only an RMV counter (Rhine-Main bus and commuter train information counter), the Bürgerbüro (citizens' information center), but also the Wunderbar Weite Welte, a restaurant with fun atmosphere.

The Wunderbar's windows look over the train tracks and you can watch the trains criss-cross Eppstein's station every fifteen minutes. The restaurant, with its international menu, exhibits original artwork and occasionally hosts live music; on Sundays they have a popular brunch buffet. I enjoy meeting friends there for a cup of tea or drinks in the evening.

They also offer a daily two-course prix fixe lunch for 6,50 €, which looks fairly good. Try one out and let me know how it is!

Go Greek at Kalispera

• 2026: This restaurant has now closed. Grillhaus has taken its place.
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• Kalispera (Tel. 06198/ 1238) has a friendly atmosphere and is run by one of Eppstein's own families.

I love their Greek salad so much that I order it every time, and the friend I usually meet there always orders the Gemüseplatte (vegetable platter) with eggplant and other Greek specialties. It is on Eppstein's main street (Hauptstr. 32) and is open 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tuesday to Sunday and on Sunday from 11:30-2:30.

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Eppstein's "Fast Food"

Nothing beats Eppstein's Pizza and Kebab place for fast food. German cities have Pizza Huts and McDonald's, but once you get to the smaller towns, Döner shops and grilled chicken waggons are generally the only local sources of fast food.

This kebab shop on the Burgstrasse (71.1) below the castle is always great for a quick, fresh meal out with the children. They've opened up the back, so they have a number of tables.


The new owners are friendly and responsive. Güney Kebaphaus is open Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Saturday/Sunday noon-11 p.m. They have free delivery in Eppstein for orders of 10€ except from 2:30-5 p.m (06198/ 57 1662). I can recommend Eppstein's kebab place again!

Eat at Pflasterschisser

Have a meal at Pflasterschisser. Not only is it interesting to visit the oldest known half-timbered house in Main-Taunus County (1459), but its Alsatian food is always filling and good. Parent and singing groups often meet here for "Stammtische" (weekly or monthly get-togethers) because of the rustic atmosphere and variety of German beer on tap. In the summer, you can sit outside at tables on the Wernerplatz; in the winter,

you can sit at a table hewn from a tree trunk near the fire inside.

Pflasterschisser gets its name from a nickname the Eppsteiners earned in the Middle Ages. "Pflaster" refers to the cobblestone road running through Eppstein, and "Schisser" is a curse word implying the Eppsteiners took advantage of the travellers by having them pay a toll when they passed through town.

Jan. 2011/ The owner of Pflasterschisser has changed buildings and is now across the way at Gasthaus zum Taunus.