Haus am See in Essen

Great cafe We were there today with our two dogs. The coffee and cake were delicious.

I was there for a walk with my family. My son was hungry, so we went to see what they had. We saw that they had currywurst, but since my son doesn't like currywurst, we asked if he could have a bratwurst with fries. One employee had to ask the other. He said it wasn't possible, another customer heard that, and mine was just a currywurst without sauce. The employee then said to the customer, "What's it got to do with you?" So cute. Okay, so my son only wanted a portion of fries and my husband wanted a currywurst, but to go. We waited half an hour for the two portions, and there were no other people there. When we finally got the food, there weren't even cutlery or serving napkins. And the currywurst also came with salad, even though it wasn't listed on the menu. And the currywurst wasn't even sliced. The food was still tasty, but it was expensive. I wouldn't recommend you go there.

I remember this place from back then, when it was different. It's still cozy on the lawn by the lake... but the new owners leave a lot to be desired. You immediately get the impression that this place is all about making money. Soulless. The service staff is listless and unmotivated... you're just "fed up" there - no thanks. The prices are also far too high and unreasonable. I wouldn't recommend it.

Shisha bar, nothing more needs to be said.

The service is very good, honestly, but if there was a park, everything would be perfect. May God provide for them.

The food is very, very bad, but the view is completely tasteless and takes a long time. The service is not very good, for example, we needed napkins, but they weren't provided. I would not recommend it at all. The only good thing is the view.

Review of the "Haus am See" We usually finish our plates – not out of a sense of duty, but because we respect food and don't waste it. Leaving a restaurant with half-portions still in front of us never happens to us. Until now. The sequence of events: The terrace is almost empty, we sit down. A greeting from the waiter? No. Instead, a charming reminder from afar: "Self-service outside." – so much for hospitality. So we dutifully ordered two slices of apple pie at the counter, one with cream. The cost: a hefty €9.80. What was delivered was a textbook example of culinary refusal. The pie: clearly a convenience store, warmed in the microwave, still frosty on the inside, sweet in taste, with visible apples, but no apple flavor at all. You could say: supermarket pie at its worst. (And supermarket pie doesn't necessarily have to be bad. Unfortunately, this one really didn't taste of anything.) The cream? There was something on both plates (even though only one of us wanted cream) – but the amount was such that there was about as much cream on two plates as I could have eaten cake with a single fork. For comparison: an espresso cup has more foam. And then the "topping": colorful sugar sprinkles on the cream, as if a kindergarten child was celebrating a birthday. (Note: We're clearly very grown-ups.) Added to that was an arrangement of canned pineapple chunks, a swirl of white icing, and an orange slice – right on top of the apple pie. You didn't know whether to eat it or consider the whole thing an art installation. Conclusion: Almost 10 euros for a cold, ready-made cake in a clown costume, with decorations from a can of fruit. Quality: poor. Service: as cold as the cake. The only nice thing is the view of the lake – and that's free from the park bench next door. Not recommended – unless you're into bizarre dining experiences. The very loud Arabic background music puts the "icing on the cake"...

A beautiful beer garden with a view of the lake has become a run-down place. Garbage and leftover food are littered on the floor. Tables aren't cleared; communication is almost impossible. If you feel the need to wash your hands, there's no way. The water in the restrooms has been turned off!!! It's simply awful. I'm crossing it off my list of things to do.

The surroundings look very nice, but neither the food nor anything else tasted good. The prices don't match the taste at all. Unfortunately, for an Arabic restaurant, it's very poorly done.

Masha Allah, what a blessing...the food is very good and the view is amazing. May Allah bless you.

This location used to be one of our favorites, but unfortunately, we can't recommend it now. You only get table service if you order food; you have to get your own drinks at the bar. However, we noticed other guests getting drinks with table service the whole time. The prices aren't bad either (e.g., a milkshake costs just under €10). We didn't feel comfortable. The women's restrooms weren't clean and smelled really bad. What a shame about this great place...

A very nice location, but the service is unfortunately abysmal. The waitresses were completely overwhelmed with only two drinks. If you were of Arabic origin, you would be served immediately; otherwise, it takes forever. Unfortunately, we won't be coming here again.

I was there with my family on a Sunday evening. We weren't greeted and had to fetch the waitress from the store. The food was cold, and the beer was uncooled from the bottle...a shame.

Good location, but unfortunately the restaurant is very bad!

I used to love this place. Lately, the Arabic music has been playing very loudly, and the service leaves a lot to be desired. Drinks aren't chilled and are overpriced. Never again.

Not the service and atmosphere from the pictures. Trash place without good gastronomy

We ordered a Rumpsteak and the meat was super tough, the waiter only came to the table to take the order, from then on he never paid attention to us, not even to ask for the bill, we had to go over to where he was sitting.

I ordered a medium rump steak, and that's what I got. Also, it wasn't a rump steak. No waiter felt responsible for us, even though we were the only customers. I can only advise against eating there.

More than just wonderful views and excellent service. Respectful and professional staff.

It was my favorite place—the garden, the sun, and the river made it perfect, especially in summer. But it became the worst restaurant in town. The service was terrible; they served us warm white wine and tried to charge me twice. And finally, as if that weren't enough, the place was quiet and free of noise until two couples came in and turned on a loudspeaker with Arabic music. What have these people done to this beautiful place? 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️catastrophic!!!!!

Great location, overpriced ready-made cakes, poor service - waited forever for them to (defrost?). Too bad - it used to be different here.

Fantastic view, service can be better.

It's heartbreaking to see what's become of this wonderful place. Unkept, run-down, the worst service in the food department, and the food bordering on inedible. It's a shame what the new owner is doing here. I won't be back until the owner changes.

Great food, great service – we'll be back!

The waiter doesn't speak German, okay. I wanted to order 4 shandys, but he didn't know what to do. Paying by card was possible, but the machine crashes, which can happen. I wanted to pay with a 50-euro note, couldn't change it, and waited 20 minutes until he could change it. The toilet was absolutely filthy. Never again.

This beautiful place has unfortunately lost its flair and ambience.

Disastrous service, lousy food, and a crowd like Essen Central Station. It's unbelievable what goes on there!

Delicious food & friendly service – but quite expensive I visited this restaurant and have to say: The food was truly delicious and the staff very nice and friendly. The service was attentive, and you feel at home. But honestly: The prices are really high. Sure, good quality comes at a price – and maybe it's justified – but you do have to dig deep into your pockets. 😂

Nice ambiance at first glance, but unfortunately anything but nice upon closer inspection. Very unkempt, and the service is the icing on the cake: Incredibly poor service, warm beer, and instant Aperol that takes about 20 minutes to prepare. Unfortunately, the clientele isn't what you'd hope for. It's a shame, such a beautiful half-timbered house with a great view of the lake, but that's about it.

We didn't wait for the menu, we went and took it ourselves. The tablecloths had holes. The nuggets from the children's menu were overcooked.

The location is truly beautiful, situated on Lake Baldeney with a view of Villa Hügel. That was the only positive thing: service? None, as it's self-service from a run-down shed where you pay for bottled beer at the same price as draft beer. The seating is uneven and run-down, and the paths to the restroom, as well as the restroom itself, aren't particularly nice or clean. While you're ordering, people are speaking loudly in Arabic, which I find very unpleasant.

After our extensive bike ride, we decided to stop at the "Haus am See" restaurant. From the outside, you could almost call it a beer garden. To our surprise, the menu offered both European and Oriental dishes. However, we opted for European cuisine, which unfortunately didn't impress us either in terms of taste or appearance. Sorry to say: This isn't restaurant-quality! Drinks had to be ordered directly from the bar. However, the beer selection wasn't extensive. Otherwise, it was the usual. The prices for dishes and drinks are disproportionate to the quality. Perhaps the owner should look around and adapt his dishes to the local cuisine. The crowd at Baldeneysee generally expects traditional cuisine and a wider selection of beers. The music was completely out of keeping with the ambiance.

Unfortunately, it was a bad experience due to the presence of alcohol signs in an Arabic shop. We found out about this in the end. This place has a lot of stars. The service is terrible. The food doesn't match the high price. The grass is too long to sit in, making it feel like you're sitting in a public park.

Food inedible, dirty, bad service

The location right on the lake is beautiful, but that's about it. The outdoor area is a disaster: not a single flat seat, unkempt greenery, no details, no tablecloths – simply a lack of care. The outdoor seating cushions look as if they've never been cleaned. The prices are completely exorbitant. I wouldn't eat here under any circumstances – if you value atmosphere, cleanliness, or value for money, you'd better move on.

The seating was very nice, the service was excellent, and the food we tried was broasted and crispy. They were very nice and delicious, but the hookah was very ordinary and a little expensive.

Not a requirement, everything is dirty. However, the view is the only thing that's nice.

We love it here, the view is great, the desserts & drinks are on point and the waitress (Abeer) is the nicest person ever🥰 The place is really clean (even the bathrooms)

The restaurant and seating area are beautifully situated and offer direct views of the lake. The menu is varied and the service is good.

Very bad service. I waited a long time for them to come and we ordered, and then we waited until they brought it. The tables were dirty. Really bad service, the first time and the last time.

Everything is great food, service, and atmosphere

Suddenly there is car traffic on the footpath and cycle path right along the shore.

€5.40 for a bottle of Stauder Pils, cheers then 🍻. Apparently, the draft beer is sold out. If you believe that 😅...you won't see me again. Oh, and this place is no longer in German hands.

We stumbled upon this place by chance on an evening stroll. Great lake view, wonderful evening atmosphere, and friendly, welcoming people—a truly lovely place to end the day in a relaxed atmosphere! We'll definitely be back 😍

Disappointing The steak and burger were dry and tasteless. Far too expensive for the quality. Beautifully presented, but inedible. I've had severe stomach pain ever since. Never again.

A delicious and large tuna salad (brought to our table promptly) plus a cold 0.33L can of Coke (from the bar) for €18.20. Broken glasses on the grass, many tables with used dishes, the men's restroom filthy as hell. The women's restroom wasn't as dirty.

Absolutely filthy restroom. Disgusting. Bad service...dirty dishes lying around...we immediately fled without ordering.

Unfortunately, this great location has deteriorated dramatically. It's no longer a classic, chilled-out lounge bar, but is now only accompanied by Arabic/Turkish "music." Furthermore, no one understood me when I ordered a beer :(. Sorry, it's no longer the place to be for me at Baldeneysee.

We spent a beautiful and enjoyable day in the restaurant. The atmosphere was excellent, as was the service. The food was fresh, the quantity of the meal was excellent, the arrangement was very good, and the prices were very reasonable. God willing, it will be repeated. With compliments from the Euphrates Association in Essen.

The worst restaurant and the worst service. The waiter made us leave our table after half an hour and said, “You are not allowed to sit here,” without any reason. We told him, “We are customers and we are sitting.” He said, “If you do not like it, God be with you.” That means he is throwing us out. Right in front of you. Bad manners and taste. No respect for the customer at all. I do not recommend it to anyone at all. Bad restaurant and bad service.

The worst restaurant and the worst service. We sat at a table after half an hour, and a waiter came and told us it was reserved so that other people could sit there. They didn't care about anything and said, "We didn't like it." May God be with you. The service is terrible. I don't recommend it to anyone at all!!! Service Disaster! The first service came after 30 minutes and told us we were going to sit down, just without any reason, without respect, because he told us we didn't want to go to her place. SCHLIMMSTER RESTAURANT

New owner. Chaotic service. Shisha smell. Friendly service. Food tasteless and overpriced. Loud music.

The worst restaurant and the worst service. We sat at a table after half an hour, a waiter came and told us it was reserved so that other people could sit there, and they didn’t care about that. He told us, “We didn’t like it. May God be with you.” The service was bad, so I would never recommend it to anyone!!

The food did not taste good it was very bad

Uhhh! Really disgusting place. I'm not sure if they're serious. Definitely low-brow and super revolting.

Very bad treatment, very very bad service. Because of the girls he knows, he kicked us out of the store. What a wonderful place.

The restaurant is bad and the service is poor. I don't recommend you.

After we sat down and waited for someone to take our order, they made us stand up from the table so that our friends could sit. He was supposed to open the restaurant only for his friends and group, and that was it. It was very bad.

Very bad experience, bad atmosphere. After the staff member seated us, another one came and kicked us out because we were giving our table to another group of women. Very bad

Today we were there and we got up from the table after sitting down so that people who know about bad service and treatment would sit down. So imagine that you go to eat with him and he makes you get up from the table???

Masha'Allah, the atmosphere is nice and the food is very good. May Allah reward you with all good.

A restaurant with a great atmosphere. The food is delicious, but unfortunately there are few varieties. Other than that, everything was good and everyone treated us nicely.

Nice place, great view, excellent food, sufficient meals and very good service.. Al Furat Association, Raqqa

It was very bad, I won't come back👎🏻

We were there for the first time and it was very pleasant and the food was very tasty and of course very friendly service ✨

Good evening, today is the first day of Eid. You know the family atmosphere and going to the restaurant must be like this restaurant because the food is excellent and wonderful. We will come to the hookah section after lunch. It has been a long time since I ate such a hookah and such luxury. Really, according to its principles. Today, the guy who makes the hookah mixed a hookah head with lemon and mint. It is delicious. The guys took two apples. It was really delicious. I recommend the place. It is very nice and has a view of the Wau River. With the same hookah, it is delicious and the cocktail is good. The place has been open for a while. I hope everyone visits it. You will like it a lot.

Worse than this, there is no more garbage treatment

Very bad service and treatment, no food options, loud and annoying music, far parking spaces

Great view, with a great outdoor area. Our order was lost. We had to reorder. It took forever for the food to arrive. Unfortunately, the food was very dry, unappetizing, and simply not tasty. The fries were dry and hard. Crispy, just breaded, with barely any chicken in them, and incredibly dry. The prices are reasonable for the location, but very expensive for the poor quality of the food.

The hookah, atmosphere, service and treatment are something to be envied for. May God bless them.

The food is cold and very expensive. The hookah is very bad; there is no vent at all. Your head will burn, and no one will pass by and ask you anything. You have to park your car far away and walk for about a quarter of an hour. The place is very cold and there is no heating. The service is very bad. There are no tissues on the tables at all. I advise you to bring your own. And the insects are unnatural... The view is nice... You sit for an hour and no one passes by and tells you or asks you anything... The guy who brought the hookah was respectful... Honestly, it is one of the worst restaurants I have ever visited in my life... It was the last time I visited this restaurant.

This is how exclusion/isolation works. Shisha, exclusively Arabic music, No alcohol, communication is difficult to impossible, absolutely overpriced, and the ambiance has nothing to do with the old house by the lake.

Unfortunately, it wasn't satisfactory. I had to throw up after my baba ganush. The waiter doesn't come when I want to order or pay. I used to like the atmosphere much better.

Very good location. However, it seems rather unkempt. The grass is very long and the cushions on the chairs are wet. However, the cake and coffee were excellent.

This place used to be a beer garden and has now become an Arabic café and restaurant. It's a source of pride for us Arabs to spread our culture and make the delicious Arabic flavors accessible to everyone. The place is beautiful and very suitable for relaxation, especially when the weather is pleasant. The service is good and the staff are friendly. There are a few points that still need to be worked on and improved—I look forward to doing so in the near future. I will be back, as this place deserves more chances. I wish them much success!

Nice view, but terrible service. After a long wait, no one showed up to meet the conditions. It's a shame, considering the prospect of having such service. I wouldn't come again.

Guests primarily come from the inner-city milieu and drive along the bicycle and pedestrian path in tinted limousines instead of taking the street. Service underground and the finest system catering. Anyone who still knows the old operator and charm will no longer feel comfortable here. Then it's better to go to the cafe at the wheelhouse, or to the old ice cream parlor next door. The view can't make up for it.

Was delicious and not that expensive

A complete disaster!!! We ordered our drinks after about 20 minutes – and, just in case, we also ordered an ice cream for the child and a salad. After about another hour of waiting, during which neither drinks nor food arrived, we left the restaurant forever!!! The staff are running around aimlessly and aimlessly, completely overwhelmed by the fact that there are so many guests!!!

Disgusting!!! Read the WAZ report!!! SAD!!! +++NO ALCOHOL+++!!! I've lived here on Lake Baldeney for a long time, which has offered us locals and guests a wealth of culture and relaxation for many generations in the heart of the RUHR AREA. I simply don't understand why the city of Essen doesn't care about preserving such values. Why is everything being Ottomanized here? Our culture being suppressed? The Haus am See is another good example. Nothing against the operators, but a restaurant right on Lake Baldeney with a lake view in the Ruhr area – no beer, employees barely able to handle an order because hardly any German is spoken... What the hell is going on here???? Dear City of Essen, we're in the Ruhr area, and the people on Lake Baldeney don't want tea from dollhouse cups. They want beer and local cult! Dear Haus am See operators, it's a shame that you're trying to push your culture through instead of embracing the culture of the region, the RUHR AREA!

Never again. The food is inedible and overpriced, and there's no beer or wine. Cleanliness is a foreign word, not to mention the restrooms. It feels like a shisha bar in a no-go area with a suitable clientele. They only seem to care about a certain clientele here, and these people think they own the world. The public order office and the police should take action here; it would certainly be worthwhile. What was once an idyllic place has become an unpleasant place. How can you allow something like this to happen?

Very good food, very nice service.

Top-notch food, very generous portions, beautiful location! Very good value for money, would definitely go back.

Before the change of tenant, it was a chilled-out beer garden. Now: no alcohol served, no shandy, or anything like that, and souped-up, flashy cars parked in front of the building on the Seeweg, which is only for pedestrians and bicycles (see WAZ report). The customer base is accordingly. No thanks! Never again! Edit: Closed yesterday, May 21, 2025, by the health department! (see WAZ report)

We wanted to have a drink here in the evening. It's unbelievable what this "once really good" place has become. Not recommended

No, let's not. Better spend your money somewhere else than there.

Absolute disaster Dirty tables, dirty restrooms, poor service, excessive wait times, unfriendly staff, and no command of German. Food inedible. Never again. I hope the place stays closed permanently.

You wonder what that's supposed to be and why you want to create your own cultural world. Integration failed. Update: hygiene deficiencies, shop closed...

Closed by food inspectors due to vermin infestation.

It used to be great, but recently it seemed more like a shisha bar than a restaurant or beer garden. The waiter spoke little to no German, and the prices were way overpriced. It's a shame, because the view is really beautiful.

A beautiful location, but unfortunately with serious flaws: The service was disappointing. The ambiance was significantly spoiled by illegally parked cars, inconsiderate guests, and staff who threw cigarette butts into the lake. Some even used shisha pipes right at the table – which significantly lowers the standard. Overall, unfortunately, not recommended.

Despite the beautiful location, unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend it. The ambiance seems rather strange and doesn't fit the idyllic surroundings. Service is practically nonexistent, and the food is mediocre at best. Instead of a stylish lakeside location, the 'Haus am See' now resembles a shisha bar. The parking situation is particularly disturbing: Numerous vehicles regularly park illegally directly across the river on the Ruhr – sometimes on the sidewalk and bike path. Responsible action on the part of the operators would be desirable. It remains to be hoped that the public order office will take stronger action in the future.

Apparently, I arrived on Sunday afternoon after a big celebration, taking a break from a bike ride. The cleanup wasn't finished yet, but the house was open to guests. I couldn't use the bathroom; everything was dirty, and vomit was still in the sink. Perhaps it would have been better not to open the door, so I could clean everything in peace.

It used to be a nice tourist destination.

I ordered bread with hummus! The bread was OLD and served in a plastic bag! Sorry, never again

First of all, thank you for the warm hospitality. It's a new owner and a new opening. Besides the new Arabic cuisine, which was truly delicious and, in my opinion as a chef, very well-seasoned, I was particularly impressed by the freshly squeezed juices, which were truly delicious. Apart from that, it's a fantastic location for the summer; it feels like a vacation and you feel at home. I can only recommend it.

The food was very, very tasty and they were very quick, too. The prices are great, as they serve really delicious food in large quantities. I would go again. The staff and waiters are very friendly.

Masha Allah, I liked the place, the service is good, the food is good, and the restaurant management is very nice. I am surprised by the negative comments, and the truth must be told that the restaurant is a piece of advice. Go and try it, don’t listen to others. Good luck.

For the first time in my life, I regret paying my money Because the service is getting better And everything is falling apart

Quiet and entertaining place and good service