Hahndorf Inn Hotel, Hahndorf by Big Fil

I like Hahndorf but it is very touristy. I mean, even when I was a kid it was a renowned tourist destination for people from Adelaide, our own backyard Bavaria, but each time I go back it seems busier and slightly more kitsch.

To cater for the hungry hordes there are a number of German themed restaurants. I've tried a couple but none recently, and S1 and family were keen on trying 'German food' and had chosen Hahndorf Inn.



After our visit here I must admit to mixed feelings about Hahndorf Inn. I can't say I liked it enough to want to go back or disliked it enough to want to never return. It was more of a kind of 'meh' experience, not good enough to drag me back in but not enough to drive me away either.

I think it does make an attempt to recreate the feeling of a real German Bear hall. It's a little dark, noisy, and lots of niece wooden beams and panelling. However, while I've only been through a couple of proper German beer halls or restaurants those that Hungry Pete and I have visited have something which Hahndorf Inn lacked, a feeling of history behind them. I know Hahndorf Inn itself isn't young but the dining area feels quite new, certainly not the hundreds of years old you can get in Germany.



The quality of the food I thought was acceptable but not great. Some reasonable sausages (that probably tasted a bit more similar to each other than they should have), some fairly mediocre sauerkraut and potatoes, smoked pork hock that was ok but not quite what I hoped for. Worst element though was the pretzel, which I didn't really want to eat. No issue with the serving sizes but given the quality they would need to be generous, because it's also a bit pricey here.





The one element though which definitely could do with some improvement is the service. It never tottered over the edge to disaster but it felt that the staff were pretty much on the edge. The Inn was admittedly busy but should have been used to that. It felt to me like some of the staff were feeling overwhelmed and maybe starting to get a little short with some of the guests. This isn't a good thing when you are selling the experience as much or maybe even more than the food.

Overall
A bit of kitsch fun and if you have never been to Germany it probably gives you some idea of what German food is about, or at least some traditional German food (my experience is that the German national dish is now the kebab). Somewhere I wouldn't take too seriously, treat it as part of the package of going out for the day and it is a worthwhile occasional experience. Not somewhere I'd go everyday though, or even every month.

Verdict
Food - 6.5
Service - 6
Ambience - 7.5
Price - 6

Address
35 Main Street
Hahndorf SA 5245
Tel: (08) 8388 7063