Zum Gemalten Haus
Where? Zum Gemalten Haus (Sachsenhausen, Frankfurt, Germany) Map Menu
When? Friday June 19, 2026
Who With? Me
Food Style? German
I left behind the pizza, pasta, tiramisu and gelato, and traded it for sausages and sauerkraut in Frankfurt, Germany. The mood is jovial on this sweltering Friday afternoon, and the city is celebrating a local specialty - apfelwein, or apple wine. I've been told that there are many restaurants serving traditional Frankfurt fare in the Sachsenhausen area, which is south of the Main River in Frankfurt. As I exit the metro station at Schweizer Platz, I find myself in the middle of a large multicultural street festival. There’s music and many delicious smells, but I'm here for something authentically German, so I'm off to Zum Gemalten Haus. I’ve got a seat looking right at the bar with a small glimpse into the kitchen, and I love observing the workings of the restaurant.
Drink
I have to try the apple wine. The menu reads "our apple wine has been traditionally made from local apples since 1936 and matures every year in our wooden barrels into the golden-yellow drink that is known far beyond Frankfurt am Main". In addition to the classic, you can also get a rosé apple wine and a non-alcoholic apple wine. It's very slightly fizzy, dry and not sugary like a cider. There's a subtle floral hint, but the apple flavour is not as strong as I was expecting it to be.
Mains
Butchers Plate with sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, black pudding and liver sausage, German style pork
I'm going to say it - the food has a very typical German colour palette. The blood sausage is tasty, not as rich like some black pudding as I’ve had in the past. It’s been boiled, it doesn’t have a crust and it comes apart easily with the pressure of the knife. Similarly is the other sausage, which is quite meaty and doesn’t really feel like it has a lot of binding agent like flour. It’s almost got the consistency of corned beef. Both sausages still have the metallic clasps used to keep the casing together and I feel this could have been potentially dangerous. I love the pork chop though, it’s tender and juicy, and goes perfectly with the creamy mashed potatoes. The sauerkraut is very sour, painfully so.
The restaurant has very little airflow even though the doors and windows are wide open. I’m sweating heavily, especially because of the alcohol. About 15 minutes after starting to eat, the apple wine hits me like a train. It takes a while but I finish everything: pork, potato, cabbage and wine. I’m kinda glad I’m only in Frankfurt for two nights, there’s no way I could eat like this every day.
Posted by Jeremy at 5:34pm on Wednesday July 8, 2026 :: 0 comments :: 