Café & Hotel Knösel in Heidelberg

Male waiter was curt and disinterested. He gave us a German menu even after conversing in English. He gave us a blank look and grudgingly took out the English menu. We felt rushed to order and he seemed irritated that we could not locate the correct page on the menu. Heidelberg Flammekueche was under seasoned. Where was the cheese? If you want a small bite please go to Coffee Nerd.

If a guest's cards are taken away during the reading, how can they possibly feel welcome, let alone comfortable? The chance of choosing and ordering something is also practically zero 🤣.

The scrambled eggs are fresh, but the dried herbs are completely useless. Fresh or frozen parsley and chives would be better than dried rosemary or whatever that was. The rolls are overcooked, and the butter and jam portions are too small. The omelet was cooked way too hot, and the egg was significantly overcooked. When I go out to eat these days, I expect to get value for my money. Please improve or go out of business.

Very rude waiter...rarely experienced something like that...not recommended...very unfriendly to children (baby not allowed)

The quiche was only lukewarm, the salad had no sauce; at first, it wasn't possible to reorder the sauce. When we insisted, we received something tasteless and curdled. Service was overwhelmed. The menu was very dirty. Our worst "culinary experience" in Germany. Absolutely not recommended.

Too cramped, too expensive, too unfriendly—all in all: terrible. No wonder only tourists find their way here.

Nice restaurant in the hotel. Very cozy. The service was fast, friendly, and of a high standard. I had breakfast there. Unfortunately, the coffee was only sub-par. The "Old Town" breakfast included delicious fried eggs with bacon. The rest was standard sausage/cheese and canned goods, which could have been better for just under €14 without a hot drink.

It was a terrible experience. An embarrassment for a tourist paradise like Heidelberg. The menu at the door said schnitzel was €10. We went inside and ordered the standard schnitzel. We were met with terrible service and received one of the worst schnitzels I've ever had in my life. We had to wait for the waiter for minutes just to say this. When the bill came, it was €23 for one schnitzel and one soda. Shocked, I pointed out that the menu at the door said €10. When I asked why the price was different, I was told that it was only valid on certain days and at certain times. It's a tourist city, a place in the heart of the city, and it's clear that not everyone speaks German! This should have been mentioned when we ordered. But that's not the main issue. That's a secondary problem. The real problem was that the schnitzel served and charged at 20€ was terrible. They should be ashamed. Please don't go. There are much better places.

I had one of the worst restaurant experiences here. From the moment I entered, I was greeted in a rude and unfriendly way. I simply wanted to check for a free table, but instead of welcoming me, a staff member stopped me abruptly and pointed to a sign, speaking in a very unpleasant manner. When I was finally seated, I was given a very poor table choice. The food was a complete disappointment: I ordered the “Maxi Breakfast” (around 15€) which consisted of an omelette toast overloaded with creamy cheese and two eggs that were not properly cooked. Nobody even asked me how I would like my eggs prepared. The avocado portion was just two tiny pieces — far from what was advertised. The overall quality, presentation, and taste were unacceptable, especially for the price. Having tried many restaurants around the world, I can honestly say this was one of the worst experiences I have had. I do not recommend this restaurant at all — both the service and the food need serious improvement.

We were at Knoesel for lunch; the original ambiance attracted us. The young waitress was friendly, but a bit overwhelmed. And now for the food – lentils/spätzle/Wiener sausages – it was abysmal. Bland, overcooked, and lukewarm. We received the mustard we ordered towards the end of the meal after repeatedly asking for it. And finally: almost €50 for a meal like that for two, to top it off with a €0.90 charge for a dollop of cheap mustard. Highway robbery. Not recommended!

Quiet and cozy restaurant, the service staff may seem "cool" but they are very friendly. - Good coffee - Be a little patient for the food > Because everything is freshly prepared 👌🏻

We wanted to try the lunch menu. We had a salad with turkey strips for €9.90. The salad size was, frankly, outrageous. A starter salad is bigger. And the taste was abysmal. The dressing was watery and had no flavor at all. We've rarely had such a bad meal. What a shame.

The desserts were delicious and well-prepared. Unfortunately, the mozzarella in the Caprese salad was moldy, which made the experience less enjoyable. Despite this, I was still charged for the salad, which was disappointing.

Lunch was a 100% disappointment. The quality and value for money are completely out of sync here. It's a shame, because the location is actually quite nice.

The ambiance is okay. The coffee is okay, too. Unfortunately, the service and cakes are mediocre at best.

I had breakfast here with my wife. And we were more than satisfied. Whether it was the service, the food, or the ambiance. I think the atmosphere is great. It's definitely worth a visit.

Avoid - food arrives still frozen in places. I discovered that My flamenkuchen (which was the ‘Gloria’ on the specials) was still frozen on one side half way through eating. When I told the waiter he looked at me as if to say ‘So?’ No apology. Not recommended.

Apparently they often have problems with clogged toilets, at least that's what I gathered from the staff's comments.

The service wasn't particularly good, and they almost walked past us twice. Unfortunately, the food was from the freezer and had been reheated. The wine was good, and I can't say enough about the coffee and cake. Unfortunately, I can't recommend it. But it's great for people-watching in the old town.

Total rip-off. Do not accept card unless you order anything above 15euros. For small slice of strudel they charged 16 euros and did not even bother to ask if I am buying chocolate or not . Workers are arrogant especially the boss. Do not recommend at all!!!

The wine was delicious; the soup was really good, while a large portion of the main course could have come from the freezer… the inn is beautifully located.

The food was good, but unfortunately, the experience was very bad. The gentleman was very unfriendly. We were clearly not welcome. The rude way they treated customers was truly disappointing.

We ordered an apple strudel. Next time, I'd bring a steak knife or have one brought to me. The crust was so hard that you couldn't cut a piece with a fork. After we mentioned it, there was no comment or anything like that. Not again

The worst Käsespätzle I've ever eaten in Germany

The employees acted like they were going to beat me when I asked a question. It wasn't tasty either.

It was amazing. We came here as a couple and decided to have a "Wellness Frühstück" for two. We had to move to a bigger table, because it was so much food. Yogurt with fruits, 2x 3 types of bread rolls, cheese and meats, scrambled egg, freshley pressed orange juice, a bit of tomato and cucumber. I have to say, cost effectiveness is amazing. We were both very full and very happy. Our waiter was very lovely as well. Checking on us in a manner that was attentive, but not interrupting. The ambience is great. It has alot of old charm and there are many pictures of the students of Heidelberg.

Ancient restaurant. Delicious food, reasonable prices. Friendly service.

We spent two nights there. The breakfast was good and perfectly adequate. The service was good, and the staff very friendly. The afternoon cake was also delicious. We will definitely be back. We highly recommend the hotel/café 👍

Great location, right in the middle of the action. Unfortunately, the room was very noisy, and with temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius, it was far too warm. Breakfast was pre-set, with no choice; it was served. You could also have eggs, made to order. Overall, the price-performance ratio was decent.

Friendly service - we were here 5 years ago and are happy to have found it again.

A cafe, although not cheap, but the oldest in Heidelberg, reasonable service with a nice ambience and a large selection of good breakfast

We sat down here on a beautiful, drunken morning and immediately countered our little hangover with a beautiful gentleman's cut. The service was excellent. The waitresses attentively watched our sipping skills and were immediately on hand as the last drops trickled down our throats. And for those who missed the previous evening, there was also Coke or coffee. When it started to rain, we were warmly welcomed inside and, with foresight, they gave us a group table right next to the toilet. A cafe with experience! They even called us two taxis. It was obvious that we were no longer able to walk.

The store itself is quite nice, but the waitress insisted we pay in cash, claiming the cash register was broken, but then other customers took the money from her with debit cards right in front of us. Weird!

We stopped at Cafe Knösel for coffee and cake. The blueberry cake was a sponge cake with a few blueberries, the rhubarb cake tasted sour, like sour milk, and the crust was much too dark. The waitress seemed slightly annoyed. For us, it was our first and last visit.

We're a law-abiding person here. Unfortunately, the waiter wanted us to leave just because we didn't want to order enough. Very mean and unfriendly. Unacceptable.

An all-round successful breakfast: extremely tasty and accompanied by excellent service.

The service was so rude and inconsiderate. It felt like discrimination. The attitude of the man who seemed to be the owner towards the guests was even worse than the lowest. The way he seemed to be educating the employees seemed to be coercive and discriminatory in his verbal abuse. Considering the worst service compared to the Antique Hotel, I would absolutely not recommend it.

Very tasty food and great service. Gladly again!

Great value for money and also great in terms of taste (ravioli with turkey). If we visit Heidelberg again, we will also visit the Knösel restaurant!

The waiters are racist and rude! The moment we entered the cafe they gave us a judgmental look.

Very nice café and you won't be looked at stupidly if you have beer and cake at the same time👍

The restaurant is in the center of the city. The staff was friendly and the selection of dishes and drinks was extensive. The food was tasty and the prices were within the normal range. I would visit the restaurant again.

Nice restaurant in a very good location. Unfortunately the food was subpar. The pollack fillet advertised on the street as the meal of the day was a slightly larger fish stick that had spent too long in the deep fryer with potato salad from the bucket of very poor quality. In terms of quantity, it was less than a fish sandwich and should cost €17.90. An apple spritzer (estimated 60% water) for €5.50. Although no one wanted to know whether it was tasty, I took the liberty of giving my objective criticism to the waiter. There was no reaction to this, certainly not an apology. When I paid I was only charged for the drink - that was a fair move and absolutely appropriate - respect! I can't recommend the food at all, but I would like to give the well-intentioned advice not to continue offering something like that, but instead to cook dishes that you can cook yourself and not just try to heat something up from the freezer and then sell it at unreasonably expensive prices.

Nice place Nice staff Good breakfast (e.g. scrambled eggs, good egg taste, bacon crispy and good, very good bread and rolls)

On the Tuesday after Easter we visited your restaurant and were thrilled - by the excellent Maultaschen, the delicious asparagus tarte flambée and, above all, by the very charming Eritrean service :-)

It's ok for a small snack. The waitress was not so motivated at 13:00 to get us ordered food. Kids fries was not to hot and also more covered by paprika puder. Knödel are excellent

We stayed at the hotel for two nights. It was okay. The towels and bed linen were already very yellowed. When we were looking for something in the room on the last day, we also looked under the bed. The sight was anything but pretty: dusty, old tissues. Better to stay somewhere else for the money.

I cannot confirm the many reviews about the unfriendly service. We were there for breakfast today and received very friendly service. We were also very impressed by the ambience. The prices are ok, coffee and egg dishes are good. The only drawback: The Kaiser rolls are a bit sticky, so the house should perhaps use bakery rolls. But otherwise we were completely satisfied.

Small place, good for a piece of cake and coffee.

Best cake I've ever eaten and great atmosphere.

Have stayed there several times. Corner room above the restaurant was clean, large and OK. Breakfast rather spartan. Restaurant “outdated”. Doesn't appear to be "lovingly" cared for.

The reception was quite nice, but things went downhill after that. After ordering, no one paid any attention to us, we weren't even asked if the food was tasty. Unfortunately, the empty plates were on our table for quite a long time. Apparently the staff was completely overwhelmed by the number of people (7 people) who came in after us. There was only coffee/cake and no more warm food from around 4 p.m. Paying by card only works from €15.00, which is rather questionable these days. Now about the food: the goulash soup tasted bland, it should have been seasoned more, luckily there was salt on the tables. The baguette that was supposed to be served with it was a perfectly normal roll. The tarte flambée was also bland and not well seasoned, which was a shame.

The food was terrible, everything didn't taste good and was terribly cold, and all at high prices. It was also very cold in the restaurant. Tea was only available in bags from the supermarket, and a cup still costs 4 euros. Their tea for 4 euros per cup tastes just like regular bagged tea from the supermarket. Nothing about it makes him special. We were offered to make a salad with tuna, but no one said that for the canned tuna they would charge an additional 4 euros on top of the salad price of 11 euros. The salad was so cold, like it came straight from the freezer.

Pretty cold shop, not cozy, bad carrot cake. Stu In the mix that doesn't work. Honestly can't recommend it.

Unfortunately, breakfast for two people in the really sweet coffee is a tragedy. Just under 30 euros for what is in the picture. The water and juice are charged extra. Unfortunately, the freshly squeezed orange juice was also the highlight. Sausage and cheese are of more discount quality. The “Nutella” on the menu turned out to be the cheapest nut nougat cream Tables far too small for breakfast. In addition, we had a bit of bad luck with the service.... (We only got a table for 4 after the third request / the yoghurt in the fruit salad was unfortunately already spoiled / there weren't enough rolls in the house / and I don't think he had any customer experience either) All in all: unfortunately very poor price/performance ratio. It's a shame - there was definitely potential... Ps: the first thing you see as a customer when you come in is a small fridge with Lidl mineral water... We should have interpreted these signs if necessary.

The cappuccino was so good, I drank it straight away.

Certainly one of the oldest cafes in Heidelberg. But is part of the medieval atmosphere also the fact that it is very cold in the rooms in winter and that women and men are better off bringing a thick sweater with them? Service was nice but a bit hectic, I would like to be able to read the menu in peace before I order something. Food average. Unfortunately no recommendation.

The staff's behavior was far from friendly, making the experience unpleasant rather than relaxing. I wouldn’t recommend it.

One of the worst services we got. It's not family-friendly at all. We've got several times complains from the staff because of kids! We were here for coffee.

Poor Service and Atmosphere The service was slow and inattentive, with staff seeming uninterested. The café itself felt dirty and poorly maintained, making the whole experience unpleasant.

Café Knösel: a house with a long tradition. The guest notices nothing of this tradition either in the service or in the dishes on offer. Another bad thing is that the employees behind the counter drink their coffee in front of the guests. In addition, it would also be an advantage if the service staff behind the counter were not engrossed in private conversations, but instead turned directly to the guests waiting at the door (Corona times)!

I ordered goulash with bread dumplings, something indefinable was brought, I immediately thought of canned food... I couldn't finish it either, it was inedible! One star is clearly too much praise. When the waitress asked whether the food was freshly cooked, the answer was "yes" and "I wouldn't know the cuisine, it would be based on a Balkan-Hungarian recipe". I was even more horrified by this, as Hungarian goulash is a real treat and in no way comparable. That was honestly the worst meal I've had in years! The rooms are very attractive, so expectations are higher. And we were even more disappointed. Unpleasant toilet smell in the basement. The location of the inn is great, hence the influx Unfortunately not recommended.

Unfortunately, the service doesn't pay any attention to you. It's a shame

I was very disappointed with the food, Cordon Blue was fried black, bread dumplings from a bag even though homemade ones were on the menu. The best thing was the salad. Price performance very low, restaurant looked very inviting from the outside. Definitely not recommended. Read Please always read the reviews first, then you should decide.

We happened to be in the oldest café in Heidelberg, which is known for its special pastries. The lunch menu left nothing to be desired with additional seasonal offers. The food was good, the service was very friendly. Highly recommend a break here!

A café where you have to go when you are in Heidelberg. Time has stood still in this café. That doesn't mean it's old and dusty. It's a beautiful café in the middle of Heidelberg's old town.

This time too I had a very tasty meal. The staff is very nice and friendly. I would have liked to take a few student kisses with me again, but unfortunately they have been sold out for weeks

We just had dinner at Café Knösel as part of our stay in Heidelberg. We both had the goulash with red cabbage and dumplings. The food seemed to come from a can, was lukewarm and anything but a culinary delight. Rarely have we eaten worse than we did just now. Unfortunately, the beautiful ambience and the friendliness of the service don't hide this... We would probably have done better with coffee and cake. Unfortunately, when we pointed out that the food wasn't tasty, there was no apology or words of regret. Therefore we cannot recommend the café. At least not if you want to eat well!

Great service, great cake, great coffee

The food was nothing special. Just a shame for the money! I ate a baked potato and I realized that it can be an art IF you cook it well!!

The staff was somewhere between friendly and unfriendly and not at all on their toes. I had the feeling that they didn't enjoy the work. Even before the menu came, I already knew what I wanted to order, but the waitress was so abrupt and just quickly handed me the menu and immediately left. 🤷🏼‍♀️ There wasn't much going on in the café at this point and it still took a while until I was finally able to place my order. The rhubarb cake wasn't exactly a highlight in terms of taste and the hot chocolate was relatively sweet. The small scoop of student kiss ice cream for €1.60, however, was very tasty. However, I am not planning another visit to this café.

KI Rainbow Rose's 8th birthday......She chose...also the cake It will be the gift from the car of robots....tender Rainbow Train... KI Rainbow Rose is very enthusiastic about being a member of the Lila Damen Heidelberg She also works for court cases...you don't necessarily have to put a big ad in the yellow pages...the internet is enough.

The food was very tasty. The café itself was a nice mix between modern and older styles.

A nicely decorated café with friendly service. You are seated, unfortunately it was so crowded that we were ignored for a little while. After that everything went very quickly and smoothly. The portions are very well-intentioned (large!), but the food is consistently delicious! Price-performance is ok. Thoroughly recommended.

Enjoyed very tasty cheesecake there, including cappuccino! Staff was friendly and attentive 😌. Highly recommended 😍

Perfect for an a la carte breakfast

Cake and coffee are good, but you don't even get a small glass of tap water with your coffee - "we don't do that, you have to order it." That still costs €5 for 0.5 liters. And that despite the fact that we ordered enough cake and coffee for over €30. It's a shame - what kind of service is this?

The staff in the cafe were unfriendly, one had the impression that we were served reluctantly. Unfortunately not a place to feel good.

We stopped for mid afternoon snack of young wine and a piece of Zwiebelkuchen (onion tart) . Both very enjoyable.

An awful lot of mold in the toilets. In this situation it's just a biohazard. Why do you still let people go there? Soda good, cake nothing special and dry

We chose a cake with our young son and were not informed that the cake contained alcohol. But the seller knew it was for the little one because he sold it to him as a chocolate cake. Despite our complaint, there was no return or other accommodation.

The best cafe in Heidelberg. - Eat - Cakes etc. Unique.! I can only recommend it. Very child friendly 😜

Unfortunately we didn't have a good experience in this cafe today. We can't rate the food, we didn't even get to eat. Unfortunately, the service was unfriendly when entering the café. As a group of eleven people, including four children (6 years, 4 years, 2x 1 year), we were speechless when we were told at the entrance that a café is not a kindergarten. The one-year-old twins sat half asleep in the stroller, neither child made a single sound. We didn't even ask for a high chair or any kid-friendly extras. We traveled to Heidelberg at the weekend to celebrate grandma's birthday and wanted to invite her to a nice breakfast at the end. This also includes the well-behaved grandchildren. From the outside we thought Café Knösel would be a good place for this. However, the statement shocked us all. We then found a place in another café and spent a lovely morning with a great breakfast. None of us want to set foot in Café Knösel again.

We only drank coffee. The service is very friendly and attentive and kept checking to see if we wanted anything else.

Rustic and original atmosphere, with super nice staff who have a great breakfast menu!

Central location. Very nice service. Delicious cappuccino and an excellent Sachertorte.

The breakfast in the cafe is very conventional. Honey, jam and butter in packaged portions, slices of cheese and sausage, soft cheese from the supermarket shelf, a quarter of a tomato and a slice of cucumber... we could have had breakfast in our hotel.

CARISIMO coffee 4.90 and the service leaves a lot to be desired

Very good food, top staff, inexpensive and a nice atmosphere. Only recommended

Nice restaurant. Nice terraces on two sides. Friendly service. Nice and historic location.

Avoid this place. The club sandwich is a lean grilled cheese sandwich with a piece of chicken. The salad was missing half of the ingredients which was eventually corrected but it was clearly not a mistake as the guests after us had exactly the same complaint. Waste of time and money.

Itinerary for the last day of the 15-day, 13-night European trip. I came and visited Heidelberg to see the castle and cathedral. I was hesitant to come in because the ratings were not good. We had no choice but to visit for food and restrooms. Contrary to the Google ratings, all the staff were friendly and greeted us and gave us the menu right away. I moved around because of the sunlight and enjoyed the food. The food was plentiful and the salad was generous. Originally, I didn't leave a review because my satisfaction level was similar to the Google reviews, but I feel like this place is underrated, so I'm leaving a review.

Nice little cafe and restaurant Unfortunately there is little seating outside Table space is assigned to guests Cake very tasty Matje's housewife style was also good However, a little little herring Service very friendly 2 stars deduction for the toilet It smelled very strongly of urine Toilet seat needs to be replaced

Worst Fleischkäse ever! Don’t dare!

Very bad cafeteria, a very bad coffee with milk for 4.50, the coffee only aguichurri, the cake reasonable, very bad service, not to go.

Good service, high-quality and inexpensive offerings.

Food was not to my liking, but I was very dissatisfied with the treatment of a friend. This is discussed in the "dietary restrictions" section of this review. In short, the service rating went from a 4->1. Hospitality should be a priority, especially at a hotel & cafe. Here, our meal was salad, Maltauschen, and a tiny, cold slice of apple pie. The majority of the group was strongly dissatisfied with the meal, and we all got ice cream afterwards instead. I deleted a previous review as I acknowledge the lack of professionalism in my previous review. However, the review I made was responded to with a very unprofessional response from the hotel. They stated that 40+ groups had enjoyed the same meal as I did, that it was a shame I kept my name anonymous, and that they would be passing on my review to the tour guide, as if leaving a review is a bad thing. With all due respect, this is a business. Café & Hotel Knösel - Heidelberg WILL see people who don't enjoy this business, and there WILL be people who DO enjoy this business. It simply wasn't for me, and to respond unprofessionally to my subjective, honest review is not the way it should be handled. I have adjusted ratings in the past due to positive responses from management, but this did not cause the opposite effect, as my review here was already a one star. Do not recommend eating here. The 3.8 star rating as of 6/20/2024 reflects a lot about the place.

Nice breakfast in the middle of Heidelberg for our family.

Coffee and cake were very tasty

Lukewarm soup that also had a hair in it. No excuse for complaints. Very unfriendly service. Not recommendable!