Media and opinions

‘A really lovely little restaurant with friendly, unobtrusive service. The chef cooks here himself – a well-thought-out and witty cuisine that is harmonious from the homemade foie gras to the weekly changing main courses and the delicious crème brûlée. You can also blindly trust the house wine recommendations. A lovely restaurant for a first date or a nice evening with friends. For those with a small appetite, there are delicious snacks and if you prefer, you can ‘just’ have a glass of wine at the bar. Be sure to book in advance!’

I suppose you could call it a little gem. From the street, you wouldn’t guess what a radiant jewel is hidden in this narrow backyard in Sachsenhausen. Just a few steps away from the noisy apple wine hustle and bustle, the door to a hidden, wonderfully unpretentious restaurant full of warm hospitality opens here on Schifferstrasse.

At first glance, the guest feels transported to Paris, Lyon or Montpellier: classic bistro furniture, large mirrors, stained glass decorations, Art Nouveau elements, lots of wood with patina and two large blackboards with the day’s specials. There are many places like this in France’s big cities. Michel Bodemann is responsible for the fact that this ambience does not seem out of place in Frankfurt. The ‘patron of Jasper’s’ creates an almost family atmosphere with his team and, in his down-to-earth Alsatian-French cuisine, also allows one or two German elements to come into their own.

The menu, which is not particularly large, includes many classics from the Grande Nation, from homemade foie gras with brioche and jelly (€15.80) to fish soup with rouille and croutons (€10.80) and duck breast with nectarine sauce and potato gratin (€18.60) to creamed sauerkraut with fish ragout and boiled potatoes (€15.80). Bodemann, who works in the kitchen himself, but also likes to stop by and serve the odd plate to his guests himself, presents such dishes confidently and without fashionable embellishments. What they may lack in creativity, they make up for in recognisably good product quality. If you want to eat a leg of venison or a guinea fowl breast as an innovative interpretation or as an edible work of art, you should try your luck elsewhere. On the other hand, if you want the classic version with chanterelles and Burgundy sauce (€19.30) or with prawns and crab cream (€21.60), perfectly cooked, well-seasoned and freshly prepared, then Jasper’s is the right place for you. Guests will also find Michel Bodemann a reliable ally when it comes to wine advice. The waitress on this particular evening doesn’t know much about wine, as she herself says. But she does recommend a good red from the Rhône to go with the 24-hour oven-cooked ox in merlot jus (€16.80). The meat is extremely tender, the sauce is full-bodied and the wine, despite its strength and richness, is pleasantly fruity. It’s not much better than that in Paris, Lyon and Montpellier.