#73 | Moloko+, Frankfurt, Germany
Last Visit: Summer 2025
When I first stepped into moloko+ early last year, there was still a bit of that 'hidden gem' vibe in the air. Although the bar had already reinvented itself in 2023, transforming from a daytime spot serving an entire food menu bistro-style, coffee, and the like, into a more cocktail-focused evening bar: Good things take time. I notice this time and again when traveling abroad, often, despite thorough research, you miss out on exciting openings from the past 1–2 years because word just hasn't gotten around yet. Only by word of mouth, it also got to me at the turn of the year 2024/2025: my friend and bartender/bar owner Patrick Schweiger from the renowned dstrct.art in Düsseldorf had already recommended a visit a few times the months before, and so it finally happened at the end of a short trip to the city on the Main river.
Maybe it was also because the bar's "insider tip" status (in the weeks following my first visit, quite a few bartenders didn't even know the name) didn't last much longer after I went there, that this little article was published a bit late. It's always a little demotivating when you think you can tell people enthusiastically about something "new" and exciting, and then a few months later - with a first rough draft of the article already finished - the nominations, awards, articles, and fame come all at once anyway and there is nothing new to tell. Well deserved, of course, which is why it was finally time to get to it; because moloko+ is too good to put it off any longer.
Even as I stood in front of the door, the simple thought crossed my mind: "This is pretty cool." Why? For one thing, the location, basically on the end/corner of a city block peninsula, framed by two converging streets, directly across from the "Alte Brücke" over the Main river. It's called the Old Bridge and it certainly is old, but just the feeling of looking out over the big Main river in Frankfurt, the horizon and the two very busy streets running right around it, somehow immediately evokes that typical Frankfurt cosmopolitan, transcontinental vibe. This is also underscored by the place itself: on the outside, a fairly large space for a terrace facing the bridge, large, wonderful windows (see below) framed by brass sashes - which I've always loved - typical of 1960s buildings.
Inside, this vibe and specifically that decade continues: mid-century all the way, from the bar to the woodwork, art, and lighting. But it's still elegant, atmospheric, leaving room to breathe, some clean spaces in between the historic pieces, never like a museum and boy, do I love me some authentic mid-century interiors. Responsible for this are Tom and Bijankina Lerotic, bar owners and big fans and collectors of those great pieces, all originals from Herman Miller, Vitra, and Knoll.
What you need in such large rooms (as you might know from some massive hotel bars) is, of course, appropriate service and hospitality, so that you don't immediately feel lost especially when the bar is still relatively empty. Both were provided with warmth and expertise; all questions about the exciting drinks were answered right away, and I was also given a brief overview of the bar's transformation.
Speaking of exciting cocktails, let's move on to the menu (see below): Simple, modern, matching the bar's decor and contemporary vibe. Personally, I think a few small graphic elements (perhaps something geometric and abstract to match the mid-century style) would be a nice finishing touch on the fold-out menu featuring about 12 signature drinks. The Rotovap is used in many of the cocktails here; as I've heard elsewhere, moloko+ actually owns several of them, and one is proudly displayed and illuminated right behind the bar.
Namas
| Gin
| Apple
| Rooibos
| Burnt Star Anise
| Sour Grape
The menu really nails the descprition here: "crispy/clean/toasted spices". I arrived at a very similar conclusion in my initial tasting notes on my phone for this fantastic starter. Despite its crystal-clear nature, both in appearance and aroma, it manages to deliver a beautifully full-bodied, almost creamy texture. Alongside the dry apple (in the form of a distillate from Mosel Distillers), there's a wonderful anise note, generally great tea notes, and of course the crispyness of the gin. A tiny bit of verjus (sour grape) adds a subtle, balancing fresh note, keeping it from veering too much toward a dry martini. One of my absolute favorite drinks of the first half of last year and a fantastic combination of flavors.
m+ Martini
| Cognac VS
| Vermut Blanco
| Coffee
| Brown Butter
| Banana
It was a very distant interpretation of a classic Martini, but otherwise I probably wouldn't have ordered it in the first place. The coffee was clearly the most intense flavor, followed by distinct grape notes of the base spirit and vermouth, with a hint of burnt caramel from the brown butter in the finish. The mentioned banana was banana liqueur and could have come through a little bit more; I could only sense it in the finish with some delicate banana chips notes, though that detail didn't make the drink any less delicious. The brown butter fat wash in pure vodka (instead of cognac) as a single ingredient makes it beautifully clear and intense in that regard; Muntaner as the vermouth brand was a fantastic choice, in which crushed coffee beans were macerated. Coffee-forward, slightly dry, with a lovely, elegant minerality, yet also enough sweetness from the grapes and culinary notes from the fat wash - a pretty cool signature cocktail.
Red Flag
| Gin
| Habanero
| Milky Oolong
| Japanese Plum
There is no bar in the world where you would find this combination of ingredients, and I would not order the drink right away. The habanero was actually distilled in-house using of course their Rotovap; in 90% of cases with the habanero in the ingredient lists, it's an Empirical Spirit bottling, though those are getting harder and harder to come by. So, kudos for the DIY effort! The plum is a typical Japanese ume liqueur, and the oolong tea was processed as a cordial. That cordial certainly added a bit more body than using a brewed tea in its pure form, while also bringing out more tea notes than a normal, plain tea syrup for example. The result was a beautifully elegant, malty, and delicately red-fruity drink. The former comes from the tea, while the latter derives from the habanero, since in its high quality distilled form you will get fine, red berry notes out of it. As you will also notice in the Empirical bottlings, by the way. The plum was present more as a supporting element and subtle sweetener (similar to how John described it recently in Stockholm) than as a truly intense plum note. A typical characteristic of Ume, more hearty-sweet and lighter than classic European plum associations.
As you can see, moloko+ plays with all sorts of flavors, from Asia to the Mediterranean; the same goes, by the way, for the very nice little selection of bar food, from arancini to waffles or roasted jalapeños. It's always nice to have some unusual (at least in bars) snacks to munch on. The team is very friendly and has, for good reason, brought home quite a few important nominations and awards, as well as making the name moloko+ one of the truly well-known ones in the German bar scene over the past two years. The drinks have exciting flavors; as a spice lover, I'd personally love to see at least one or two drinks on the menu take an even slightly funkier/bolder approach, but either way, I was very happy with every single one. That's why moloko+ has now made its way into my top 10 in Germany; if they just keep up the good work, with the occasional exciting experiment here and there, it can only continue to be fantastic.
/rds
The menus from my visit in early 2025 and John's later that year (click to view full size):
