Hofbrauhaus, Market Lane

The Overview…

Meal: Dinner

Food: Kaserkrainer, Aubergine Pommes, Knuspriger Schwelnebauch, Jagerflelsch, Kartoffelknodel, Bratkartoffein,

Ratings:

Food: 4.5/5
Atmosphere: 4.5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Value: 4.5/5

The details…

Hopbrauhaus really does bring the authentic German experience to Melbourne; dark and lively with a meat-heavy menu and huge portions, it would be easy to imagine you’re in a Munich beer hall. We liked how it lacked the glitz of some other German venues and captured the simplicity of Munich’s beer halls, while also adding a bit of Melbourne by providing individual dining tables rather than long benches.

We visited on a Thursday night so we were able to enjoy the live music. It’s loud and lively, so probably not an ideal venue for a first date but definitely perfect for a fun night with friends or family. Despite the lively atmosphere it still manages to maintain its restaurant feel and can cater well to slightly larger groups. The staff, in traditional Bavarian dress are happy to help you navigate the German menu and keep your beer topped up!

The menu, in typical German fashion, is centred around meat dishes. I remember eating in the same cafe 3 times in a row in Munich as it was the only place I could find that actually had fish on the menu, and after a fair few weeks in Germany, and not being a huge meat eater, I was struggling with meat for every meal! Fortunately, Hopbrauhaus doesn’t take it quite that far, and there is a fish option and several vegetarian offerings on the menu.

Largely underestimating the size of the meals, we ordered the beef fillet, pork belly and kaserkrainer, with fried potatoes, crumbed aubergine chips, and potato dumplings, finishing off with the orange parfait. The pork belly was probably the biggest piece I’ve ever seen, with the perfect crackle – crispy, yet soft! With mashed potato and braised cabbage it was a huge feed!

The beef fillet was plentiful and so soft. I loved the creamy mushroom sauce. The Spatzle – house made german noodles – reminded me of a mix between noodles and gnocchi and were really yummy. I love that they are brave enough to have such different dishes on the menu, along side some more simple dishes like schnitzel and sausages.

If you’re looking for something a little smaller, the Kaserkrainer were a less filling option served with tasty sauerkraut. The sausages themselves were very meaty and juicy with a nice hit of cheese. We had the fried potatoes on the side with these, which were a very typically German side – fried, yet not healthy, with plenty of flavour from the bacon and onions.

We also sampled the aubergine chips, which were fantastic; so soft, and a real unexpected surprise! We highly recommend these as a veggie option or an entree, they literally melted in your mouth. We also had the potato dumplings. We enjoyed these but thought they were just a little heavy and probably not the ideal accompaniment for our already large dishes.

Finally, we ended with the orange parfait. A huge slice of dessert which we all shared. We loved the fresh flavour of this, and while it was still quite rich due to the white chocolate, it was a great way to end our meal. We washed everything down with a few beers from their vast selection, where you can order up to 1 litre steins in typical German fashion!

Everything else…

Website: http://www.hofbrauhaus.com.au/

Address: 18/28 Market Lane, Melbourne

Opening Times: 

Mon         12pm to 12am
Tue          12pm to 12am
Wed        12pm to 12am
Thu          12pm to 12am
Fri            12pm to 12am
Sat            12pm to 12am
Sun         12pm to 12am

Parking:  There is ample paid parking nearby (some of which is free later in the night).

Getting here on PT: Being central on Market Lane it’s a short walk from almost all CBD public transport. Your closest is probably an 86 or 96 tram – alighting at Russell Street.

Disclaimer: We dined as guests of Hofbrauhaus, Melbourne. Reviews are honest and based on our own personal experiences. We cannot guarantee things at a cafe won’t change including, but not limited to, menu items and opening hours, so please confirm any details with the venue before visiting.