Inside Lumen in Wiesbaden, Germany. The restaurant, on the city’s market square, is open all day, serving breakfast lunch and dinner. They claim their bar is the longest in Wiesbaden. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
Shopping at Wiesbaden’s wonderful Saturday farmers market had made us hungry. Rows of stands had delicious-looking fruits, vegetables, meats and cheeses for sale.
Luckily, we didn’t have to go far to ease our hunger.
On one corner of Marktplatz, or market square, is Lumens, a restaurant open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Lumen’s glass and steel structure stands out from the older buildings surrounding Wiesbaden’s market square. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
We found a window table across from the bar that the restaurant claims is the longest in Wiesbaden.
The food selection isn’t that large. It has a couple of starters, a large salad topped with either goat cheese, chicken or shrimp, a dozen or so entrees, including vegetarian and vegan choices, some snacks and desserts.
The drink menu, however, and especially the wine selection, is huge.
Our friendly server took our orders. I went with a Parmesan cheese soup and the Lumen burger, while my wife chose a small order of nachos and the vegan falafel bowl. Despite the extensive wine list, our beverage of choice was beer.
Other entrees include wok-fried vegetables with rice, either vegetarian or with chicken or shrimp, Wiener schnitzel, and pappardelle with Bolognese ragout.
Lumen is in a modern, two-story, glass and steel structure that stands out from the older buildings surrounding the market square. And probably because it was lunchtime, the bar was empty.
The Parmesan soup at Lumen in Wiesbaden is served with a swirl of basil pesto and cress, and baguette slices and Parmesan chips on the side. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
A Parmesan soup, foreground, and nachos with guacamole and homemade salsa, as served at Lumen in Wiesbaden. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
Our food arrived, and the soup was very satisfying, the cheese nice and tangy. It was infused with a swirl of basil pesto and cress, with baguette slices and Parmesan chips on the side.
The guacamole, while not made in-house, was delicious, and so was the house-made salsa that came with the nachos at Lumen in Wiesbaden, Germany. While not hot in any way, it was quite tasty. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
The nachos, a snack on the menu, were crisp and served with salsa and guacamole. The former was house-made while the latter was not. Both were tasty, the salsa full of tomato and the guac chunky. Both could have been spicier, but on an early Saturday afternoon, seemed just right.
The vegan falafel bowl was full of hummus, arugula, edamame, quinoa, cucumber, mushrooms, carrots and a mint sauce. While the texture of the falafel was a bit unusual, the bowl was delicious and filling. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
The falafel bowl was, according to my dining partner, delicious. It was full of falafel, hummus, arugula, edamame, quinoa, cucumber, mushrooms, carrots and a mint sauce. I tried a smattering of it and had to agree, although we both thought the falafel, while tasty, had an unusually soft texture.
Now the burger was something else. It came with fried onions, relish, lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese and cocktail sauce stacked between a roasted sesame seed bun, along with a portion of fries.
Lumen’s burger made with Angus beef and served with french fries, foreground, and the the vegan falafel bowl. Both were good choices at the restaurant on Wiesbaden’s market square. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
The Angus beef burger at Lumen in Wiesbaden, Germany, comes with fried onions, relish, lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese and cocktail sauce, along with a portion of fries. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
Too tall and slippery to eat by hand, I took the top off and, for the first time ever, ate a burger with a knife and fork.
Despite the unusual way of eating it, it was scrumptious. Cooked to medium like I ordered, it all melded together for a pleasing meal.
Satisfied and full, we passed on dessert this time around.
While the food was good, and worth it, we found Lumen a bit expensive. But with its location – downtown Wiesbaden, on the market square – that was probably to be expected.
Lumen
Location: In downtown Wiesbaden on the Marktplatz (market square)
Hours: 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday. 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday and 10 a.m. to midnight on German holidays.
Prices: Breakfasts, served until noon weekdays and 1 p.m. on Sundays, start at 12 euros. Snacks are 7 euros to 12 euros, soup and salads from 9.50 euros to 24.50 euros. Main courses run from 14.50 euros to 29.50 euros. Beverage prices range from 3.10 euros for an espresso to 250 euros for a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne. Lumen also serves a “quick lunch” Mon. – Fri., for 17.90 euros that includes mineral water and an espresso or coffee.
Information: http://www.lumen-wiesbaden.de
