Dear chaps,
I'll be spending a few blessed days at a small family-run inn in the Black Forest next year March. Will be dining at two triple-starred institutions (Schwarzwaldstube and Bareiss). If I may, I'd like to canvass opinions on appropriate dress for the area and climate in question, especially the specific contexts of the restaurants.
1. Would plus twos and wellington boots be best for trekking in the area? I'm seeing this as an ideal excuse, not that I need one, to commission such exotic bespokery, which would otherwise lie hopelessly unused in my little tropical abode. i would otherwise bring along some Dainite-soled chelsea boots.
2. Would one ideally be in semiformal dress (black tie), a tweed Norfolk suit, or a casual double-breasted suit, when dining in what many consider to be Germany's finest tables? My pick for now is the deebee suit, but am curious as to the local sartorial etiquette, especially given that these are essentially restaurants in the country, frequented by holidaying gourmands.
3. I will be making the odyssey from Traube Tonbach to Bareiss on foot, probably 3 miles in the wind and snow. Any suggestions for outerwear apart from an epic 22oz tweed greatcoat and a sea of scarves?
4. Any sartorial sights worth visiting? Predicting that there are none, I took the insurance of scheduling a fitting from one of the Parisian artisans whom I patronise. But you never know.
Ideally, I would pack an armada of greatcoats, tweed Norfolks and flannel suits, loaded into a squadron of steamer trunks, however my bespoke Concorde has been delayed at the upholster's and will only be delivered to me in 2020 (give or take a few decades, I'm in no hurry), so I shall have to enlist the services of one of those... airlines. So a minimal wardrobe would be best.
By the way, a most Happy Thanksgiving to all American members,
Cheers,
B
Appropriate dress for the Schwarzwald
Dear Monsieur Xu,
Congratulations for such a great choice of location and restaurants for your holidays ! Having dined several times at both places, I know about the pleasures of eating at two of Europe's finest restaurants.
Concerning the dress code, remember that both restaurants are in a remote village in the German countryside. Both restaurants belong to luxury hotels visited mostly by wealthy elderly Germans that go there to relax, so they dress accordingly. I wore a suit and tie when dining at both places, but I was probably the best-dressed person in the room each time. Diners mostly wore sports jackets, and several people did not wear ties. Generally, the dress code is a tiny bit more formal in the evenings, so I suppose a tie would be appropriate then. I would advise against wearing either a tweed suit or a dinner suit because you will definitely stand out or (in the case of the dinner suit) will be confused with the staff. Therefore, a simple suit and tie will most likely be your best option.
As for trekking in the Black Forest area, wellies may not be a good choice since they do not offer enough protection from slipping and may make it difficult to hike, since many footpaths are quite narrow and can be steep. I would opt for hiking boots. Wearing plus twos should be perfectly fine, since many German hikers also wear those trousers made from loden cloth. But as ugly as it may sound, most tourist doing trekking trips in the Black Forest will wear functional clothing from high-tech artificial materials like they do in any other hiking resort around the world. After all, the Black Forest is not that remote any more...
I do not know why you want to make the trip from Tonbach (Schwarzwaldstube) to Mitteltal (Bareiss) by foot since you will be exhausted and frozen to the marrow by the time you reach the restaurant (possibly even wet if it is raining), which may then ruin the dining experience. If I were you, I would rather ask the hotel driver to drop you off before the meal and then take the walk back afterwards which will also help with digesting such an opulent meal.
Luggage-wise, I would just pack a suit for the restaurant visits and some comfy clothes for the walks in the woods - and don't forget some sturdy shoes.
Happy Thanksgiving !
Congratulations for such a great choice of location and restaurants for your holidays ! Having dined several times at both places, I know about the pleasures of eating at two of Europe's finest restaurants.
Concerning the dress code, remember that both restaurants are in a remote village in the German countryside. Both restaurants belong to luxury hotels visited mostly by wealthy elderly Germans that go there to relax, so they dress accordingly. I wore a suit and tie when dining at both places, but I was probably the best-dressed person in the room each time. Diners mostly wore sports jackets, and several people did not wear ties. Generally, the dress code is a tiny bit more formal in the evenings, so I suppose a tie would be appropriate then. I would advise against wearing either a tweed suit or a dinner suit because you will definitely stand out or (in the case of the dinner suit) will be confused with the staff. Therefore, a simple suit and tie will most likely be your best option.
As for trekking in the Black Forest area, wellies may not be a good choice since they do not offer enough protection from slipping and may make it difficult to hike, since many footpaths are quite narrow and can be steep. I would opt for hiking boots. Wearing plus twos should be perfectly fine, since many German hikers also wear those trousers made from loden cloth. But as ugly as it may sound, most tourist doing trekking trips in the Black Forest will wear functional clothing from high-tech artificial materials like they do in any other hiking resort around the world. After all, the Black Forest is not that remote any more...
I do not know why you want to make the trip from Tonbach (Schwarzwaldstube) to Mitteltal (Bareiss) by foot since you will be exhausted and frozen to the marrow by the time you reach the restaurant (possibly even wet if it is raining), which may then ruin the dining experience. If I were you, I would rather ask the hotel driver to drop you off before the meal and then take the walk back afterwards which will also help with digesting such an opulent meal.
Luggage-wise, I would just pack a suit for the restaurant visits and some comfy clothes for the walks in the woods - and don't forget some sturdy shoes.
Happy Thanksgiving !
I've also eaten at both and would tend to agree with Oxford.
In both places business suits tended to dominate in the evenings when I was there, but there were plently of people in sports jackets.
As for the walk, it isn't very far, so if the weather is fine wear what you like, but if it is bad, you would, I think, be foolish to wear anything except approprate hiking clothing. There are few experiences as miserable as trudging in the rain against a half gale wearing sodden clothing - however elegant it was an hour ago, before you ruined it.
Rob
In both places business suits tended to dominate in the evenings when I was there, but there were plently of people in sports jackets.
As for the walk, it isn't very far, so if the weather is fine wear what you like, but if it is bad, you would, I think, be foolish to wear anything except approprate hiking clothing. There are few experiences as miserable as trudging in the rain against a half gale wearing sodden clothing - however elegant it was an hour ago, before you ruined it.
Rob
Yow want some nice, thick wool socks, and a pair of these to wear with your plus twos. That's pretty much what they would wear in the Tyrol with their traditional outfits.
http://blog.leffot.com/2010/11/12/viber ... fot-hiker/
I've got to agree with the previous poster, though, and say that outdoor activities are one are where modern\synthetic clothing has a lot to offer !
http://blog.leffot.com/2010/11/12/viber ... fot-hiker/
I've got to agree with the previous poster, though, and say that outdoor activities are one are where modern\synthetic clothing has a lot to offer !
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~ Monsieur Xu ~
Dear friends,
A very happy and prosperous new year to all Loungers. I'm off to Traube Tonbach in a few days and am taking this opportunity to ask for any last tips on interesting sartorial or gastronomic or otherwise elegantesque sights in the area, in particular the nearest major city, Strasbourg.
I will also use this post as an excuse to post photos of the 21oz gunclub sportcoat and rust cords/gold moleskins that I'll be taking with me. Any thoughts on their suitability to the locale and their general fit and style are most welcome. I felt comme il faut donning these in Munich last month when I was there, and am now positively enamoured with Deutschland and particularly Bavaria with its elegant citizenry and way of life.
A tremendously stylish week to all,
B
A very happy and prosperous new year to all Loungers. I'm off to Traube Tonbach in a few days and am taking this opportunity to ask for any last tips on interesting sartorial or gastronomic or otherwise elegantesque sights in the area, in particular the nearest major city, Strasbourg.
I will also use this post as an excuse to post photos of the 21oz gunclub sportcoat and rust cords/gold moleskins that I'll be taking with me. Any thoughts on their suitability to the locale and their general fit and style are most welcome. I felt comme il faut donning these in Munich last month when I was there, and am now positively enamoured with Deutschland and particularly Bavaria with its elegant citizenry and way of life.
A tremendously stylish week to all,
B
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~ Monsieur Xu ~
And the chaussures that shall accompany me, a rather well broken-in pair of hand-welted balmoral boots.
You can see they've come a way since their birth... viewtopic.php?f=4&t=10329
You can see they've come a way since their birth... viewtopic.php?f=4&t=10329
Your outfit looks great, but I'm not sure I'd wear it for dinner at the Traube!
If you're looking for other gastronomic delights in the area, it would be almost criminal not to pop across the border and visit that granddaddy of 3* restaurants:-
http://www.auberge-de-l-ill.com
And a bit further away, but the most exiting culinary experience I've ever had (although the service isn't as good as the Auberge de l'Ill).
http://arnsbourg.com/
Strasbourg is well worth visiting, but sartorially, you're visiting a wilderness area. Look for the best of what they have, such as food, wine, history and scenery and go to London, Paris or Naples for your sartorial delight.
If you're looking for other gastronomic delights in the area, it would be almost criminal not to pop across the border and visit that granddaddy of 3* restaurants:-
http://www.auberge-de-l-ill.com
And a bit further away, but the most exiting culinary experience I've ever had (although the service isn't as good as the Auberge de l'Ill).
http://arnsbourg.com/
Strasbourg is well worth visiting, but sartorially, you're visiting a wilderness area. Look for the best of what they have, such as food, wine, history and scenery and go to London, Paris or Naples for your sartorial delight.
As Hesketh has duly remarked, l'Auberge de l'Ill is the grandfather of haute cuisine in France, and unfortunately, the place in my opinion is very much stuck in the 70s - creamy sauces, rich ingredients and horrendously stuffy staff. The only thing they have changed since Paul Haeberlin founded the place sometime during the middle of last century is the interior design. It now comes as retro 70s rather than the real stuff.
However, for an outstanding food experience, I would turn a little bit north to the tiny town of Gundershoffen:
http://www.aucygne.fr/en
On the French side of the border, people tend to dress up a little more, even for lunch (which probably is the main event of their day apart from dinner), so if you want to do as the natives do (and ignore the swarms of German and Swiss guests), you may want to consider suiting up. Afterwards, I can highly recommend a stroll through the scenic town of Riquewihr closeby to get rid of the calories...
However, for an outstanding food experience, I would turn a little bit north to the tiny town of Gundershoffen:
http://www.aucygne.fr/en
On the French side of the border, people tend to dress up a little more, even for lunch (which probably is the main event of their day apart from dinner), so if you want to do as the natives do (and ignore the swarms of German and Swiss guests), you may want to consider suiting up. Afterwards, I can highly recommend a stroll through the scenic town of Riquewihr closeby to get rid of the calories...
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