Vetter's Alt Heidelberger Brauhaus — Restaurant in Heidelberg

This place is absolutely amazing. We went several times during our too-short-of-a-stay in Heidelburg. It's not really a tourist spot, so it would be a good idea to have basic German phrases like ' good evening, do you have a table for two'. They will switch to English, but it really depends on the person and their comfort level with English.

They also won't drop into your table several times for no reason like places do in the states. Basically, they're at your table for ordering and bringing your food which we really enjoyed. Also, we noticed places in Europe are not trying to 'flip tables' to get as many tips as possible (probably because tipping isn't a thing), which again, we really enjoyed because we were able to chat and hangout and when we absolutely had to leave we just gestured at our waiter and sure enough moments later he was there with our check.

The language tip as well as the info on the frequency in which they come to your table, I hope, will prevent someone from thinking this is an 'unfriendly place' or that they're being 'discriminated against'. I went into quite a bit of detail because if you are expecting them to know and happily speak English when it's Germany or dote on you like American waiters you're going to have a bad time (like the American couple who sat next to us one night). There are not that many tables and they're usually always full, so everyone sits everywhere (e.g. two couples at a 4-person table).

Food wise, you can't go wrong with Schnitzel or spaetzle. My husband tried the pork knuckle one night and it was great if you're feeling adventurous! Definitely get the apple strudel! One of the best we had our whole trip. Great coffee too! They take...

We love going to a Brauhaus when in Germany; so when we came across this one we were very excited. Then finding out about the world's strongest beer... Well, we just had to go. I really do not understand the reservation system. We tried making a reservation for Saturday night at 7:30 and it was denied. We walked by at 8:30 pm and the place was only 1/2 full. We were able to get a reservation for Sunday at 6:30, which is a little early, but we figured it was busy again. However, the same thing as Saturday, by 7:30 there was a mass exodus and by 8:00 the place was deserted again.

We were really hoping to sit in the main restaurant, but were shuffled off to the overflow room next door. The atmosphere in the overflow room is just bland. You don't feel at all like you are in a German Brauhaus. It is just plain walls. Thank goodness there were some empty tables outside due to the rain, because it was probably 38 degrees inside the building, and it was comfortable outside. Other than that it was a very good dining experience.

The beer was good, but my recommendation is to save the Vetter 33 for after dinner. It is a very sweet drink. It reminded me of an after dinner wine or sherry. VERY VERY good, but it would have been the perfect end to a meal along with the crumble.

My wife raved over the chicken wings, she said they were some of the best she has ever had. I enjoyed my sausages and sauerkraut. It was delicious. I especially like the way they shredded the sauerkraut, it was smaller than you normally get, and I enjoyed the texture of the kraut as much as the taste.

I would certainly recommend this for a visit when...

We had dinner at Vetter’s on May 11, 2023 while staying in the Old Heidelberg area at the suggestion of my husband’s friends who who met us for dinner; they live in Heidelberg & Mannheim respectively so we appreciated their idea. It was a delightful evening! The tavern is loud and fun! The 4 of us sat with 3 others from other Countries who happily allowed us to join them; all very nice to chat with a bit. The 4 beer “sampling” served on a long wooden “platter” was very good tho much more than just a “sample” of 4 different types of beer! We then ordered our own favorites. My Schnitzel was the best I’d had in Germany up to that point so it spoiled me forever due to the flavor & the crispy deliciousness of it; it was served with very good fried potatoes & a salad & a gravy which tasted quite good but I eat Schnitzel as is. My husband & one friend chose a very tasty sausage platter with excellent sauerkraut & rye bread. The other had a really good looking Salad with Chicken. My husband also ordered the Liver Dumpling Soup recommended by our friends & we thought it was really quite delicious even tho my husband is not as big a fan of liver as I am. Our server was nice & attentive enough considering how busy the place was the entire time we were there. If you’re looking for excellent German foods in a fun atmosphere in the Old Heidelberg area you can’t go wrong choosing Vetter’s in my opinion. The beer was very good & prices for all seemed quite reasonable considering the portion sizes! Sharon...