Gasthaus Bären — Restaurant in Stuttgart

Visited the place twice and I don't think will again. Both times we've had trouble with our reservations, first they said they don't find any on our name and had us waiting at the bar for a table which was unpleasant, but really not that bad. Second time we made the reservation two weeks(!) in advance and when we got there had the surprise of being seated in the tent on the walkway at the same uncomfortable table with other guests eventhough there were plenty of tables inside the restaurant, which they claimed were booked for company parties... Normally they should have asked at the time of the reservation if we are ok on the terrace but they didn't do that. Only to worsen the situation, after two hours there, the guy in charge came to ask if we planned to stay longer because they have people waiting for tables!!!! In other words they were looking to kick us out as quick as possible. I understand they want to make money, but I find this kind of attitude unacceptable and shouldn't happen. My two stars in the rating are for the food...

Very disappointing service. When we asked for help choosing the best dishes, the waitress with dark hair (who could use a new lash stylist) only repeated “this is typical German” without any real advice. Immediately after leaving our table, she went straight to her colleague, looked at us in a rude way, and started gossiping. If you want to make faces and talk about your guests, at least do it in the back -not in front of people who came here to enjoy their dinner. The food itself was fine, but portions were extremely small. We understand it’s tapas, but the amount recommended as “enough for 5 people” was absolutely not sufficient. Luckily, the blonde waitress with glasses showed some professionalism and was much more helpful -thanks to her the situation was slightly improved. Overall, the first impression ruined the experience. If you expect basic courtesy and guidance when trying local food, we cannot...

Gasthaus Bären nails the balance between traditional Swabian comfort food and creative, shareable small plates. The meal started strong with their bread mix served alongside crackling lard; salty, savory, and deeply satisfying in the simplest way. Their spätzle is textbook Swabian: soft, buttery, and generously portioned. It's a dish that doesn’t need dressing up to impress, pure, carby joy.

The surprise standout? The watermelon salad with feta and mint. Bright, cooling, and just the right mix of sweet, salty, and herbal, it was the perfect counterpoint to the heavier plates. And don’t overlook the homemade meatballs, whether in a creamy herb sauce, gravy, or tomato sauce, they’re tender, well-seasoned, and full of flavor without being overdone.

This is the kind of place that makes you want to order one of everything, and probably still go...