Hafen Schnecke in Varel

This place is rather inconspicuous from the outside, but behind it hides a great restaurant, excellent service including food

A cozy little restaurant with a lovely outdoor area for relaxing meals and sitting right by the water. Friendly, welcoming service with delicious fish dishes and other dishes. We've been here four times now and have always been completely satisfied.

Delicious milk coffee drunk hot and delicious 😋

An unassuming but very quaint harbor restaurant with excellent food and drinks right on the harbor canal. Not cheap, but very high-quality products

The coffee wasn't really good, maybe it was the water, but it tasted like it had been reheated in the microwave. Otherwise, the team was nice, but a bit overwhelmed by the number of guests.

…very nice ambience, great service and above all incredibly good food at a very high level, we are thrilled and happy to have this great location so close by👍😊

Beautiful spot, delicious food and friendly service with Frisian humor

It's very nice there. It's delicious too! Prices are high, but justified.

A very nice place to relax by the water. We had a bite to eat and it was very good.

So, a review is always subjective, of course, and depends heavily on one's own expectations. So, what do I expect from a restaurant like this? Fish: - Delicious and, if possible, not frozen. Bread rolls: - Bakery rolls or at least comparable quality. (Bread rolls, not frozen, give me extreme heartburn.) Conclusion: - Fish (fried fish) was obviously fresh, very tasty, and crispy. 5 stars for that. - The bread roll caused severe heartburn, so only 2 stars. - The ambiance at Vahreler Hafen is almost unbeatable, which again earns it 5 stars. If baked rolls are okay for you, then I absolutely recommend it. Not really for me. Overall, 4 stars from me.

The tastiest fish we've eaten on the North Sea, and you can still sit comfortably by the water. Highly recommended. We had three kinds of herring with potato salad and fried potatoes, and the baked potato with smoked salmon. Excellent!

The restaurant at the harbor offers an attractive and cozy ambiance. The staff is courteous and friendly. Overall, it's an excellent restaurant that we would gladly visit again. Due to high demand, reservations are highly recommended. Unfortunately, the restaurant is closed during the winter months.

Ambience: Top-notch. Extremely cozy, seats right on the water, simply beautiful! Inside, too: Small but cozy. Service: Very friendly, fun-loving, and attentive. Drinks: Cool, fresh, and delicious. Food: Incredibly delicious, fresh, and beautifully presented! Naturally, a lot of fish, as you'd expect in the harbor. Prices: Completely reasonable and fair. Thank you so much, we'd love to come back 😀

Nice restaurant/café right on the water. A bit of an old-fashioned charm with very friendly staff. We stopped there after a bike ride. Prices were absolutely reasonable. Payments can be made with cash or card. We ate crab soup there – very tasty and really fresh. If you want to stop by in the evening, you should definitely make a reservation to be on the safe side. Some of the seating is covered and right on the water. It's definitely worth it.

Very tasty food and a very nice atmosphere. Friendly and attentive. The zander was first-class. Thank you.

Extremely disappointed by the extremely poor service. After about 15 minutes, we received the menu, but another 15 minutes later, our order still hadn't been taken, so we left after about 35 minutes without ordering. I've rarely experienced such poor and slow service in a café or restaurant. Plus, it wasn't even particularly busy. I wouldn't recommend it.

Newly discovered and well rewarded...great food and very idyllic there....keep it up

It's a lovely place to sit by the water, but unfortunately, the coffee is almost cold and tastes of nothing, and the apple pie isn't worth mentioning either. It's completely incomprehensible that dogs aren't allowed outside. It's good if you can afford to do without guests like that...

Newly discovered Very tasty...and the food is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m....we like that.

Very nicely located right on the harbor, friendly service, good fish, can be recommended.

We ate there twice in a row. Reservations are recommended.

Ate delicious, "fresh" fish! Great 👍 Keep it up, dear colleagues 👏‼️ Only the service forces you to relax... Whether you want to or not 🤣

Nicely located right on the harbor. Reservations are recommended. Relaxed atmosphere, friendly staff, and good quality. We'd be happy to come back.

Beautiful, quiet location right on the water. Friendly service and the food are highly recommended. I'll be back next time I'm in the area.

A place I can RECOMMEND TO EVERYONE. Very, very good food of a high standard. The ambiance is lovely, right on the harbor. Very friendly and accommodating service. The food is of high quality. I was VERY SATISFIED ALL AROUND.

The food, drinks, and atmosphere are absolutely fantastic, but the manager was very unfriendly to us. We went there three times during our vacation, and the lady was always very unfriendly. The waiter, on the other hand, was very attentive and served us very friendly.

I only had a coffee and a Coke, and didn't eat. Nice service and a very nice place. I'll have to come back for dinner, but without being able to rate it just above 4 points.

Recommended for those who like a rustic feel, enjoy the afternoon outdoors on the covered terrace by the water with a large slice of apple pie and a cup of coffee. 👍👍👍

Super cute with a great atmosphere!! Great food, cool service, everything was great, really. Only the wait for the food is excruciating. But that might have only been the case on the weekend we were there. But if you know what you're doing and you're prepared, it's not a problem!!! It's wonderful there and it's a great place to linger. 5 stars anyway! We'll give the snail another chance to prepare the food in under 70 minutes. :)

Whether by bike or with the whole family, a stop at the HafenSchnecke is always a good idea. Relax by the water with coffee and cake or delicious fish—there's something for everyone here.

A beautiful spot by the water. Great service and delicious food. Always happy to come back

We actually got the tip from Swabia, and it was spot on. We haven't regretted it. Great food, freshly prepared, a great atmosphere, and friendly and humorous staff. Hans and Gabi

Rustic ambience...a place to unwind. Super nice service! Always happy!

Delightful place right on the water, time seems to have stood still here. Delicious fish dishes are not only served quickly but also in a friendly manner. Class. And all of this in absolute peace. We'll be back 😀😀😀.

Really highly recommended. Friendly staff, cozy atmosphere, delicious food. What more could you want?

We spontaneously visited the Hafen Schnecke today and were totally thrilled 🤩 super friendly service, great fish and cake (we took it with us 😋) we'll definitely be back again this week and are looking forward to it 😊 very clear recommendation

World's best lard cakes and Berliners...top address. We love it!!!!

Very nice little restaurant 🙂 at the port of Varel 🌞🌞🌞 We can only recommend Kibbelinge 😋😋 Service very friendly 👍👍👍see you next time 😎

The perfect place to unwind with delicious food (very good selection) and cool drinks when the weather is nice! The crab soup is especially delicious! There's nothing to complain about! The long-time waiter is very attentive and does a great job! I wish the Hafenschnecke team a great time, a relaxing winter and I'm already looking forward to next spring! Stay healthy! Many, many thanks to the team for the wonderful hours we were able to spend in the harbor snail!

We were spontaneously in the mood today and totally thrilled. The service was relaxed, funny and courteous - the food was delicious! We'll definitely be back 🫶🐊

Today we were in a snail 🐌. By fortunate circumstances we went to this beautiful, very small restaurant and ate there as a group of four. What can I say, the portions are very good and tasty. The service is competent and relaxed. It's a shame that we only just got to know this place Conclusion, better late than never. I'm really looking forward to the next time Greetings Joachim 🐊

Very nice atmosphere right on the water. Very quiet location. The food is very tasty. The fish platter is recommended

For us the find of the holiday trip... We wanted to eat fish, but we couldn't get a table around the corner. So: try it out and see what works. Very attentive service, excellent food. The fish was absolutely fantastic, the children had schnitzel and tarte flambée. First of all, an excellent salad. As parents, we had crabs with scrambled eggs, jacket potatoes with crabs, fried fish with fried potatoes and the Varel fish platter. Everything was superbly prepared, compliments to the cooks. We drove to the holiday apartment satisfied and full. The ambience is strong, located directly on the water, partly indoors, partly outside. We were more than satisfied. The nice gentleman who served us also communicated very nicely with the children.

This is by far the best thing I have experienced in terms of friendliness from restaurant staff in this category. The ambience is simply amazing. The food...my mussels in white wine stock with fresh vegetables were delicious. Full marks! Keep it up...you're great!!!

We went there today because of the great reviews. And it smelled very good! The service was new, but very nice. The food, however... completely without salt or seasoning. Starting from the salad dressing to the fried potatoes (which were also delicious) and the fish. It was very fresh, but unsalted. I had a salad that was more boring than any I've had in a long time. Tomatoes that didn't taste like tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, carrots and at least peppers. No cabbage, no potato, no beetroot salad. And above all, an absolutely tasteless salad dressing. Too bad. And because the spout of the teapot and the teapot were dirty, the tea only tasted half as good. So probably not again. Oh, and not recommended for vegetarians.

Thank you very much for the wonderful hours with great food (especially the mussels), warm service and a cozy atmosphere. We felt very comfortable and will definitely come back as Vareler regular customers.

Ate the perfect fish platter. A pleasure!! It wasn't the last time I was here.

What was served to us from the kitchen to the table is second to none! The conclusion is very good and rounds off everything else more than just positively. Undoubtedly, anyone who would like to dine with the finest crystal glass at a gold-rimmed marble table is in the wrong place on this cozy patio right on the harbor canal. Plain, with a “natural patina” is created artificially elsewhere, but here it was wonderfully normal. Some people may not like the fact that the service occasionally swam a bit (not in the canal). We found the operation to be completely fine and the fact that it sometimes takes a little longer is completely understandable. We didn't come in a hurry and to experience perfection, but to have dinner in peace and quiet in a relaxed atmosphere. Ambiance: great Service: absolutely ok Offer: great Quality: very, very good!!! We would love to come back and can only recommend this location!

We were here for the first time today. This restaurant is a MUST if you want friendly and very quick service, excellent food in a beautiful setting and just want to sit and relax right by the water. We will definitely sit here more often right by the canal and end a hectic day in peace. This restaurant is therefore highly recommended!

We had a delicious meal, sat right by the water and really enjoyed the little break. Food good, service friendly and very funny, atmosphere very nice. Everything fits!

Great restaurant right at the harbor with a rustic, cozy beer garden, very nice staff and really delicious food. We like coming here. Again today with home-baked plum cake and coffee. Delicious!! Update, September 1, 2022 I've now taken the trouble to read all the reviews. You might think that some people get paid for their bad reviews. I don't know how many times we've been to Franzi's. But we never experienced any unfriendliness or extremely long waiting times. Always in order and not: here I come... And anyone who complains about missing fries etc., it's their own fault and doesn't have to mention it in the review. You are asked whether everything is good or something is missing. It's that simple. We love coming to Hafenschnecke, the food is delicious, homemade and beautifully presented. Of course, the boss cooks herself. A cozy atmosphere makes the food taste even better. What more could you want? And above all, you can still get something in the evening when others have left the kitchen cold. That had to be said. Kind regards from the Lower Rhine Update August 29, 2024 In the meantime, I've been here several times and went back today to eat a boatman's salad. Simply delicious and very cozy again 😋😋😋🤩

The food was very good, it took a while, but it was always freshly prepared, because it takes time, which many people don't understand, but the waiter did it perfectly, we'll be back, and the view was perfect, with a view of the water and harbor

Great location, food and service.

That was probably nothing!!!! Two adults and a child wanted to have a nightcap in Varel - it was 6:00 p.m.!!! Very unfriendly, we sat at the table for 15 minutes and exchanged experiences with the people sitting next to us and there was no service in sight. Then the service was spoken to several times. We just wanted to drink a cocktail and not eat, so they said the colleague would do it and he was probably very overwhelmed. After we asked again, we got a very nice answer as to whether we had time; Something like this has never happened to us in a holiday region. We'd rather spend our money elsewhere. Thank you

Wonderful place to enjoy excellent fish

We probably had a not so good time on July 31, 2024 around 1630. We arrived, very nice atmosphere and we got a great place right on the water. The female waiter who took our order was very friendly! The non-alcoholic Krombacher Weizen was a great and delicious refreshment, but then... "the male waiter must have had a VERY bad day" because not only the tone towards us but also towards his colleague was very unpleasant and unfriendly. In my case, the kitchen "didn't deserve any laurels" either... I had specifically ordered an "Emdener matjes with rolls WITHOUT ONIONS, SALAD AND SAUCE". (I want to taste the fish and not the onion or the salad) That's exactly how my order was taken and went into the kitchen. A “normal Emdener Matjes roll with ONIONS AND SALAD” arrived. When I complained about it as "I didn't order it like that", the male waitress wordlessly took "MY NOT ORDERED" and brought it back to the kitchen. What was brought to me from the kitchen a few minutes later was OUTRAGEOUS! The Majtes tasted more like onion than fish!! What was done in the kitchen, lettuce and onion taken out of the roll and ready. There wasn't even any new paper in which the roll was put, parts of the onions were still in there. :-( "I would have expected a new Emdener Matjes roll that had not come into contact with onions, (because everyone knows that once something has come into contact with onions, it can no longer get rid of that taste or smell. I think we just really had a bad time (even though there weren't that many guests there yet) and I also know that it's currently. It's difficult to get good staff, but in my opinion "unfriendly or unworthy staff" is not the solution either.

Mit unserem Fahrradclub sind hier eingekehrt. Die männliche Servicekräfte war locker und schlagfertig. Die bestellten Speisen hatten nach längerer Zubereitung eine gute Qualität.

Nice environment... and that's about it. We actually wanted to eat something, but the ambitious prices on the menu didn't match the shabby interior (shabby tables with a hodgepodge of loveless decorations, more than dead plants in various windows). We were served friendly, but the only thing left was the drink.

Perfect food, perfect place on a perfect day!

Very child friendly. Fresh cuisine. Additional children's menu. Easily accessible by bike. Staff provided a lot of information. Great destination

When the sun is shining and you can sit right by the water... 🥰

Wir waren gestern mit Hund und Zwei Kindern vor Ort. Ambiente ist toll, Stühle naja tun schon weh beim längeren Sitzen. Der Kaffee und der Kuchen (drei verschiedene probiert, reichlich Auswahl, alles selbstgebacken) waren sehr lecker. Allerdings die Begrüßung der Gastwirtin und die Antwort auf die Frage ob es Laktosefreie Milch gebe(was heutzutage ja kein Thema mehr sein sollte) war sehr sehr frech (ich verkaufe nur Sachen hinter denen ich stehe und die schmecken) hätten uns eigtl. gleich wieder gehen lassen sollen. Auch die männliche Bedienung war sehr unfreundlich! Alles in allem eine schöne Location, welche wir aufgrund des Services nicht mehr besuchen wollen.

We were there yesterday with our dog and two children. Ambiance is great, chairs hurt when sitting for long periods of time. The coffee and cake (tried three different ones, plenty of choice, all homemade) were very tasty. However, the innkeeper's greeting and the answer to the question of whether there was lactose-free milk (which shouldn't be an issue these days) was very, very cheeky (I only sell things that I stand behind and that taste good) and we would have had to leave straight away should let. The male waitress was also very unfriendly! All in all, a nice location that we no longer want to visit because of the service.

Great food and really nice staff - even a conversation about potatoes 🥔 came about 💯

Top for years, now also with a really large menu! Definitely recommended, gladly again!

Great location, very friendly service

We were greeted very friendly, the atmosphere is cozy, right on the water, very rustic. We had two fish sandwiches, which were freshly prepared and met our expectations. We can recommend it to anyone who loves Frisian cosiness.

Loving and delicious! The apple pie was homemade and incredibly good! The café is beautifully located right on the water. Absolute insider tip!

A place that shouldn't be mentioned out loud. You have to enjoy this place alone. Very nice, quiet place.

Full 5***** - Got the tip by chance.

Eaten so well! The kibbelings are awesome. Very cozy place and not so pretentious.

The harbor pinto is an absolute must when we are here on vacation!!!! We have been coming here for many years and always feel comfortable and welcome. We can also highly recommend cake and kibbeling! We're looking forward to next time..... :)

Just beautiful. Delicious food. Great staff. Great boss.

We had very tasty homemade strawberry cake. It's very nice to sit by the water.

Waren zum Kaffeetrinken gekommen .Auch um 17:30 Uhr am Sonntag gab es noch selbstgebackenen Kuchen. Sehr lecker. Man sitzt dort sehr gemütlich am Wasser. Das Personal ist sehr freundlich.

It's a cute little "restaurant". There is only one outdoor area. Food tastes fantastic, but portions are a bit small for my taste. But you will definitely be full.

Super quiet place with nice ambience. Very tasty fried fish with a garlic sauce where you can taste the garlic very well. Matjes rolls are delicious but there is too much on them for my taste... I love it rather simple. But it was delicious. We will definitely come back

Very friendly service/great ambience/food was really tasty 😋😋

They are basically regular guests and take advantage of every good weather to come here. It's simple and rustic but with amazingly good, high quality food. Last year the staff wasn't as good as the year before, but still ok. When it's full it takes a little longer but we're patient. We are looking forward to this year and good food and cold drinks in what we consider to be an idyllic place to relax.

Sehr leckere Muscheln, guter Wein und eine tolle Bedienung = gelungener Abend! Das Essen springt quasi vom Meer auf den Tisch. Der Blick ist fantastisch und das ganz ohne Chichi.

If you want to eat good and fresh fish you should go there. Simple atmosphere but located right on the water and super tasty 👍👍👍

The direct hit on the first visit: mussels in cream sauce! Freshly prepared with soup greens. It's a shame that the Hafen Schnecke closes for the winter at the end of October.

The staff is super nice and accommodating. The food is freshly cooked and everything is homemade. Were very surprised because the atmosphere isn't that nice. But we'll definitely come back. Staff and food was so amazing.

An absolute must when you are in Varel. Very, very comfortable and beautifully furnished. The food and especially the selection is simply gigantic. Very very tasty We spent a lovely evening. Awesome👍👍👍🍻

The service is very friendly and accommodating. The mussels in tomato sauce are simply incredibly good. If you like mussels, you have to eat this. The ambience is great and invites you to linger. Dogs are allowed. Definitely come here again.

The food was very authentic and tasty, but unfortunately it took a long time. The ambience, right on the water and away from the tourist rush, is very, very nice. But incomprehensibly one of the waitresses was very unfriendly to us and always insulted us when we asked about something.

We were there for the first time yesterday. The service was super friendly. The food was plentiful and super tasty. The place is also very suitable for dog owners and is warmly welcomed. We'll definitely be back.

We were here today for the first time - but definitely not the last - and enjoyed the autumn sunshine in the garden. We ate very tasty food! Very nice service - everything fits perfectly!

Famoses Essen, schönes Ambiente, Preis-/Leistung top

Sehr schönes nostalgisches Restaurant direkt am Wasser mit freundlicher Bedienung .

Sehr leckeres Essen bei schönen Ambiente. Kibberlinge sehr zu empfehlen !

Sehr schön, tolle Lage und nette Mitarbeiter. Coole Location

Schöne Lokation, gutes Essen zu fairen Preisen

Ich kann Das Restaurant nur empfehlen. Es wird alles frisch und lecker zubereitet, wenn viel los ist kann es deswegen auch mal dauern. Aber da die Location sehr idyllisch an dem Hafenkanal liegt und die Atmosphäre stimmt, vergeht die Wartezeit schnell. Tolles Restaurant, nette Bedienungen, schönes Ambiente am Wasser für viele Einheimische und Gäste. Der Geheimtipp am Vareler Hafen.

Super Service und tolles regionales Essen! Absoluter Geheimtipp:) Gerne wieder!

Super super toll Das Essen ist sehr gut und das Personal super nett. Wir kommen auf jeden Fall wieder :)

Tote Fliege in der Schüssel kann einmal übersehen werden, aber frisches Brot würde ich frisch und frisch geschnitten anbieten. Das war ein KO-Kriterium, obwohl die Fischauswahl lecker und gut war. Die Preise sind insgesamt dezent zu hoch; möglicherweise geht es bei einigen Gerichten über 20 Euro doch noch, die 'Schallmauer nicht durchbrechen' zu lassen?!

Mir hat diese Einrichtung wirklich gut gefallen! Obwohl er ging es regnete, fanden sie für uns einen Platz unter dem Vordach und wir waren trocken. Alle Kellner waren freundlich. Und das Essen ist sehr lecker! Wir kommen gerne wieder!

War nun zum vierten Male innerhalb von 6 Jahren hier. Die kleine Hafen Schnecke sehr zum positiven entwickelt. Wenn ihr in Varel seit dann müsst ihr unbedingt dahin. Das Preis Leistung Verhältnis ist echt der Hammer. Alles frisch zubereitet. Gegessen hatten wir Friesen Carpacio ( Currywurst ) mit Pommes, Kibbeling, Backfisch und Apfelkuchen mit Sahne. War alles lecker. Ich würde sogar sagen 5 Sterne mit einem Sternchen extra. Weiter so. Komme wieder wenn dort bin.

Die Lage ist Traumhaft, der Service nett und flott und das Essen war ganz Hervorragend. Sehr zu empfehlen.