Koeppchen

Koeppchen is a restaurant with a long history and which has become an institution in the Moselle region of Luxembourg, known for its many wineries. The restaurant has been serving traditional Luxembourgian cuisine on top of a hill in Wormeldange since 1907, overseeing the local vineyards and the Moselle river.

After owners Metty and David took over the restaurant a couple of years ago, Koeppchen has achieved bridging the divide between traditional and modern cuisine, while still keeping its historical charm. Traditional elements in the restaurant have been preserved, such as the old fireplace, while the interior has been tastefully redecorated with light colours, new tables and chairs and a lot of wood, giving it a modern yet cosy feel. Plus, the bar is shaped like a sailing boat.

Outside, you will find a shaded terrace which is great for the summer days as well as a big parking lot and there are also some parking spaces in the surrounding streets. Due to the current situation, they have actually expanded the terrace to the parking lot, from where you have an amazing view over the Moselle valley. Koeppchen is open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner and booking your table ahead of time is highly recommended as this is a popular place, especially on the weekends. You can easily do this via their online booking tool and do not forget to let them know if you wanna sit outside.

I became inspired to write a review about this place during the quarantine. Luxembourg went into lockdown early March and restaurants were forced to close and were only allowed to do deliveries and take-out during most of the confinement. The restaurant industry was hit really hard, but the Koeppchen team took this difficult situation head-on and made the best out of it. That really impressed me. As soon as they could, they opened back up for take-out and deliveries, focusing on a small menu with burgers, menu favourites as well as a vegan option and wine boxes.

There was also a very informative video about their take-out service, showing clients how they could pick up their food in a safe environment. We went and got burgers and the vegan box a couple of times and the food was delicious! The burgers were perfectly grilled and even the fries were still crispy by the time we got home. The Koeppchen team was and still is very considerate about the present circumstances and their health and safety provisions are absolutely on point; so you can enjoy your food without worries.

Besides being famous for its location and food, Koeppchen has also made a name for itself as a restaurant with a great drink and wine selection. They serve Luxembourgish craft beer from the Stuff Brauerei, Crémant, the Luxembourgian sparkling wine and great cocktails. Some seasonal favourites include a summer mule or a winter sangria. Their mule with ginger beer is one of my favourite cocktails and though as usual cocktails come with a hefty price tag in Luxembourg, here they are actually worth the money.

Most notably, however, Koeppchen has an extensive wine menu, featuring many Luxembourgian winemakers. This is a great opportunity to dabble in some local wines and discover some new wineries. Luxembourg has always been known for its white wine but recently young winemakers have been stepping up their game, producing some great, flavourful red wines too. Don't know what wine to choose? The team is very knowledgeable about wines, and they will gladly help you find the perfect one to go with your meal.

Koeppchen changes its menu a couple of times a year, in order to offer dishes using not only seasonal but also a lot of regional products, such as Luxembourgian cheese, eggs, meats, bread and their fruits and veggies come from "Les paniers de Sandrine", a local farm in Munsbach (they also sell their produce to the public!). They serve meat and fish dishes as well as Luxembourgian classics and of course their famous burgers. On top of that, they offer seasonal specials and a weekly lunch menu, so there is plenty of choice! Subscribe to their newsletter if you want to be kept in the loop.

Another feature that sets Koeppchen apart from many other restaurants in Luxembourg and especially restaurants serving traditional Luxembourgian cuisine is their veggie and vegan section on the menu. Luxembourgian cuisine can be quite hearty, rustic, and meat-focused and vegetarians and especially vegans have a hard time finding something on the menu. Not at Koeppchen. Metty is actually married to Marinola, a Brazilian vegan food blogger and cook, who posts delicious and approachable vegan recipes on her blog and Instagram and I credit her good influence for some of the creative veggie and vegan dishes on the menu, such as a Brazilian curry with plantains. There are even gluten-free dishes, so there really is something for everybody.

Great as a starter is the vegan oriental mezze platter, which comes with crispy flatbread, hummus with pomegranate, falafel with popcorn and many more small dishes you can share with the whole table. We really enjoyed this dish, the presentation was great and every little component was fresh and really delicious and I think this is one of my new favourites. There are also tarte flambée, available in the classic version with bacon bits and onions as well as a veggie version with goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, figs and nuts. One of the seasonal specials we tried was a burrata from the Fromagerie du Luxembourg and tomatoes from Les paniers de Sandrine, served with caramelized figs. It is simply great to see a restaurant highlighting and recognizing local ingredients and producers.

A small issue I have is that sometimes there are a couple of extra ingredients in the dishes, probably mostly meant for decoration but which are not necessarily noted on the menu. For example, the goat cheese tarte flambée we had was crispy and delicious but besides cheese, tomatoes and figs it also came with peppers and lots of fresh spinach; or the goat cheese salad which comes with a couple of extra mushrooms. I just wish they would note these on the menu too.

The reason I have loved Koeppchen for such a long time and why it became very popular with the younger crowd are actually their burgers. Thick beef patties, perfectly grilled and still slightly pink in the middle, topped with local ingredients and served between two crispy burger buns, which are specially made for the restaurant by a local bakery. All burgers can also be served with chicken or a vegan patty as well as gluten-free bread.

My favorite is "DE LËTZEBUERGER", topped with crispy bacon, egg, local Berdorfer cheese, homemade sauce and pickles. If, for whatever reason you are a pickle-hater, skip this burger because there are a lot of pickles on there, which makes it simply amazing in my book. Another recommendation is their Koeppchen burger with hash browns. All burgers come with fries and a side salad. The dressing for their side salad is really tasty, so do not skip it!

Bouchée à la reine is a Luxembourgian classic and favourite of many. Bouchée, also known as "Paschtéitchen", is a poultry fricassee with mushrooms, traditionally served with some puff pastry and a white wine sauce and a side dish such as rice or fries. It is one of those dishes where there are different variations from family to family and each one claims to have the best recipe. So, if a restaurant is serving a bad bouchée, people will definitely notice. But I have to give it to the Koeppchen kitchen that their Paschtéitchen is actually really nice and can hold its own to the one served at Kraeltgen. At Koeppchen they go easy on the wine in the sauce, making it creamy and savoury and not too tart in flavour, something I very much enjoy. Also, there are big, chunky shredded pieces of moist chicken, exactly the way it has to be. Even Chris, who is very picky when it comes to bouchée, approved of it.

Other classic dishes include Kniddelen, Luxembourgian flour dumplings served in a cream sauce with crispy bacon bits or in a mustard sauce with pieces of Wainzoossiss, a Luxembourgian pork and beef sausage. If you wanna know how to make them at home, check out our recipe. Koeppchen is also quite famous for its "friture", small, whole fried fish served with tartar sauce, which is a classic dish of the Moselle region and very popular with the locals.

The veggie and vegan trend has undeniably made its way to Luxembourg with more and more restaurants offering non-meat options but those can often be quite limited or are simply uncreative. Not here! The veggie and vegan options at Koeppchen change seasonally and usually includes a vegan burger. Besides the mezze platter for sharing as a starter, they currently have a green bowl with tofu as well as the classic goat cheese salad on their summer menu.

I actually could not resist the green bowl with tofu, rice, edamame, melon, avocado, black bean fritters, tofu, bean sprouts and a soy-sesame sauce. I added an egg to the dish and left out the shitake mushrooms. Not only is this a gluten-free and healthy option but it also tasted absolutely delicious and was one of my favourite dishes I have ever had at Koeppchen. If you do not like tofu, they also have a version with smoked salmon. The goat cheese salad was also plentiful with crispy baked goat cheese baguette bites, caramelized nuts and pears and a fresh, mixed green salad.

I rarely eat meat in restaurants because I have been disappointed just too many times by bad cuts of meat and under- or overdone steaks. But I wanted to give it a shot, also because the beef filet they are serving is local. You can choose the side dishes as well as the sauce for the steak yourself. I got potatoes, which could have been a bit more al dente for my taste, and bearnaise sauce. When I ordered my steak medium+, the restaurant was completely packed, so I was a bit sceptical if the kitchen would get it right on such a busy night, but they did. I have rarely had such an even-cooked steak in a restaurant and they earned an extra point for this in my book. This was a perfectly executed, great quality steak.

Their breaded veal cutlet, more commonly known as Schnitzel, was, however, a bit disappointing as neither the meat nor the breading was well seasoned. The meat came out quite dry and the breading was a bit soggy and falling apart on the bottom. The overly tart cranberry sauce did not really make it any better. Don't get me wrong, it was still a good dish but not completely up to par with all the other amazing dishes we have had at Koeppchen over the years.

Koeppchen actually produces all their desserts in-house and those of you who have a sweet tooth, there will surely be something on the menu to tempt you. A classic, of course, is the creme brulée with its caramelized sugar coating or the "dame blanche", scoops of vanilla ice cream served with whipped cream and warm, dark chocolate, which you can pour over the ice cream yourself. And how about a dessert cocktail? They have an Espresso Martini on the menu, which is prepared for you by Davide, their amazing barkeeper.

What I personally love about Koeppchen is the atmosphere, a historical setting with a modern feel and a surprisingly laid-back and informal, yet never impolite, service. I find it really refreshing how the staff treats visitors in a friendly, open, and welcoming manner, clearly different from some of the more stuck up restaurants you find in Luxembourg. You can clearly tell that they all care about the food, the restaurant and their customers. Little hiccups are quickly and confidently addressed and I give them a lot of credit for how they handle little mishaps. That's what I call great customer service.

Simply put, this is the restaurant where you can take your whole family. Your grandma who likes the classic dishes, your dad who likes to chow down on a big piece of meat, your vegan cousin as well as your picky auntie who is always on a diet. All of them will find something they enjoy on Koeppchen's menu. If you have family from outside of Luxembourg coming to visit, this is the perfect place for them to have a taste of classic, yet approachable Luxembourgian dishes, with impeccable service in an amazing setting. The Moselle region is great for a day trip to go a walk along the river and in the vineyards or enjoy a glass of Crémant in one of the local wineries and finish it off with some delicious food at Koeppchen. I can only recommend you give this place a try!