Casa Hirscher — Restaurant in Zona Metropolitană Brașov

Great food, HORRIFIC service

We called to book a table for 8 (4 couples) and our request was promptly adressed, which is where the good stuff ends. Due to parking, we were late 5 mins, but we called 15 in advance to let the manager( Razvan, the one we talked with over the phone) know and we were assured there was no problem. One couple arrived early to be seated .... at some kind of a service table right near the bathrooms and the back of the bar. Also, there WERE OTHER TABLES AVAILABLE. Not even the music could be heard back there. When questioned about the reason behind it, Razvan said told us it was because we were late (AGAIN, 5 mins with a phone call in advance of 15). Needless to say, the night was begibnning to fall apart at this moment. Mostly because of the tone used by the manager which was nothing short of a tough love motherly scolding. We waited for the rest of the group to arrive and we tried once more to convince the manager to give us a better table or we would find ourselves forced to leave because of the conditions. The spirits got a tad heated (because we were a group and because the manager kept talking to us as if we'd have to bow down before adressing the Hall Master), but no more than a tad, we were still in the restaurant after all and we didn't want to disturb the rest of the guests. Irritated by our reasoning and insistence (since we still wanted to eat there and there WERE TABLES AVAILABLE), he told us "If this is the case, I can wish you all a good evening right now". Ultimately, he conceded and gave us one of the empty tables. The food was extraordinary, but the service continued to dissapoint. I use a kind of brand that heats tobacco and requested an ashtray (after asking for permission to smoke, obviously). In spite of asking for it twice, it never arrived. I just left the butts on the table (no regrets). The check - didn't arrive for at least half an hour, even though we've requested it twice from our server and one time from another one who asked us if we'd like anything else. We ate (again, EXCELLENT FOOD) and bolted right out of there as soon as we paid the bill. Even though there were the small issues with the bill and ashtray, the biggest of them all was the MANAGER'S ATTITUDE towards an ENTIRE GROUP OF CUSTOMERS. And we weren't there for coffee...

We ate at Casa Hirscher in mid-September while on a Transylvania road trip. Casa Hirscher deserves to be in the Michelin Guide! The restaurant is beautiful, and you can feel you are in for an elevated dining experience when you sit down at your table. This was the best dining experience I've ever had in Romania, and a big part of this was because of our server, Florentina. She was kind, patient with our questions, explained menu items so well, and her wine service was impeccable!

We had cocktails and ordered a bottle of 1000 de Chipuri's 2020 Fetească Neagră, which was recommended by Florentina. This is the best Fetească Neagră (FN) I have ever had, and it's the first wine I've had that's 17% alcohol! I had asked for a 2017 Apogeum, which they did not have, and I'm so glad because it enabled me to find this bottle from 1000 de Chipuri (1000 Faces). This is such a smooth, well-balanced wine, and I cannot wait to visit 1000 de Chipuri Winery as I've heard a lot of good things about it.

First, we were brought a delicious, complimentary starter. For our entrées, my buddy had STINCO DI MAIALE CON VERDURE (Oven Baked Pork Shank with Sautéed Vegetables); I had the PETTO D’ANATRA CARAMELIZZATO (duck breast with spicy sauce, sesame, and mixed pan-fried mushrooms, which also came with some awesome mashed potatoes); and my wife had the FILETTO AL TARTUFO (beef fillet with truffle crust). For dessert, we shared NOUGAT GLACÉ, which we were ecstatic about because not only was it so good, but it's gluten-free, and my wife is celiac.

All of the dishes were outstanding! I tried the pork shank; it was so tender and juicy. Duck can be hit or miss for me, and it always feels like I'm spinning the roulette wheel when I order it, but this was the best duck I've ever had, and the spicy sauce was amazing. My wife loves anything with truffles, and her beef fillet was cooked to perfection.

Thank you to Florentina and everyone in the kitchen for an amazing dinner and helping give my friend from the US, who was in Romania for the first time, an incredible culinary experience that will definitely be at the forefront of his memories of his Tour de...

So, we only wanted dessert and 2 cokes. We wanted ppapnasi because it was written on the board outside the restaurant. Beautiful looking place. So we sat down and asked for 2 cokes and the dessert menu. By the time we were looking at the menu, the drinks had arrived. Unfortunately there was no papanasi on the menu. We should have left, and probably would have left, but we'd already gotten out drinks. So we ordered 'Pistachio Cake" There was no other description at all. Just "Pistachio Cake". What we got was a green cheesecake with a soggy base. I couldn't have told you it was pistachio had I been asked. It had one raspberry torn into 3 pieces. About a teaspoon of coulis and some tiny edible flowers. I took my first bite and couldn't eat it. Wifey tried twice. We left over 4/5ths of it. The cokes were lovely (bottled) and we were left with lemon slices and ice to add if needed. After 10 minutes of staring at this 'cake' we decided to get the bill. I wanted to see if they would ask why someone would leave such a big piece of "Pistachio Cake" but they didn't. They just took the money for it and walked off. Now, in hindsight, I should have taken a photo of it's description and what I got, and left, and posted it here. But I didn't do that. Sad face. As a chef that has worked in many restaurants, I fell it's always better to ask why someone would leave such a thing on a plate. I understand it's awkward if they say it's not nice or inedible, but there are solutions to fix those remedies. Simply ignoring it, taking the money and knowing full well that they will have enough tourists to con in the future, is not a good solution. I'm mad at the restaurant for it to happen, but I'm just as mad at myself for...