Restaurant Johanns — Restaurant in Waldkirchen

With a birthday to celebrate we decided to finally experience Johanns in Waldkirchen, Bavaria - 1 Star Michelin Restaurant. Below our observations. It has to be said, more than half of the guests were industry insiders Chef to Hotelier with Michelin background so one could say we’re demanding customers, even if this may not appear like it to the concerned as in the it’s about the family event, which we most certainly enjoy regardless how impressive the venues performance is every year 1,2,3 times.

For the ones not interested in the long(er) Version, here in short. Venue, not really our taste. Modern, large, with only 50 covers to seat one would think more could be made of it. Service, trying hard, at times probably too hard. Culinary, may be entry level Michelin but fails to impress. Pricing, keeping in mind as industry insiders we believe lower Bavaria is still way under priced for experiences like this - fair.

Main Menu, available in 4-, 5- and 6-course with or without accompanying wine selection Only half of us selected the menu and interestingly enough it was the ones not working in F&B/Hotel. The best part was probably the wine selection presented. Portions seemed at times overdone, but I guess that’s the Bavaria influence. Food presentation at times “odd” for example the amuse or Auftakt finger bites presented for a medium size table without cutlery during COVID times…? The Brotzeit starter was interesting in taste but the presentation appeared off. Latest when the deep fried Kalbsbries arrived I was certain it was the right choice not to take the menu. The lamb certainly was the highlight of the menu, for me the only dish that was under-sized. Best was the Whiskey Oak desert and lucky as I am my wife was more than stuffed from the for her and probably many others oversized menu.

In all fairness, I must state here again. As insiders we may be spoiled an our benchmark(s) like “Schwingshackl” and similar places may be tough to compete with even if the menu here is substantially cheaper. But let’s face it, if we go Michelin Star dining we expect nothing short of being blown away.

The other dishes presented The Saibling (fish) looked stunning and I wished to have added another starter. The Beef Tartar was yummy although I felt there was an imbalance of tartar and it’s toppings. Maybe I should have taken the smaller portion as promoted in the Menu. Maroni Soup was yummy but way oversized due to the soup bowl. The China utilised was interesting but probably more for a desert presentation than a soup of this kind. Bauernente (Duck) was a solid portion and while reported as “tasty” it is hard to impress with such a dish in the Bavarian Forest where most housewifes are likely to do as good, from the looks probably even better - fresh. The Game dish (deer) was well presented and would likely be my choice if we were to return any time soon. Dry Aged Filet was good but failed to impress by presentation. Trueffeljus not very truffle, Coleslaw way oversized but a nice, tasty combination.

Since portion size is one of the main points above I should add, the fig-butter was awesome even if the bread appeared dried-off on the outside already, from standing a bit too long in the dry kitchen. The bread was good and the youngest guest (4) decided to stick to it and butter throughout the evening.

Anyone who reads this to the end is likely to be as done as we were. While we may be critical, we most certainly had a fabulous evening. As a concluding thought, the way the venue is presented for dinner felt at least to me more like a lunch dining venue and at least for lunch I’d be curious to discover their menu again. For dinner however the experience has to be developed, starting with more of a...

Today, I had the pleasure of indulging in a midday feast at this local gem with my mother, and wow, were we both enchanted! From the moment we arrived, the friendly service set a splendid tone for our culinary journey. Seated on a terrace that offered a mesmerizing view, we began with a delectable dip accompanied by fresh bread.

The bell pepper soup served as an excellent starter, elegantly paving the way for the main event. The pike-perch that followed was buttery soft, enhanced by a delightful sauce and paired perfectly with a glass of crisp Riesling. However, the real showstopper was the main course: tender veal with chanterelles and an incredibly good sweet braided bread. The Merlot recommended by the staff was an exceptional choice that beautifully complemented this dish, enhancing the flavors even further.

Dessert was no less spectacular—a Tonka bean concoction that was both a feast for the eyes and the palate.

The value for money was truly impressive, a rarity at this level of culinary excellence. Safe to say, we’ll definitely be returning to relive this exquisite lunch experience. Here’s to a meal that’s...

Das Johanns galt über Jahre hinweg als einer der kulinarischen Stars der Region, und seine Auszeichnung mit einem Stern war absolut verdient! Als regelmäßige Gäste hatten wir stets höchste Erwartungen – Erwartungen, die bislang nie enttäuscht wurden. Doch unser jüngster Besuch vor einigen Monaten hinterließ uns mit einem bitteren Nachgeschmack, der viele Fragen aufwarf.

Eine telefonische Reservierung, bei der explizit auf die Nuss- und Milchallergie eines Kollegen hingewiesen wurde, schien zunächst problemlos. Umso erstaunlicher, dass wir vor Ort auf erhebliche Kommunikationsprobleme stießen. Die Kellnerin, zeigte sich wenig kooperativ und eher genervt. Sie verwies unseren Kollegen lediglich auf die Speisekarte, um selbst herauszufinden, was für ihn geeignet sei. Da uns durch die Karte nicht bekannt ist, wie einzelne Gerichte zubereitet werden, eigentlich schon ein Unding. In einem Restaurant dieser Klasse darf man erwarten, dass die Details der Zubereitung aller Gerichte nicht nur bekannt sind, sondern auch auf Nachfrage aktiv kommuniziert werden. Stattdessen herrschte eine irritierende Gleichgültigkeit.

Nach wiederholten Nachfragen unserseits wurde uns schließlich zugesichert, dass auch mit diesen Einschränkungen ein Menü möglich sei. Doch was folgte, war eine Aneinanderreihung von Gängen, bei denen Zutaten immer wieder entfernt, jedoch keinerlei Alternativen angeboten wurden. Der Höhepunkt dieser unprofessionellen Darbietung war zweifellos das Dessert, das, entgegen aller Vorwarnungen, Milch enthielt. Unser Kollege musste dies selbst feststellen, nachdem die Allergie einsetzte. Ein Fauxpas, der in einem mit einem Stern dekorierten Etablissement schlichtweg inakzeptabel ist & je nach schwere der Allergie sehr böse ausgehen kann.

Dies waren die Erfahrungen des Kollegen mit Allergie. Doch es blieb nicht nur dabei. Ein zu einem Gang bestellter Portwein wurde schlichtweg vergessen und erst nach Beendigung des Ganges nachträglich angeboten. Den krönenden Abschluss bildete eine Wartezeit von 45 Minuten auf das Dessert, nachdem der zuvor bestellte Espresso bereits nach 5 Minuten serviert worden war.

Ohne Frage: Die Küche des Johanns bleibt auf einem hohen Niveau, mit tollem Handwerk. Doch ein Restaurant dieser Klasse wird nicht allein an seiner kulinarischen Leistung gemessen, sondern ebenso an der Qualität des Services. Und dieser hat, zu unserem Bedauern, bei diesem Besuch auf ganzer Linie komplett versagt. Solch gravierende Mängel sind in einem Sternerestaurant nicht nur enttäuschend, sie sind schlichtweg unentschuldbar. Wir hoffen, dass das Johanns diese Rückmeldung ernst nimmt und zu seiner gewohnten Form...