Review Roter Hahn - Clarens

Dining at Roter Hahn was a delightful experience. The deliciousness of the food, served promptly, truly captured the authentic essence of German cuisine. The beers were exceptional, complementing the hearty flavors perfectly. The staff's knowledge of the menu added to the overall enjoyment. For wine enthusiasts, the dedicated wine room offered a diverse selection starting at R95 per bottle, each one clearly categorized. This attention to detail made choosing the perfect wine a breeze. The atmosphere was welcoming, and the culinary journey at Roter Hahn left us not only satisfied but impressed with the genuine taste of Germany. A recommendable spot for those seeking a taste of German authenticity in Clarens!

When thinking of German cuisine we South Africans and also most of the work think of pork, or dishes with pork! The day we went to Roter Hahn was one of the best days. We had a lot beers and decided to stay to have something to eat, was this a good choice to make. We decided to share a Eisbein and the woods was delicious! The waiters friendly and always gave good advise on which beers to drink and also which food would complement your choice!

Love Roter Hahn. We always go there whenever we are in Clarens. The restaurant with the best vibe, food, and beer 🍺. My nr 1 recommendation for when visiting Clarens

The lady who made our booking the day before was awesome Gave excellent service and advice We also bought Alot from the pantry after dinner I had the lamb shank It was delicious Thank you

Lovely, unexpected restaurant with the best range of authentic, imported German beers I've seen in South Africa. Many also unusually available as draught, e. g. Erdinger Weiss and Dunkel beers. I had the eisbein, recommended!

We had a awesome time at Roter Hahn. The staff were very friendly and helpful, they explained the different types of food. There is a lot of different kinds of beers from all over Europe and local. Lovely place with a great atmosphere. The place was busy but dispite that the service was quick and the staff even had time for a little chat which was nice. The view of the mountains was nice if you sit outside. Centrally located in Clarence. Would definitely recommend this place if you want to experience something else than the usual food served everywhere else. Definitely going back there when visiting Clarence again. Great!

I actually expected more of locally brewed beers, but this restaurant offers variety of imported beer from all over the world. Food was very nice (each person has to order a plate, fyi), big portion. Liked curry wurst a lot. Now is pretty low season, you can enjoy quiet ambiance.

A must see.... Had nice German food.. Just needs more shaded amberlas on the deck. Some of their beers are pricey but well worth it. Make sure you try their cherry 🍒 🍻 beers on tap.

Lovely German restaurant, the food is just amazing, and the cherry beer... brilliant.

Really loved our time here. Food is delicious, service is great. Atmosphere will be great when there is more customers, but on a Monday afternoon, it is quiet. We didn't mind. I have to point out 1 exceptional service from Onward which had nothing to do with our time in the restaurant. We were in a small accident outside Clarens a few minutes after we left. We phoned in to ask if they could direct us to someone who can assist us yo fix our car. Onward not only tried to help, but he drove to where we were to check if we were ok. That is exceptional care!! Thank you Onward.

YUMMY FOOD AND DRINKS! We enjoyd the raclette cheese. We also did a beer tasting for R150 and it was a lot of beer. I really love the KRIEK drink. As you walk into the shop they have baked goods- their brownies are amazing! Overall we enjoyd this restaurant.

We had a good time at this restaurant. Lovely bread platter with some delicious home made condiments although we did have an incident where one of the in house chilli spilled all over as we opened it. The staff was very helpful and friendly.

What is not to like?! This place was fun, the food is delicious and so well priced. Going back to Clarens mostly for this place 👌

This place never fails to disappoint! The service is excellent, atmosphere is great, food is divine and the beer always flows! Also, there's a great shop at the entrance with the best treats, beers and preserves! A personal favourite is the Bourbon Bacon Jam!

German feast! This will be marked as a favourite in Clarens! Lovely beers with a wide variety. Amazing German food - a can't stop eating plate of joy!

Seems to be a gay hating and discriminating place. I would give this place a huge skip, plenty of better restaurants around.

I love this place! It's got a good vibe with excellent food! Only one thing... It's corona 19 people, to wear a mask is compulsory!!! I have a 7 month old little girl and not one waiter bothered with a mask near our table, not even the owner.. No sanitizing and no masks in site... Door clozed and that's that. Never had such a stressful meal in my life!!

Wide selection of beers but the food a pass . <br/>The pork ribs tasteless an fat , it’s also more a rasher than ribs.Pork neck seriously dry and totally overcooked . I even send mine back and it came back he same? . They really need new steak knifes.

Beer, platters, sausage bowl, käsonfondue 😁 - all great, service slow 🤨, Eisbein was terrible! ☹️, nice place to visit, just chose the correct food....

Delightful little place! Food was standard, variety of beers was a bonus.

We waited almost two hours for our food. The place is under really under staffed. The food was not great and I would say it was really average. The play area for kids was great and probably their only consolation.

Awesome Authentic German Restaurant. Great selection of draughts & beers. Offers a variety of german food and not a typical german restaurant that dedicates 3 pages of their menu to schnitzel varieties. Good service and one of the best Eisbeins we have had in a long time. A must try.

Very friendly staff, great beer selection. Had a bowl of sausages for starters, they're amazing. The eisbein was cooked perfectly. Definitely recommend

The Friendly service of this gem is what you were looking for in the gem of the north eastern Free state. If you understand the menu you will have a lot to choose from, any german dish.  A drawdown for me , there were no local beers, but looking at the name i could have expect that.  We had a lovely time and they stayed open one hour longer for our late comers.  Tx a lot.

A really average experience. The building is so beautiful but the food was so disappointing. The sausages and mustards were good but very over cooked, dry eisbein and tasteless spatzle. The pea and pork soup was pale brown and tasted like potato with no sign of peas or pork. The waiter had to call another to help us as he couldn’t explain the menu. We waited over an hour for our food even though only three tables were occupied. When our bill eventually arrived none of our drinks were on it. Good thing we are honest and let them know. Such a pity because it has so much potential.

Always good to find a restaurant that does what it says on the label. I do not think German food will ever be pretty but they do know a thing or two about taste and Roter Hahn delivers.<br/><br/>Good, friendly service (great job Jeff), a super selection of beer, an attentive manager and great tasting, simple food is what we had. The cheese pitabread was yummy as a starter. The selection of German sausage I had was great with an interesting range of chutneys. The wife had the lamb shank which was lovely, tasty and moist although the sides could do with a bit more seasoning. The ample portions did not allow for desert but we grabbed a few goodies from the deli for later.<br/><br/>Overall a great experience and we will be back.

What a wonderful experience! We arrived around 15:00 on Friday and we were instantly awed by the aesthetic of the place, especially the servers in their lederhosen.<br/><br/>We were fortunate to have ntate Jeff as our waiter for both our visits - what a lovely, knowledgeable and accommodating fellow. We enjoyed some lovely Hefe Weiss and Dunkel beer, and I can definitely recommend the sangria. Even though it was packed for our Saturday night dinner, the service was not lacking or slow at all.<br/><br/>Food-wise, their sausages are absolutely delicious. Accompanied by various artisan breads and homemade relishes, you absolutely cannot go wrong by having the warm platter. The rosti, sauerkraut, green beans and spinach are amazing as well. Definitely have the apfelstrudel with cream for dessert, along with a cup of Americano.<br/><br/>Absolutely exceptional!

My top place In Clarens. I went in there for just a drink and spent the whole afternoon sampling all different German ciders and beers, eating delicious Germain food with the best view of Clarens. Actually facing the mountains versus most of the inner towns restaurants that face the square with just cars all over the place. What made this extra special was the music. What a laugh! Can’t wait to go back and this is where I will go first as I arrive and last when I leave ! Start and leave Clarens on highs. Thanks Roter Hahn you are the gem of Clarens

Roter Hahn is by far my favourite restaurant in Clarens.<br/>I haven’t been able to decide on my favourite meal on the menu. I make a point of it to order something different every time we go and I have loved every meal. <br/>If you are just peckish, I recommend ordering one of their platters to share. Sitting on the deck sipping ciders, sharing nibbles and admiring the views is a fantastic way to appreciate life and the tranquility of Clarens.<br/><br/>LOVE! LOVE the deli. Usually 3/4 of our bill

Atmosphere was awesome!! We had the most friendly and helpful waiters! We love the new decor. Food is wonderful. Love the shop that you can buy things to take home. Real food for great prices! Loved all the drinks!!

Oh my word! This day was everything. The setting was perfect, the staff were not only competent but also very entertaining. I had the Eisbein, let me tell you: it was cooked perfectly. I absolutely recommend Roger Hahn.

What an absolutely terrible experience! We were seated to watch the rugby, had already ordered drinks and food when Gail (the woman behind the till) rudely threw down the reserved sign onto our table only to inform us that the table had been reserved for 18h00. I then explained that the sign was not here when we arrived and our waiter knew nothing about it, Gail the raised her voice at me and said "I put the sign there myself so who would've moved it then?" Openly implying that I had been the one that moved it! We decided to leave. Clarens is supposed to have pubs that offer a homely and warm atmosphere of a personal touch but this place is so commercialized that they don't care about the customer, as long as the seats are full. Gail should not be working there nor should she be working with people at all!! A complete let down and disappointment thanks to Gail!!

Good restaurant. Loved the location and views!!!<br/>Good food and good atmosphere. Had the pork combo main meal.nice variety of German beer! Even a small German deli.

Authentic German cuisine. Roter Hahn was not busy when we were there. The service was excellent without being intrusive. Extensive menu of drinks and food to choose from. Impressive view of the valley and mountain makes for a relaxing lunch.

Absolutely horrible! We were told that we could 'sit outside' in the bitter cold even though various tables were free. Even at the bar we were not welcome. Our group included one German, one American and one colored South African who had never been there before. The lady boss treated us in the worst, unfriendliest and especially RACIST way possible! Left the restaurant immediately.

One of our favorite places to spend some time in Clarens. The drinks are always cold and the food delightful. Some tasty treats for sale to take home as well.

Awesome place! Excelent selection of beer and the food portions looked really generous! We enjoyed beautiful views with ice cold beers. Thank you for the great service!

For authentic German cuisine, Roter Hahn ranks supreme. We ordered the Eisbein (I consider this to be the dish to measure by) and it exceeded expectations. Meltingly tender inside with a crisp, crunchy exterior that wasn't greasy at all. Served with homemade mustard and relish (a real treat) and authentic, longingly made sides of sauerkraut, green beans and butternut mash. My daughter had the thick cut pork ribs, basted in maple syrup and beer. Not too sweet at all (clearly made with real maple syrup and not maple FLAVOURED syrup) which were also meltingly tender and salty-sweet was beautifully balanced. Only criticism would be the lax service, our waiter hardly checked in, and we waited some time to order drinks and our dinner order. Overall fantastic good, abundant portions and great value for money.

On a bitterly cold day we went there for drinks<br/>They offered a selection of craft/ speciality beers. Erdinger Leffe<br/>I tried the Liefmans cherry beer - Interesting!!<br/>Typical German feel.<br/>Service was good as was ambience <br/>Just one mind blowing decision which freaked as all ( we were 15 )<br/>As mentioned it was a freezing day in Clarens. We asked the waiters to light the fire but were told ' we only light fire on Friday's ' Absolutely unbelievable!<br/>Would have thought with 15 thirsty customers the request would be auctioned.<br/>So being cold we decided to skip eating there and go elsewhere

Food is good. Nice selections of beers. Service is friendly however on busy days it can be slow. Love their berry beer . Always have a meal there whenever we are in Clarens .

Hubby and I have just had such an awesome evening at Roter Hahn. We never made a reservation and on arrival were told they were fully booked but some how they found us a table. <br/>I had the lamb shank and hubby had the pork neck. Our food was out of this world devine. <br/>Service was outstanding and the German atmosphere fantastic. A must visit when in Clarens.

What can I say but yummy! The food is amazing and the beer is cold. The pork belly ribs soaked in beer and maple is to die for and the accompanying side dishes compliments the dish perfectly. We were worried that the restaurant had closed but found out that they had moved into their new premises (sheww!).

My fiancé and I had lunch at Roter Hahn two days in a row, both were lovely experiences with good food and service. I love beer on tap, and RH offers quite a few for a small place in Clarens. It has a fun German vibe and nice view out towards the mountains. We had the warm platter and melty brie on the first visit and the cheese platter on the second. Both were very sufficient for two people for lunch. I love cheese and bread so my favorite was the melted brie and the cheese plate :) if you like sausage go for the warm platter. For beers we had the fruit beer and two different Weiss. Awesome. Definitely our favorite place in Clarens!

AWESOME!!!<br/><br/>Great food, great service!<br/>What n little Gem in Clarens<br/>Good food, big portions. Just all over a great place!!👍🏻👍🏻<br/>#1 restaurant for us in Clarens!

We had such a lovely time, on our last night in Clarens. After meeting a couple on our hike, they highly recommend that we dine at Roter Hahn for dinner before we leave. Slightly skeptical and hesitant when we had a look on the menu, it seemed a little "greasy" as a lot of the food on the menu is fried, or crispy etc. Needless to say we decided to try it out anyway and were so pleasantly surprised! We sat outside, not only because the German music was a little too loud, but because of the view! We went by our waiters suggestions and the food was so tasty and worthy every penny! The portions are so hearty, that in fact none of us finished our meals! Although the view was beautiful, we decided to step inside and finish off our dessert. We had a delicious homemade cheesecake, which was to die for!

We were disappointed to find no Roter Hahn when walking up to their old premises (and to be told by the new occupants there that they had shut down). Luckily this was a lie, as they had moved two months ago to a spot one block down from the Clarens main square. Both a Saturday dinner and Sunday lunch were enjoyed there!<br/><br/>The selection of beer on offer is excellent – a decent variety from Germany made up of both the Erdinger and Paulaner ranges, practically the full range from La Trappe (a serious contender for the best beer in the world), a reasonable Belgian selection as well as some Gluten-free numbers from Lithuania. For those who insist on local, you won’t be disappointed either.<br/><br/>In stark contrast to our experience at Clarens Brewery, the German sausage platter two was excellent, as was the pork ribs and the eisbein, all accompanied by German breads and flavourful mustard. The currywurst, sadly, is quite substandard. <br/><br/>With all of the above at reasonable prices, a festive German atmosphere and good view over the mountains Roter Hahn is a strong contender for a 4.5 rating. They are let down, however, by poor service and a lack of focus on the cleanliness factor. The bathrooms, in particular, were downright filthy. I’ll be back the next time I’m in Clarens though, and let’s hope they show some improvement in these downfalls.

This restaurant was nice inside apart from it being behind the deli, the food was great and the beer is all imported German beer on tap. They are also the only place in Clarens where we got Cherry beer and not Cherry cider

Some very tasty German food here but a less accommodating management you would be hard pressed to find. The entire restaurant is watching rugby but the owner prefers his shitty German music to any sound from the TV. Also only takes table booking from 6 pm but that means no one allowed at the tables marked reserved at 4:30 pm .... Amateurs

Authentic German resturant with basic yet delicious meals. There's also a deli attached on the premises stocking some very unusual imported goodies which we couldn't resist buying. We loved experiencing the different flavours and enjoyed the hearty tastes. We immediately started searching for similar resturants back home. Wouldn't mind driving 3hours to dine like this.<br/>

The Roter Hahn is a German based venue in Clarens with a wide variety of beer in tap as well as a variety of German foods.<br/><br/>We came back.... And what a dissapointment!! They are quite busy with the beer festival, but arrogance cannot be excused....ever!!<br/><br/>Ordered a vegetarian platter and it came with a tapenade containing liver! Just pulled up shoulders! No explanation and an attitude from the manager. Even asking if we still wanted our booking for the evening. We cancelled it on the spot! <br/><br/>Will not be back....😔

As we sit here there is one other couple in the restaurant. Service was slow and when we asked to share a meal it was no issue. The scrambled egg waffle was brought with one knife and fork and we were told that sharing was not allowed (no mention of this when we ordered specifically to share). We also tried to order some of the homemade fudge that looked so good, but there was a very apathetic ower. The food was very good though, and the waffle very light.

Good food, great atmosphere and an excellent selection of German beer! Extremely friendly and helpful staff! Highly recommended when visiting Clarens

Had eisbein, very dry. Very few of the wines on wine list available. Worst of all, twice had cockroaches running on the table while eating. Waiter not great in understanding us. Not a great experience at all.

Staff is friendly, food is tasteful and flavourful. Lovely atmosphere with a hell of view. A highly recommended spot for a good meal and decent selection of above average beers

We visited on a Monday and were pretty much the only patrons. Lovely selection of beers. We had the chicken schnitzel and pork belly ribs both accompanied by sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, potato dumplings and veggies - every thing was delicious! We wanted good German food & beer and were happily impressed.

We got glass in our food, owner offered no apology, was in fact confrontational when we said this was unacceptable. We have been here numerous times before, but obviously new ownership has destroyed the Roter Hahn. Food quality has deteriorated, staff was sitting around on bar stools, rest rooms were in an atrocious state. I would not be surprised if the Roter Hahn closes down any time soon. Very sad. Rather enjoy any of the other quality eateries in Clarens.

Clarins was bursting at the seams this past long weekend, seems the Roter Hahn was not ready for the madness. Boasting to friends about it we were in for a shock. Lack of menus, glasses, delays on food which then arrived cold and dirty toilets saw a general meltdown spreading across this eatery. The waiters did their best to handle the stress with runners fast on their heels. The manager was so uninterested and none to helpful to customers or staff alike. I saw two tables leave due to lack of service. What a pity as we have had many a great meal here! Hoping its was just an off day and I can edit this review as their variety of sausages and succulent Eisbein are fabulous.

Lady love and I came here on our last evening in Clarens. They really do know how to impress. Took us a while to get seated and the food does take long. However, in this case the wait is so worth it. Very decent food, with an appropriate aesthetic I would be happy to recommend and they are on my return list.

I debated about putting up this review, but here it is. Long weekend in Clarens - service should be on the ball knowing there would be more capacity of people. Waited long time for food. When we received the bill, received the attached picture - would anyone be accepting of this- a scratched out and amended bill? When asked for a corrected printed out receipt, was told they can't do it as well the staff really have a bad attitude. Roger Hahn, if you want tourists in town, then be more welcoming.

The food here is really amazing, so tasty! And the portions are not of the smallest so go hungry.<br/>I was quite happy to see that they had a variety of vegetarian dishes and I didn't have to choose between only 2 things. The German style 'pie' that I settled on was really good, felt like I was having Sunday lunch at home.<br/>Beers were good as well with a selection out of the norm.<br/>As with all the restaurant in Clarens though, I found the service a bit lacking. Once we had our meal we were forgotten and the waiter just disappeared...

Lovely German restaurant. Great menu, very simple but delightful. Waiter not very knowledgeable but tried his best. Average food but consistent.

Make sure you give this one a skip.<br/>Grumpy unfriendly people. The shef has the attitude from Hell's Kitchen. Your food will go down bitter after meeting him.

Stopped by for a late breakfast and had an enjoyable meal and drinks. Service could be better, however the food was very tasty and the beers were refreshing. The music can drive one crazy if one spends too long here though 😄

Highly impressed with this resteraunt! Great selection of beers available! The food was excellent however not much on offer if you dont eat pork. I tried the chicken schnitzel, the portion was quite large and included saurcraut, mashed potato, fried bread dumplings, roast veges and a cheese sauce - carb heaven is pretty much the only way to describe it! The eisbein looked exceptional as well! Great spot for a family lunch!

Never been so disappointed in a restaurant in my life, pop in for lunch on 3rd Jan 2016, 30 degree heat. Asked if we could move a umbrella closer to a table that we could see our 2 year old son playing on the jungle gym and were told absolutely not, so we were force to sit in the mid day sun, and now the meal, I ordered the crispy Eisbien and got the total opposite, my wife's food was bland. I will never go back again. I have never been to a restaurant that is so un accommodating. Really a DISAPPOINTMENT as Clarens is a really awesome little town.

Awesome German vibe here, the music is distinctly German and the waiters are all dressed the part. The selection of drinks is great and this is a nice place to grab a couple of them. I ordered the pork belly ribs and was a bit disappointed because it was really fatty - didn't end up eating it. The veggies with it were fine. Might have been my misunderstanding. Everyone else enjoyed their food. Overall not bad - just don't order the pork belly ribs!

A lovely spot to have lunch at. The service is quite slow when they are busy but we weren't in a rush. <br/><br/>We started with a cold platter to share, it was a lovely assortment dips, breads and meat. I then had the frikkadel roll, it was lovely. The eisbeon, sausage mix and schnitzel were also very tasty.

Popped in for lunch while spending the day in Clarens. Our waiter, Jeff was extremely friendly and funny. We sat outside on the deck which had a lovely mountain view. For four of us we ordered a cold platter and a cheese platter. Both were good. Potato salad on the side was full of whole grain mustard and super yummy. The service was quite slow but we still had a lovely afternoon here.

Lovely restaurant and atmosphere; pity about the extremely rude management over the phone trying to make a reservation. An all time favourite, though I'm not sure I'd be back anytime soon.

Great breakfast, traditional as it comes, German music, weibbeer, atmosphere it is all there, surrounded by beautiful mountains, great place to dine . Will be back to the Roter Hahn

Weis beer on tap and the most amazing authentic German food. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal of shared platter of Rosti, different Kraut, assortment of wurst, German breads and herring salad for our vegetarian . Delicious 😊

A German themed restaurant in clarens, lots of atmosphere. Unfortunately, not many heaters so in winter this is a very baron place. The food was quite good, but not outstanding. Wouldn't rush back.

Roter Hahn Bierstube Und Deli has a reputation that precedes it for authentic German food. <br/><br/>Service: Today, we were served by Cronic, who we also learned is one of the top ten chess masters in the country! He was friendly, well-spoken and very helpful. <br/><br/>Food: I have thoroughly enjoyed several cozy evenings and lazy lunches spent here over the past few years drinking Glühwein and eating an array of meals including their soups, Käsefondue and sausage bowl (grilled sausages of your choice served with homemade pesto's and mustards). For the sausage bowl, I selected the Knackwurst, Bratwurst, and my favourite, the Käsegriller. <br/><br/>Ambiance: I love the new venue that Roter Hahn has moved to. Its breathtaking views are really something special and they have managed to keep the interiors authentic but relaxed.<br/><br/>*Recommendation: You cannot go wrong with trying out their Käsefondue or Käsegriller! Delicious!<br/><br/>For more, find me on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter: LaurasWorldza

Love the atmosphere. One feels like they are in a real German village. The gluhwein is sweet and aromatic and warms ones cold bones on a chilly night. The warm platter is large and can be shared with more than 2 people.