My friends and I came here for dinner while visiting Cologne for the first time! Gaststatte Max…read moreStark is a brewpub/Brauhaus that serves authentic German home-style cooking. The menu has a great selection and the portion sizes are very generous. Prices are very reasonable too. The atmosphere is that of a casual pub. The service was super friendly and they spoke great English. Our server was super helpful and sweet. Good food comes out and freshly prepared within about 10-15 minutes of ordering.
To share with the table, we ordered the Gebackener Camembert. This consisted of fresh deep-fried breaded Camembert cheese accompanied by fresh parsley, jellied cranberries, pumpnickel bread, and butter. This was delicious as the outside was breaded just right and the inside was luscious with soft, gooey cheese. The jellied cranberries and pumpernickel bread accompanied the pungent cheese very well. This only came with one slice of bread, but our server brought out additional bread (not pumpernickel, but even better!). For my plate, I ordered Ochsenbrust which consisted of brisket of beef, with beetroot, and boiled potatoes. This was a hearty meal with a decent amount of tender brisket covered in a creamy horseradish sauce. However the boiled potatoes might have been my favorite part of this meal. I have never had boiled potatoes cooked that well with that amount of flavor. I really enjoyed this meal as it was unique and like nothing I'd had before.
Overall, I enjoyed my first authentic German meal here! The ambiance was perfect as it was both inviting and casual. Service was very pleasant and helpful. The food was great, it was just a lot. They do not skimp on portions here! I liked both the starter and entree I ordered as everything was seasoned well with great, unique flavors. If you are in need of some classic German pub food, this is a great spot to check out!