Culinary Concept
Led by chef Eduard Knecht and sommelier Felix Daferner, the Rive Gauche combines Parisian flair with a Baden atmosphere. The kitchen is inspired by French haute cuisine while remaining open to modern and regional influences. Its offering is aimed at a discerning clientele. During the day the hosts invite guests to a stylish lunch on the terrace. In the evening, an indulgent à-la-carte menu beckons, or a gourmet tasting menu by prior arrangement. The wine list, carefully curated by Mr Daferner, focuses on European and regional wines.
Visiting
The Rive Gauche is open Tuesday to Sunday from 12 noon to 11 pm. Table reservations can be made through the website. The restaurant has no parking of its own and sits on the Lichtentaler Allee, which is closed to traffic. The car parks at Augustaplatz and the Kurhaus parking garage are very close by.
History and Building
The Rive Gauche was inaugurated in 2009 following the renovation of the palais at Lichtentaler Allee 8. In the course of this renovation work, the former function rooms of the International Club were restored in keeping with heritage-protection requirements and converted into restaurant rooms with 60 seats. Since then, the large windows of the winter garden have offered an unobstructed view onto the Lichtentaler Allee. The outdoor area to the south-east was extended with a terrace where, depending on the seating arrangement, up to 80 guests can now linger.
From 2009 to 2022 the catering was leased to Brenners Park-Hotel und Spa. The hotel’s Michelin-starred kitchen was housed in the main building on Schillerstraße. The Rive Gauche offered Mediterranean dishes at a high level and complemented the hotel’s culinary offering. After the Kulturhaus LA8 property passed to the Grenke Stiftung and management changes at Brenners Park Hotel, the cooperation was ended in 2022 and the Rive Gauche restaurant closed.
From 2022 to 2025 the catering area in the Kulturhaus LA8 stood unused. The Grenke Stiftung — owner of the Kulturhaus LA8 — was looking for a suitable new tenant. It was successful with the duo Knecht and Daferner. After various conversion works in the kitchen and interior and a redesign of the guest area, the restaurant was able to reopen under the same name on 15 July 2025 — now no longer as the annexe of a hotel but as an independent establishment.
Name
Rive Gauche is French and means left bank. In Paris, Rive Gauche refers to the districts lying to the south and on the left of the Seine. As these districts are also home to various educational institutions, the term is associated with the intellectual and artistic quarters of Paris. In Baden-Baden, the Rive Gauche restaurant sits on the left bank of the Oos and in the midst of the Baden-Baden Museum Mile.
Sources
- Wolfgang Grenke (ed.) LA8 - vom königlichen Palais zum einzigartigen Kulturhaus Baden-Baden, ISBN 978-3-00-031480-3
- Article Duo startet ein ambitioniertes Projekt by Bernd Kamleitner in the Badische Neueste Nachrichten, 12 July 2025