Stilbruch

Cafe Stilbruch is a well known Jena restaurant. You can’t miss the packed outdoor seating area when passing in good weather, and the in times of colder weather, inside is equally crowded. The crowds don’t take away from this eatery though, rather they are an indication of the quality you may expect from Stilbruch. If you are in the mood for traditional German food, in homely and comfortable environment, then you won’t find a more suitable place in Jena than Wagnergasse 1. Over the past year, I’ve eaten breakfast, dinner, snacks or just had  beers at Stilbruch. All, very pleasant experiences. When the review crew, with the addition of a special guest, ate at Stilbruck we chose a Spring Saturday afternoon and this was no exception to my pleasant experiences at this restaurant. We were lucky to find a table at the window, allowing us the nice view of bustling Wagnergasse. The menu is ample, full of variety and price ranges.  We chose salads, a bean pan and a mushroom and potatoe pan. As sides, bread was provided and we ordered a baked potato.

The service is a little on the slow side but this isn’t fast food. For a quality restaurant, the wait time is appropriate. Take the time between waiting for your food to indulge in the atmosphere or homely décor of the dining rooms. Upon the food’s arrival we were impressed with the presentation; these dishes are very aesthetically pleasing. With the exception of some undercooked potatoes in one of the pfanne, we were pleased with the food. The taste is flavoursome and hearty; even after a salad one feels their hunger satisfied. Although it is entirely possible to eat cheaply, by Jena standards, this is one of the pricier places. Aside from this being a quality restaurant, the drinks menu is also sufficient to go here just for beers, coffee, wine….

Our Verdict: A must visit! 

4.5 Jena Towers out of 5

Frühlingsfest

 Once a year, in the middle of May, Jena hosts a spring festival on the Markplatz. Dozens of food stands sell a variety of regional and international food while local bands play on stage.

The review crew did not want to miss the opportunity to visit this festival and have a taste of some of the dishes. We started out with roasted chicken with french fries which was particularly juicy. Our second choice was something called Lángos, a Hungarian deep fried flat bread with toppings. Our Lángos had sour cream, cheese and ham but there are many other options. We finished our feast with Crêpe with cheese and salami. 

All the rest of the options in the festival looked quite tasty but our stomachs were satisfied already with only 15 €.

Our veredict: How sad it is only there temporally!

5 Jena towers out of 5

Picassos Tapas Bar

Picassos Tapas Bar is a small restaurant located at the end of the famous Wagnergasse. One if the reasons we were happy to go to this place was because it opens on Sundays until 11 pm. The place is small but it has a very warm ambient, latin music and a nice decoration. The service is not the fastest but hey - the waitress speaks Spanish! Tapas are a small portion of simple food and this restaurant has a large selection of them. Some of the options you can choose from are patatas bravas, fried mushrooms, cheese, sea food, etc. They even have paella but we couldn't get it because we didn't know it needs to be preordered one day in advance. Three tapas would be enough for a girl but if you are a hungry man get the Picasso plate. The taste of the food is very nice and subtle but good quality comes at a price (€).

Our verdict: We will come back to try the paella.

4 Jena towers out of 5

Lo Studente

Lo Studente is an Italian restaurant located in the very centre (Johannisstrasse 18) of Jena. The name says it all - Lo Studente aims at Jena's large number of students looking for an affordable place for dining. It offeres pizza, pasta, salads and desserts in a cosy environment. We went there several times before starting the "Restaurants in Jena" project - the more often we went there, the less impressed we were. If you want to have a good pizza, we'd advise you to invest another 2-3 Euro and go to a proper Italian restaurant (e.g. Versilia). The pasta and salads are alright but then, why go to a restaurant for a dish you can make at home in the same amount of time, and according to your own liking. To be fair, weekly specials such as mussels might surprise you once in a while.

Our verdict: Frozen pizza, here we come!

2.5 Jena towers out of 5

Schnitzelparadies

Since my arrival in Jena and soon after my discovery of the schnitzel, I’ve been looking forward to a visit to Schnitzelparadies. Rarely does a restaurantinterest me so much and it is even rarer that I wait a year to visit such arestaurant. Thus, expectations were quite high for Schnitzelparadies. Located behind Holzmarkt and facing Paradies train station, Schnitzelparadies sits on a busy street, but somehow manages to avoid the bustle. Inside, the décor is cosy and traditional, if not a little dated. Our visit took place on a November Sunday evening (Yes, it took me quite some time to post this. Sorry!). We found that the staff was pleasant and accommodating, the only criticism being the slow arrival of the bill. The menu was a shining star of Schnitzel Paradies. The number and varieties of Schnitzels to choose from were impressive; from a simple traditional dish to an almond crusted schnitzel, all of our tastes were catered for. The side dishes of potatoes were varied and tasty, while the light, dressed, salad was a nice balancing accompaniment. Portions sizes were quite generous, and our waitress was quite happy to wrap-up the leftovers into a beautiful foil swan for my lunch the next day. Dinner cost a little more than we would like to pay normally, but for a large Sunday meal at a nice restaurant, we were not perturbed to pay around €20 for a main meal and couple of drinks. We will defiantly return for the lunch special, which offers select schnitzel dishes at a reduced price.

Our Verdict: We were, indeed, inSchnitzel Paradise.

4 Jena towers out of 5

Restaurants in Jena travels to Munich

After some tough time in Jena the crew of "Restaurants in Jena" decided to take all its hunger to Munich. During our very short stay there we tested two places that were recommended to us by a local physicist ;)

Taklamakan

This restaurant which is placed very close to the Munich Hauptbahnhof has options in the menu from more than one Asiatic country. It looks like a kebap place but it has far more to offer. The menu was actually huge and most of the dishes offered were lamb based. The disappointment came when more than one of the options we wanted to order were sold out.

From our choices, the kebap looked most promising because it came on a stick which is usually a sign of authentic food. It was well seasoned yet a bit chewy. It came with some rice which was deliciously seasoned with vinegar. But both the regular and vegetarian döner we ordered were below average.

One very interesting feature of this restaurant was the self made pasta. You can actually watch the process of preparation, but we were not impressed by the taste.

Our veredict: Surprising but not all convincing

2.5 Jena towers out of 5

Tokami

This restaurant located opposite to the Museum Brandhorst offers japanese food. From the outside it looks like a boring restaurant but when you get in you are welcome by an elegant interior.

Before you get to order the waiter offers you some nicely warmed towels with aroma to freshen up and wash your hands. This is a great way to start because what follows is out of the ordinary.

The menu has a lot to offer including value lunch meals. We tested a very wide variety of dishes and they were all excellent.

This restaurant is not one of the cheapest but you can be delighted and satisfied for around 15 Euro per person.

Our verdict: this sushi is worth a 400 km trip

5 Jena towers out of 5

Grillteufel Imbiss

You would have to travel great distances to come across a sausage as long as the "Thüringer Rostbratwurst" (Thuringian Roast Sausage). With its origins dating back to the early 15th century, a recent European Union DIN-norm has recognized its cultural value and requires it to be at least 15cm long (among other features) to deserve its name and fame. On the streets of Jena, you can't miss the two red "Grillteufel"-booths selling this local speciality. Grillteufel (barbecue devil) is run by two devoted Bratwurst-Chef-businessmen who own several branches of it in the region. In Jena, they are located opposite the post office and right in front of Neue Mitte.

The concept is quite simple: They sell nothing but Bratwurst in a bun as well as drinks. As this type of sausage tends to get dry very quickly if left on the grill for too long, they are usually prepared freshly which results in a waiting period of more than 10min - a little bit to long for our taste, especially when you're really hungry as it was the case when we ordered some.

The sausages were good, not particulary spicy or seasoned, which - to be fair - lies in its nature, and can be compensated for by adding some mustard, two types of which are offered (one slightly hotter than the other). The sausages come in two sizes, normal and xxl. The larger one is probably more than 20cm long and costs only 2€. Nice!

Unfortunately, Grillteufel did not have any cold drinks nor ketchup available when we went there, which is why the number of Jena Towers awared is lower than it could have been.

Our verdict: Bite into it, and transform into a Grillteufel!

3.5 Jena Towers out of 5