Bräu-Gasthof in Hallstatt — Restaurant in Hallstatt

Bräu-Gasthof in Hallstatt @ Hallstatt 🍺🐟🇦🇹 🗓️ Visited: Saturday, 2 PM 📍 Traditional Austrian Inn & Restaurant

The Bräu-Gasthof is a charming lakeside inn and restaurant in the heart of Hallstatt, combining traditional Austrian hospitality with stunning views over Hallstätter See. Its rustic wooden façade, flower-filled balconies, and historic charm make it a welcoming stop for both locals and travelers.

When we arrived on a Saturday afternoon, the place was full house, and we waited about 10–15 minutes for a table. We were lucky to be seated outdoors right by the lake, enjoying the calm water and mountain views under the afternoon sun.

I ordered the fish in a creamy sauce with baked potatoes, and it was excellent—the fish was fresh and tender, the sauce rich and flavorful, and the baked potatoes soft inside with just the right crisp on the skin. 🐟🥔✨

Despite the crowd, service was friendly and efficient, letting us enjoy a relaxed lunch without feeling rushed. The peaceful lakeside setting turned a simple meal into a memorable Hallstatt moment.

🧭 Tip: On weekends, expect a short wait during peak times. Aim for an early or late lunch to secure a prime lakeside table and enjoy...

Unfortunately, our visit to this restaurant left a very negative impression. The place itself is beautiful and ideal for lunch, but the service completely ruined the experience. The waitress was openly condescending, making snide remarks quietly that we could hear clearly, and showed disregard, especially when we were ordering food for our child. When we requested a children's menu, she only provided the options verbally. We chose fries and sausages, but the portion turned out to be very large and contained a lot of grated hot horseradish. We were only informed about this after our child had tasted the food and started spitting it out. Is horseradish really suitable for a 3-year-old child?

The worst part was when she took the toy away from our child without any warning and threw it to the other side of the table because the child was tapping a magnetic pen on the table. Such behavior towards children is unacceptable.

As for the food, the dishes were of average quality—nothing special and not worth the visit. Given the poor service, I definitely wouldn’t recommend...

Titel: Enttäuschende Erfahrung trotz schöner Lage

Wir waren eine Gruppe von sechs Personen. Das Restaurant liegt sehr schön im Zentrum direkt am Ufer – der Ausblick ist wirklich atemberaubend und eigentlich das einzige Highlight dieses Ortes.

Leider war der Rest unserer Erfahrung eher negativ:

Wartezeit: Wir mussten über 30 Minuten in der Sonne warten, bis wir überhaupt Platz nehmen konnten.

Service: Wir sprechen sehr gut Deutsch, dennoch war die Behandlung eher neutral als freundlich. Die meisten Kellner wirkten unhöflich und unmotiviert. Besonders die Kellnerin mit schwarzen Haaren war ausgesprochen unfreundlich und sprach selbst auf Deutsch undeutlich – und das in Österreich! Ein älterer Kellner beschimpfte Touristen sogar und benutzte dabei Ausdrücke wie „Kurva“.

Umgang mit Touristen: Bei uns wurden innerhalb kurzer Zeit drei Touristengruppen (aus Italien, China/Korea und Polen/Ukraine) einfach hinausgeworfen. Die Gründe blieben unklar, aber das Verhalten war beschämend.

Positiv: Nur zwei Kellner – ein junger und ein rothaariger – waren wirklich freundlich und zuvorkommend.

Essen: Geschmacklich maximal durchschnittlich (3 von 5). Preislich noch akzeptabel, aber nichts Besonderes.

Bezahlung: Nur Kartenzahlung möglich – im Jahr 2025 wirkt das sehr merkwürdig. Man bekommt fast den Eindruck, dass hier eher Geldwäsche betrieben wird.

Fazit: Die Lage und der Ausblick sind großartig, aber Service und Atmosphäre waren enttäuschend. Ich persönlich würde dieses Restaurant nicht weiterempfehlen. Als Besitzer würde ich mich fragen, ob ich solche Kellner überhaupt im Team haben möchte.

Title: Disappointing Experience Despite a Beautiful Location

We visited as a group of six. The restaurant is located in the city center right by the waterfront – the view is truly stunning and definitely the only real highlight of this place.

Unfortunately, the rest of our experience was quite negative:

Waiting Time: We had to wait over 30 minutes in the sun before being seated.

Service: We speak German very well, yet the attitude was neutral at best, not welcoming. Most of the waiters were rude and careless. The waitress with black hair was particularly unfriendly and spoke unclear German – quite surprising for Austria. An older waiter even cursed at tourists, using words like “Kurva.”

Treatment of Tourists: While we were there, three groups of tourists (from Italy, China/Korea, and Poland/Ukraine) were thrown out for unclear reasons. This behavior was shameful and unprofessional.

Positive Note: Only two waiters – a younger one and a red-haired one – were genuinely kind and friendly.

Food: The food was average at best (3 out of 5). The price was okay, but nothing special.

Payment: Card payment only – in 2025 this feels very suspicious. It almost gives the impression of money laundering rather than a normal payment policy.

Conclusion: The location and the view are fantastic, but the service and atmosphere were disappointing. I would not recommend this restaurant. If I were the owner, I would seriously reconsider whether to keep such waiters...