An apparatus for curtain coating, particularly for high-speed curtain coating of a continuous paper web substrate (12) is provided with a hopper means (14) providing one or more liquid coating materials in the form of a free-falling curtain (16) impinging the substrate (12) at a dynamic wetting line. Edge guide elements (22, 24) are arranged on both sides supplying a wetting or auxiliary liquid. Each guide element (22, 24) has at least one contact area of its surface directed towards said curtain, which contact area has a multiplicity of grooves (32) and ribs (34) extending along the length of said edge guide elements (22, 24).