Bunte Kuh Helgoland in Helgoland

Delicious food and very friendly service. We visited every day on our second visit. Reservations are recommended. We'll be back in 2025.

Good food and very friendly service

Quaint pub right next to the lobster shacks

NO THANKS!!! Not recommended with children. It was warm and sunny. The children were very hot. When we asked for a parasol, we were told, "No, I'm not opening a parasol today." We were then immediately told to put all our bags under the table, even though there wasn't really any room. The service was generally very unpleasant. Since there were no fries for the children instead of fried potatoes, and the children were feeling very sick from the sun, we left as quickly as possible.

Well attended. I'd be happy to come again.

Friendly and humorous service. Delicious food. The ambiance is beautiful, located by the harbor. The plaice with crab ragout was truly delicious. Prices are reasonable for the location.

Food was okay, not very special. Lack of communication in advance, because I myself and many other tourists don’t know that you can’t pay by card. Tip: write it on the menu and tell it the customers beforehand.

Next time I would try a different location, food was not as good as one would have expected

Yes. The food is delicious and plentiful.

A lovely restaurant right on the harbor. We sat outside in beautiful weather. The food (fish platter and lobster and crab stir-fry) was delicious and cooked to perfection. The service was very prompt and friendly. A visit to the Bunte Kuh is highly recommended.

The service was fast and friendly, and the fish dishes were super delicious. However, you shouldn't come hungry. A portion of four small pieces of potato barely filled me, and neither did my husband.

Unfriendly service, dog-unfriendly. We left without food.

We weren't told until we were paying that card payments were only possible here for orders over €100. When we pointed this out, the server said that perhaps this should be clearly marked, as it would be on the signs. He looked around and realized he couldn't see a sign. His voice became increasingly quiet. He probably noticed it himself. I would have liked this detail to be posted somewhere easy to see. On the menu, for example, and not just in what felt like a size 10 on the far left by the door, where it's neatly hidden. Or they'd tell you before ordering. We were sitting outside; we couldn't get past the door. If you don't specifically look for the information, you won't know. An unpleasant experience, very unpleasant.

Rather unassuming from the outside, but incredibly cozy on the inside. A restaurant that invites you to stop by. Here you can sit comfortably outside and sample the countless cocktails while gazing out at the sea. These cocktails are incredibly delicious and generously portioned. Always with a cool saying, the service is very friendly. We were so impressed that we returned to the Bunte Kuh that evening to eat there. Without a reservation, we immediately got a table for two. The food arrived very quickly and blew us away. Even today, back home, we're still raving about the absolutely fantastic food. Many thanks to the entire team at the Bunte Kuh. It was wonderful. ❤❤

We had a drink there since we didn't have time to eat. The young man, Keller, was quite rude. I was curtly told to put my bag under the table. What was that all about? He refused to allow a family with an elderly man in a wheelchair to choose their own seats. The elderly man stood there for about 10 minutes and was ignored. I find that a bit discriminatory. My quote: Mass processing!

Update 2025 - Our positive experience from last year has been confirmed. The food is extremely delicious and served promptly. Only the casual tone of the service staff isn't to everyone's taste 🤷🏼‍♀️ We'd still love to come back in 2026. We really enjoyed it. After the "rustic" tone of my phone reservation, I was skeptical... Reserving a table for dinner is recommended. A very friendly welcome and attentive service with casual remarks that may not be to everyone's taste, but were well received by us. The ambiance is cozy and maritime. The drinks were served promptly, and the extremely delicious food arrived quickly. The portions were plentiful and the prices were reasonable. Conclusion - we'd love to come back!

Delicious food. Cons: I was there for dinner after the day trippers had left. It was empty inside, and the tables outside weren't fully occupied. I was tempted by a drink I'd seen at the next table. When I asked, the waitress said it was alcoholic. I stated that I don't drink alcohol. The waitress's response: "What a shame." Later, the same waitress handed me a cocktail menu with non-alcoholic options at the next table. Couldn't they have told me that?

Initially inconspicuous from the outside, this small but fine restaurant is located in a blue lobster shack on Heligoland. The food is quite good (especially the fried potatoes, which many people can't do!), the place is very clean and quaint, and the staff is friendly and humorous without being intrusive. Surprisingly, it's one of the few that's open for lunch. It's important to note that the Heligoland ferry arrives around 12:15 p.m. and departs around 4:30 p.m. Day trippers therefore have the chance to enjoy a stewed meal between these two times and find two types of restaurants: overcrowded and closed. If I see this as a restaurateur, why am I closing my shop?

Good and fast food right on the pier. Typical service for Northern Germany. They're probably struggling with poverty here right on the harbor, because card payments aren't accepted, as is so often the case on the coast. The higher the turnover, the more every last percent counts... It's backward Germany, after all. But enough people think it's good...

Great service, we went there twice because it was just amazing!

I'm thrilled. As a solo traveler, I was seated immediately and without any hassle. Thank you so much. The food came quickly and was excellent. I chose cod fillet with fried potatoes and salad. Almost too much for me, as an almost 80-year-old. Senior portions are available at lunch upon request. A huge thank you 😊

The drinks were nothing special, the dishes were very small and tasteless, sometimes burnt or completely overseasoned. Refills or compensation for the extremely small portion were charged in full. The child and stroller posed a major problem for the restaurant's employees. The server apologized several times, saying that such complaints had been coming in for years. The manager didn't care.

Very unfriendly blonde lady who doesn't even let a small child go to the toilet!!!!

I didn't eat anything here, just had a drink. The staff were very friendly and quick. The place itself is really cute.

The most delicious herring with fried potatoes I've ever eaten! 😋😋😋

Wonderful view, and if you book a table before the Halunder Jet docks, there's no problem getting a seat.

Nice place, tasty food. View of the pier, port and ships. A bit disappointed, the so-called "lobster" turned out to be a big shrimp. But it was tasty.

Anyone who is on Heligoland and doesn't go to the Bunte Kuh has not lived life properly - or at least left the island hungry. This rustic restaurant looks like the cozy interior of an old sea dog cutter: wood, sailor charm and a touch of adventure. You almost expect Captain Iglo to come around the corner. And then there is the owner – Börner! She is a mixture of captain, hostess and mind reader. With eagle eyes and super ears, nothing escapes her. She practically read our wishes from our lips before we even knew we had them. The food? Solid as an anchor. Prices? Fair as the wind in your sails. Conclusion: If you stop here, you get an all-round carefree package with Nordic charm, seafaring flair and a pinch of madness (in the best sense of the word). A must on Helgoland!

Great crew, the food is great, I can only recommend it to everyone. Me and my wife like to come and it is always the first port of call when we are on Helgoland. Thank you Colorful Cow

The food was super tasty. But the only option to pay with cash these days is unfortunately not possible at all... cards are only accepted from EUR 100 onwards. Unfortunately that only gives 2 stars.

Mixed fish plate was very tasty Unfortunately, cash payment is only possible from EUR 100 and we didn't have any cash with us. I had to search the island for an ATM... it's a shame that they didn't kindly turn a blind eye here

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The food was really excellent, well prepared and tasteful. The real highlight of the day, however, was the waitress Jasmin ^^: attentive, courteous and personable. Her warm way of looking after the guests was exceptional and made our visit particularly pleasant. A big compliment to the entire team :-) I'll be happy to come back!

Friendly, good food. Portions but rather small

Cult pub on Heligoland, especially for the Rock'n'Roll Butter Ride!

Spent a lovely evening here. Rustic food, reasonable prices and a young cellar that spread a good atmosphere with pithy sayings. Was fun!

The fish dishes are recommended. The service is super friendly. A completely different atmosphere. It's nice to sit outside

Cool Kaden with funny staff. Rarely have I laughed so much. The grilled cod was great. There is still some room for improvement with the fried potatoes.

We ate there yesterday, my husband's fish was great. But the fried potatoes with my Wienerschnitzel weren't good. They weren't fried potatoes, they were mashed potatoes, a shame. No apology, nothing. The service, a young man, was very nice, but that was it. We've been coming here for years, but not anymore. Colorful Cow has slacked off a lot

We spent a nice and wet evening with friends. The food was very tasty. The portion, however, was small, too small for the price. The service was very attentive, so the drinks were rarely empty... but our wallet was empty :-)

Rustic and quaint. We felt comfortable here. Fast service despite the well-filled restaurant. The waitress with a quick saying on her lips was exactly our thing. 🫶 The food was extremely delicious. The next time we're on the island we'll definitely stop by again.

Very very unfriendly service. My daughter was sent away because she ate food from the restaurant next door. The food otherwise was ok. Card payment is only possible from €100.

A very nice little restaurant with very friendly staff and excellent cuisine. The fish was fried to perfection and the prices are great. Will definitely see us again, thank you very much ❤️

There were six of us and we made reservations by phone. We all enjoyed it. The food and also the cocktail for dessert. At the end of the season everything is no longer there. E.g. no hot cherries with ice cream. And no cocktails with cream. But we all want to be more sustainable, so totally OK. The waitress is in a good mood and has fun at work. We will come back.

Nice little restaurant at the inland harbor. Staff super friendly. Price/performance okay.

Very friendly team. Ate deliciously and enjoyed a great Absacler. Super nice team. Greetings to Christoph, Fu, Andres and love Jasmin. If we sail to Heligoland again, we will always come back to you. Greetings Roger

As day trippers, we stopped at the Bunte Kuh before the ship left. We just had a drink and drank matjestatar. That was fine too. At 4:30 p.m. we wanted to pay and the somewhat aggressive waiter rudely told us that card payments were not possible, only for orders over €100. But I could have €100 booked and he would give out the rest. I wanted to do that, but the internet apparently didn't work. So I had to rush to the savings bank and get cash for a €4.75 fee. We just made it to the ferry at 5 p.m. What if we didn't order the bill until 4:45 p.m.? The waiter said that the cash payment was at the entrance. But we sat outside and didn't see it. Perhaps this regulation, which is customer-unfriendly and, in my opinion, conducive to tax fraud, should be announced verbally with every order or there should be a notice on every table.

Only recommended. Fish dishes are a dream

Food nothing special. Service inflexible. If I wanted a different sauce for the pan fish, the waiter wanted to discuss it. Atmosphere appealing, seating tighter and tighter. Wasn't my world. But that's a matter of opinion and just my personal feeling.

We spontaneously got a table there, even though it was very busy. Nice service. The food was also very tasty.

Unfortunately, the service was cheeky and didactic; I have to agree with previous reviews. Guests are viewed as a burden. It should probably be better called “Stupid Cow”.

Leider sehr freche und belehrende Bedienung. Die blonde Kellnerin sollte eventuell nicht mit Gästen arbeiten. Gab dann auch entsprechend Trinkgeld..

Heute wurden wir ohne weiteren Grund verbal angegriffen, weil die Angestellte „angenommen“ hat, dass wir Essen vom Nachbarrestaurant mitgebracht haben. Trotz des guten Rufs dieses Restaurants Bunte Kuh haben wir es verlassen. Beim Durchlesen der Bewertungen auf TripAdvisor hat sich leider bestätigt, dass ihr Ausraster sowie ihr schlechter Charakter dem Standard dieses Restaurants entsprechen.

Early afternoon, it was raining. We just wanted to have a quick beer. Unfortunately we didn't get a place. Empty tables are only for eating!

It would be recommended to us as a place for a good egg grog on Heligoland. Unfortunately, our egg grog was very watery and not at all creamy as it should be. The friendly waiter then brought the points back up.

Very nice staff and very tasty food...

Quaint, rustic atmosphere. Quick, funny and very attentive service in a packed place. Food very, very tasty. A round, atmospheric evening. Gladly again!

Very tasty food, great price-performance ratio. Super nice service. I can't say anything about the ambience. We sat outside.

Super nice and friendly service, consistently warm food. This is particularly noticeable since most restaurants are closed for the afternoon. We were served by a nice service person and everything went very quickly. Upon request, they also prepared a banana wheat for us. This restaurant is highly recommended, you'll get quite a full meal here for just a small thaler. Always my pleasure

Werder fan club, had delicious soup and beer.

I wanted to reserve a table well in advance and despite several emails, I didn't even get an answer, and no one answered the phone either. We still took a break there to have something to drink. When we arrived it was full outside but empty inside. Before I could ask anything inside, I was rudely approached from the side as I walked past. "Only outside, only outside." The service staff was probably in a bad mood... But it's not nice if you go like that without knowing what the customer wants is dispatched. On the second and third days we were given a place to sit and drinks, but the way the employees worked took us getting used to, to put it carefully.

Lobster crab pan, simply great 😋

Great location overlooking the harbor! Food and drinks okay… Unfortunately the waiter was very rude!

Again and again, just great here🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The operation is very questionable. cheeky, instructing. Questions the quality of other restaurants. Never again

Super friendly service, very good food and the atmosphere is also very pleasant, you'll be happy to go there again

Food was OK. Knieper Super. We were 8 adults and 3 children. Paid €398 on the first evening. Staff could be a bit friendlier. On the second visit, the child, 5 years old, was supposed to eat the ice cream / 1 scoop alone on the street and not with 4 adults who wanted to have a drink outside. The ice cream was eaten during the discussion, but we left anyway. It was our last time there.

It was a very nice evening. Ate well and were served very nicely.

Food was delicious. Super nice service. Relaxed and friendly. Nice ambience.

Always a great address. Friendly team

Schönes Restaurant, man sollte nur nicht drin sitzen. Dort ist es sehr eng. Essen ist sehr lecker, könnte aber etwas mehr sein. Was besonders böse ist: BEZAHLEN mit EC Karte erst ab 50 Euro.

Als Abschluß des Klippenrundweges zum Hafen abgestiegen und erstmalig (bestimmt auch letztmalig) in der Bunten Kuh eingekehrt. Wir wollten relaxed 2x Irish Coffee trinken, wurden von der Bedienung belehrt das Irish Coffee nicht bei 25°C AT getrunken wird..aus dem Alter das wir bevormundet werden sind wir beide raus. Als wir (Partner und ich)zeitgleich auf unsere Smartphone schauen um unsere Verbindungen mit dem Cat checkten, würden wir eben von dieser Bedienung ungefragt mit dem Spruch '...Ihr habt Euch wohl nichts mehr zu sagen' bedacht. Wir haben ausgetrunken und sind gegangen...wer soetwas braucht um sich auf Kosten anderer angeblich zu profilieren ist in der Bunten Kuh gut aufgehoben..

A super cozy inn and the food was fantastic!!

Very fast service, always a saying also in stock. The food is very tasty. The prices are completely reasonable. We would be happy to come back

Helgoland...worth a trip...again and again. Although we come from the Wurster North Sea coast...But still unique if you like the little tranquility despite all the guests...But that's where we belong too...An island to take a breath and relax and much more...

Ein absolut unmöglicher Laden. Der Kellner duzte uns (unaufgefordert) in sehr aufdringlicher Form und redete ununterbrochen auf uns ein - ob wir es wollten/mochten oder nicht. Einfach kein Benehmen ! Das Essen: Eine Katastrophe. Wir hatten ein Rumpsteak bestellt - was wir bekamen war ein undefinierbarer, unförmiger und zäher Fleischfetzen, aber kein Rumpsteak Den Kellner darauf angesprochen: Da werde ich gleich mal in der Küche Bescheid sagen! - das wars. Meine Empfehlung: Trotz ansich nettem Ambiente sollte man einen großen Bogen um dieses Abzockelokal machen. Das Restaurant Bunte Kuh ist ein typischen Beispiel dafür, wie man im Massentourismus die Gäste abzockt und für die Zukunft vergrault.

The colorful cow. Always a must for us when we are on Helgoland. But now it's not like it used to be. Food (steak and fish platter) after 10 minutes on the table does not mean it was freshly prepared, but rather warmed up. Service is quaint but nice. Conclusion. Previously was better.

Simply great, very relaxed tone, very dog-friendly, great food! It's a must for us every time we visit the island, to eat at least once with Jasmin and her great team 🙂! Kind regards from Eugen too 👋🏼!

Nice outdoor area with a great view. The drinks menu leaves nothing to be desired.

Great service, friendly and open-hearted. The Helgoland Pannefisch was exactly the same. Simply delicious, with 2 fried fillets and fried potatoes. Was a pleasure.

It's a shame we weren't allowed to be here with the wheelchair. "I'M GETTING IN TROUBLE WITH THE COMMUNITY" This is the very first time that a severely disabled person cannot be in a wheelchair here. THANK YOU COLORFUL COW.

We visited the Bunte Kuh several times and were very excited!!! Great service and great food! More than 5 stars but 10!!!!

What was really special was the food was a dream, all fresh, delicious cocktails 🍸 nice staff

Friendly service, tasty food and not expensive. It's worth going back there again.👍

Super nice and friendly service, we really enjoyed the food and would love to go back there again.👍

It's nice to sit there. Drinks delicious. Food ok. Cheeky waiter. No card payment possible.

Good food with quick-witted and funny staff.

Funny sayings from the waitress, loving insults from the audience😜, perfect end to the coastal circular route

Great restaurant... Great food... Delicious cocktails 🍸... Friendly staff... Janine... we'll be back... thanks for this day! See you Thursday... Greetings Klaudia & Reimund

Friendly service. Small dishes, high prices. But food tastes good. Here too, the payment card terminal is defective, as is the case in many other restaurants. Must be due to the salty air on Helgoland 😉.

A restaurant to our liking 👍 We stopped by the Bunte Kuh to eat two weeks ago and we were by no means disappointed. Great food 👨‍🍳 and delicious cold drinks 🍺 and, most importantly, great service 👍 The two waitresses Christoph & Fu alone are worth a visit. The relaxed way of joking around with the guests. Not everyone can or dares to do that. Even our children were thrilled 😅 Bringing drinks and plates to the table, I can do that too. But interpersonal relationships are important and they both really have it 💪 First cream 👍 I'll be back 😎

Great staff And eat deliciously

The food was delicious, the service was a bit grumpy, perhaps due to the massive flow Update from 2024 Jochen is always a joy Food was great and value for money was perfectly fine for an island. Always happy to come back Booking online would be great but not a must

On July 18th we took a day trip with the Halunder Jet from Hamburg to Helgoland. Otherwise highly recommended. When we disembarked we went to the "Bunte Kuh" at the old lobster stalls right at the harbor. We were here once a long time ago and the quality was very good back then. There had been a change of ownership in the meantime, but what we encountered here this time in terms of very obtrusive service and, above all, bad food can hardly be put into words. We sat down on the busy terrace and the next moment the waiter came with the menu and asked for drinks. Shortly afterwards we ordered the food. Throughout the entire stay, the waiter had been texting us and other guests with various things that no one really wanted to hear. Was very intrusive. But now to the far worse part of this review, the food. We once ordered the lobster crab pan with olives, garlic and baguette, spicy for €21.80 and Baked potato with potato cream and turkey breast for €14.70. The first dish consisted of 4-5 very small shrimps (frozen product) in a very fatty broth of olives and garlic. There were also two pieces of the cheapest baguette. Conclusion: Very poorly and carelessly prepared. Greasy and tasteless. The price for this dish is completely exorbitant and not justified in any way. However, the second dish topped the bad experience in this restaurant. A plate arrived with a so-called baked potato, no bigger than a chicken egg and drowned under a large spoonful of tasteless quark. The salad was also placed on the plate and was far from tasting good. On the remaining space on the plate there was still room for a small bowl with tiny and very dry pieces of turkey meat. Here too, spices were probably avoided for cost reasons. Conclusion: Like the first dish. However, the price/performance ratio here is even more outrageous. All in all, I can only advise anyone who has at least some taste not to come here. It is simply shameful for the island of Helgoland and a pure tourist rip-off

I don't know why there are always these moon prices in Heligoland. But convenience food like at schmid-gastro.de is something I can make myself at home. 30 € without fairytale tax is too much.

We came to the colorful cow with six adults and two small children and sat outside in the sun. First, we had fun and friendly conversations with the waiter and ordered several rounds of cocktails and food. So we brought the restaurant a lot of sales! The mood then changed when our two children met directly in front of each other. bought a scoop of ice cream at a stall. The waiter suddenly wasn't nice anymore, but pointed out that the children should eat the ice cream on the other side of the street since we weren't allowed to eat the food we had brought with us. You have to imagine this. How uneconomically can you act? This is about a scoop of ice cream and we would have ordered more drinks. We then expressed our lack of understanding and the boss then reacted rudely and became cheeky. Incredibly bad simple!

The average madness way too expensive

Cozy restaurant with delicious food and nice, funny North German-style service.

We settled there in June this year. The waitresses were very unfriendly. Food was only lukewarm and the schnitzel was sticky. Cash payment only possible from 100 euros. Without exception. They don't even get involved in discussions. Because of this rudeness, there was no tip and we paid to the cent. The waiter then became unfriendly and said we wouldn't accept cents either. I really can't explain why the "colorful cow" is supposed to be such a great place to go and why it's advertised everywhere

Best restaurant on Helgoland. Great staff and great food. Steaks cooked to perfection. Always happy

The service is very unfriendly, the food is mediocre, payment up to €100 is only possible in cash - discussion is pointless. Definitely not recommended.