STUTTGART | Restaurant Plenum, in Baden-Württemberg’s State Parliament

July 2022. As a teacher, Steve has the possibility to do a bigger trip in the school summer break. I don’t, or rarely do. After The Hague in 2020 and Utrecht in 2021, we decided to go to Germany for a now more or less traditional three-day weekend in July. Our eye fell on Stuttgart, in the state of Baden-Württemberg.

Before actually going to Stuttgart, we looked at booking restaurants. Online, it was hard to see many options we liked. By booking Ritzi for Saturday, we chose something high-end. For Sunday, we wanted something lower on the scale. Also known as cheaper. But we didn’t book.

In our walks, we regularly passed the Schlossgarten or Palace Garden of Stuttgart’s Neues Schloss or New Palace. There spotted a nice looking restaurant and terrace, called Plenum. It turns out it’s located in the Landtag of Baden-Württemberg or State Parliament.

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Plenum

Plenum, a nice play on words on a plenary meeting, offers traditional German dishes, but with a contemporary feel. To not use the word ‘twist’.

“Our culinary style is simple and extraordinary at the same time and describes itself as urban regional cuisine. Here you can enjoy modern interpretations of the classics, which are lovingly prepared from carefully selected products”, the Plenum website describes it.

“We attach great importance to seasonally coordinated ingredients from regional surroundings and pay particular attention to freshness, aroma and excellent quality. With our creative and innovative ideas and an appealing presentation of the dishes, we offer you your personal culinary compliment.”

There is a lunch menu for 12 to 15 euros. “We now also have our own confectionery and confectionery with homemade specialties.”

Dinner experience

As it was a lovely warm summer’s eve, we ate outside. We did not go for the set menu, but chose à la carte.

Before we were served, we had this lovely basket with bread and spreads, which opened up the appetite.

Steve started with ‘Holunder Lachs’ or Elder salmon with kohlrabi, mustard cream, nasturtium and salmon caviar. I had gazpacho with garlic and crisps.

As a main, Steve had the Wiener schnitzel, which was as large as an aircraft carrier deck; while I had fried veal liver with confit bacon onions, glazed mini carrots and potato gratin. That was delicious.

As a dessert, I had apricot and peach tart with thyme flavors and yoghurt ice cream.

So?

Plenum holds middle of the road between a folky German Keller (basement, but also a low-brow eatery) and a posh restaurant. It’s no haute cuisine, it’s more accessible. Yet it feels special enough. Actually, fitting to be located in a Parliament House.