Rustic elegance: Köhlerstube

Grilled US beef

On our way back from France, we actually wanted to have dinner at the *** Schwarzwaldstube in Baiersbronn. Since there was no table left, we opted for the smaller „sister restaurant“ – the Köhlerstube at Traube Tonbach. And we were not disappointed.

Baiersbronn is a small town in the Schwarzwald, besides being a spa it is famous for Hosting two three-Michelin-starred restaurants (Bareiss and Schwarzwaldstube). However this time we visited the Köhlerstube which was awarded with a Michelin-Assiette. The restaurant itself has a very rustic charme, a lot of wood and traditional German décor. We had a beautiful table at the window, watching the mist go down on the slopes of the hill and some sheep grazing.

We visited Köhlerstube with our son (5 years) and were warmly welcomed by the very friendly staff. They had prepared some painting equipment and the kids menu for him (he went for Schnitzel, very good one). All through the evening they were remarkably nice with him (and us) – from the restaurant manager who dropped by regularly up to the waiters.

We chose the small menu (4 courses, 89 euros, wine Pairing 35 euros) and some a la carte dishes. The evening started off with some bread and butter:

Bread and butter
Bread and butter
Carpaccio of scallops
Carpaccio of scallops

A very fresh dish with an asian touch: The scallops had good quality and were nicely paired with yuzu gel and lime leaves.

Slow cooked salmon trout
Slow cooked salmon trout

The salmon trough was perfectly waxy, the flaming added some intense roast notes that paired with the fatty accents of the trout. It came with pieces of Tarbouriech oyster (great!) and different preparations of cucumber (pickled, raw, ice cream, sauce). Very fresh and full of well integrated facets due to the different preparation methods.

Fried Sot l'y laisse
Fried Sot l’y laisse

Another asian twist, that I liked very much: Tender, meaty pieces of fried Sot l’y laisse were paired with perfectly crunchy asparagus and a thai-inspired asparagus salad. I loved the salad a lot, connecting asparagus, crunchy peanuts, fish sauce and other aromas. A ponzu hollandaise connected the dots of this comfort-food plate.

Rack of lamb and cheek dim-sum
Rack of lamb and cheek dim-sum

The main course of the menu: Perfectly grilled lamb wit a nice asortment of grilled vegetables (avocado, peppers) and a well balanced jus. Some ginger notes in the background added an asian touch again. I especially loved the dim sum that came with waxy-sticky dough and an intense, meaty and comforting filling.

Grilled US beef
Grilled US beef

Main course a la carte: A very nice, meaty piece of beef together with an assortment of onions, marrow dumplings and truffled sauce.

Parfait of fir-honey with cherry compote
Parfait of fir-honey with cherry compote

A lovely dessert. I liked the Connection of White chocolate, honey and red cherries. The raspberry-sourcream-ice added some freshness. There were also nice texture variations between crunchy nuts, soft biscuit and creamy mousse.

Petit fours
Petit fours

The petit fours (all well made, but not outstanding) were a nice finish to a really good meal.

I liked the overall package in Köhlerstube very  much. Good food, nice view, friendly people. I guess you could say that the kitchen is kind of eclectic and does not follow and independent style. But the products used are of good quality and the dishes all had a clean taste profile, mostly going into a „comfort food“ direction (without the disrespectful sense of the word). I would definetely visit Köhlerstube again.

Visit: July 2018
Michelin stars at time of visit:
– (shortly after awarded with 1 star)
Budget: 125€/person (including wine)
Location: 6/10
Service: 8/10
Food: 6,5/10

Timon
Spracharbeiter. Kommunikator. Sprecher. Trainer. Historiker. Leidenschaftlicher Koch. Foodie.