Kleine Traube in Esslingen am Neckar

The restaurant has cult status in Esslingen.

The place and food are typical of the area. Really beautiful and highly recommended for a meal. Lots of variety and truly exceptional food with quality ingredients. Very fast service and friendly staff. Highly recommended.

A Swabian culinary gem in Esslingen's old town. Great atmosphere, excellent Swabian food, top-notch staff – I'd go back anytime! And if possible, make a reservation; this restaurant is deservedly popular.

Delicious Swabian food and a great location.

A lovely, quaint restaurant offering traditional German cuisine. We had the schnitzel and roast beef. The schnitzel with various salads was excellent. Unfortunately, the roast beef wasn't cooked to perfection, but that can happen. All in all, we can recommend this restaurant. Unfortunately, they don't accept card payments!

We visited the Kleine Traube on October 29, 2025, and were absolutely delighted. A real gem in Esslingen, where good food and friendly service are top priorities. The portions are generous and incredibly delicious, and the service is exceptionally friendly and attentive. The old half-timbered building reflects what Esslingen once was; you feel completely at ease there 😀. Thank you for a wonderful evening.

The kitchen is run by professionals! Cozy atmosphere with wooden tables, a tiled stove, and seating areas. Ate delicious sour tripe. If I didn't live 300 km away, I'd be a regular here! .

A real favorite is the Kleine Traube restaurant, everything was perfect from start to finish. The welcome is warm, the service attentive and the dishes truly delicious. You can tell that everything is homemade with quality products. The atmosphere is pleasant and you feel good there, it is an address that I recommend without hesitation.

It was absolutely delicious! Roast beef with onions and spaetzle

Great Swabian food in a cozy atmosphere and with very friendly service. The value for money is outstanding: many dishes are available for under €20 in decent portion sizes.

I stopped there after a long hike and was very grateful to be welcomed so warmly. The food was simply a ten out of ten. I loved it and I will definitely be back. Thank you.

Very nice experience. Good food and warm people. Reservation recommended.

Simply fantastic. Swabian food and more in a wonderful, cozy atmosphere. Absolutely recommended—but please don't forget to make a reservation in advance; otherwise, you'll have no chance of getting a seat!

A truly great place to eat. Decent portions and well-cooked! You definitely need a reservation.

My friends and I were wandering around the town on a quiet Monday, trying to find somewhere open for lunch. We wondered into this beautiful little restaurant, and were blown away. The staff are wonderful and friendly, the food was delicious, and the atmosphere is exactly what you want from an olden style German restaurant. If you're in Esslingen, I highly recommend dining here.

Our food, Träubles Schnitzel and Cordon Bleu with Obazda and ham, was very good.

Delicious schnitzel, perfect fried potatoes. Good wine selection.

Such a rustic restaurant simply great

The food was very average. The ambiance was okay but nothing special. The place is very small.

A very homey restaurant where you feel very comfortable. The waitresses were friendly, the prices are fair, and the portions are very generous. The only thing that stands out is the lentils with spaetzle, which have a distinct vinegar flavor. Perhaps adding vinegar separately would be a good way to measure it. A native Swabian would appreciate that, though—so, that's a high-level gripe. But bring cash!

We came without a reservation and were seated despite the place being full. The food arrived very quickly and was delicious. We'd be happy to come back.

Highly recommended! A rustic atmosphere, friendly service, and excellent food (the world's best Trollinger sauce!). Unbeatable value for money. If you like down-to-earth, fresh food, this is the place for you.

We were here yesterday with a large group for lunch. We had reserved for 12 people, but three more people showed up. When we asked if we could get another table, a very rude, pierced waitress told us that it wasn't possible, even though there were still a few free tables outside. The rude waitress then gave these tables to people passing by the restaurant—and who obviously hadn't made reservations 😝. I'm so disappointed. I really like the little Traube; not only is the food delicious, but the ambiance is also quaint. But the behavior of this waitress really annoyed me!

Delicious food, quaint and old-fashioned decor, the only drawback is that card payments are not possible.

Excellent restaurant with a varied menu and generous portions. Friendly staff. We ate very well.

First-class food. Great ambiance, super friendly service. Very good value for money. Highly recommended.

Great restaurant. Highly recommended. Make a reservation in advance. The food is delicious.

Delicious and affordable, a small town in Spring and Autumn. Typical Swabian food. We ordered the seasonal chicken and champignon cream mushroom soup, which was the most delicious. Highly recommended. This region is rich in food and wine, with vineyards nestled on the hillside. The German-style schnitzel, with its blue cheese sauce, was incredibly delicious.

Yes...schnitzel with potato salad is amazing.

We were lucky and got a table for two in the adjoining room without a reservation. Very friendly service and excellent German food. Definitely recommended, and maybe make a reservation in advance...

We had lunch at this wonderful restaurant today. The sirloin schnitzel was delicious and crispy baked. I had the "spezle" (traditional German sausage) with gravy. The "spezle" (traditional German sausage) was also very good. My wife was also very pleased with her "Maultaschen" (swabian pasta). I highly recommend this restaurant.

Such a delicious restaurant! We would have loved to take photos of the food, but it was so delicious that we ate it quickly. We had the roast beef with onions and the shredded pork, and both dishes came with spaetzle. Highly recommended. The restaurant also has a very quaint decor, and the staff are very friendly.

My wife and I visited Esslingen today for our son's university start. After finishing our work on accommodation, we wanted to go out to eat. An initial linguistic discrepancy between High German and Swabian in the restaurant was quickly resolved. The ambiance, friendliness, and staff were truly fantastic. What surprised me, though, was that the portions were exceptionally generous for Swabia, and incredibly delicious. Hats off! Hasta pronto!

We had Swabian specialties four times at the "Kleine Traube." We felt like we were at Grandma's house. The dishes were prepared with love and great culinary skill. We felt very comfortable in the wonderful ambiance and friendly service.

Even though everything was pre-reserved (on a Monday!), I was still able to get a seat. Super cool atmosphere, friendly staff, delicious food, and very good value for money. Kleine Traube is highly recommended. You should probably make a reservation, though.

The food was very, very tasty. The prices were perfectly reasonable. Large portions. Friendly service.

The food was very good. Delicious schnitzel dishes, world-class potato salad. Unfortunately, the conditions were very unfriendly when it got a bit more intense. Otherwise, everything was okay. The ambiance could be improved a bit. But everyone's tastes differ. The food came quickly and hot. The portions were very generous and really good for the price. I would go there again, but hopefully with the conditions (manager?) in a better mood.

Once again, we enjoyed excellent Swabian food and were completely satisfied. The food was delicious, and the service was attentive. All in all, a wonderful visit.

A very quiet inn – cozy inside and out! Reasonable food and prices.

A quaint little pub in the heart of Esslingen. Delicious beer, excellent food, and very friendly and attentive staff. Highly recommended.

Quaint ambiance, great service. The food was truly delicious; we had lentils, kidney beans, cordon bleu, and the famous schnitzel. Good beer from Baisinger. The Alte Marille is excellent!

A very good place for good, traditional Swabian food at the absolute highest level. A pleasant and rustic atmosphere. The service is very friendly and prompt. The prices are very fair. The quality and taste of the dishes are outstanding. Everything is prepared fresh and in-house.

A small tavern with an undeniable German charm. The portions are enormous, so if there are two of you and you're not very hungry, I would recommend sharing a dish. We had the Cordon Bleau one day and the Schnitzle the next, and both were delicious; you can tell it's homemade food. The interior was also beautiful with gorgeous German decor. I would definitely recommend going! It's important to note that they only accept cash, and if you don't speak German or English, it's a bit complicated because that's what the staff there speak.

We submitted a reservation request on August 14, 2025, and unfortunately haven't received a response to date. It's a shame, as we were really looking forward to a visit. However, we didn't want to drop by "on the off chance" without a response. A brief "yes" or "no" would have been sufficient – unfortunately, this makes you feel underappreciated as a guest.

Nice ambience, service and food could not convince us, we had expected more quality based on the good reviews

Thank you for the great, friendly service and the delicious food. The kidneys and tripe were fantastic!

Super friendly service, great food 👍🏻

I ate here one evening this week. The restaurant was very busy. Reservations are a good idea. I ordered the Maultaschen (swabian pasta) with gravy and potato salad. It went with a delicious light beer. It was very good, very tasty, and the service here is excellent and very attentive.

Absolutely excellent Highly recommended

Very friendly staff, delicious food, and fast service. We were completely satisfied!

Delicious Swabian specialties, freshly prepared. Truly delicious, especially the schnitzel and Maultaschen soup. The service is super friendly and helpful, always with a smile.

Recommended for Esslingen! Period. Great Swabian cuisine. I recommend making a reservation, especially during peak times. Also always worth a look: the daily specials menu. This time it featured some great chanterelle mushroom dishes :)

Great restaurant. The best potato salad, and the gravy is fantastic. Everything we've eaten here before has been simply delicious. After our first visit, we wondered when we'd last eaten so well.

I had very high expectations, and they were exceeded. The schnitzel is world-class, as is the onion roast beef. It's very good value for money. The service was very friendly, and the food arrived quickly despite the full house. It's beautifully located in Esslingen's old town, and you can sit outside. I would recommend everyone to stop by.

Deliciously tasty, unfortunately you get kicked out after about 1 hour because there is a tight schedule for reservations

I'm very happy to write a review here. Two super nice, attentive, and friendly ladies served us. A super nice "boss" who was also up for a joke. It was a highlight to be your guest. Thank you, and we'll be back.

Excellent food, good prices, and extraordinary service, very friendly and helpful. When I return, I won't hesitate to go there again.

Great service. Excellent food. They cater to customers' wishes with great attention.

Yesterday we really wanted to eat here, but unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Upon arrival, we politely asked for a table. The owner told us to wait a moment and that he would clean the table for us. When we sat down—assuming it wasn't a problem—he suddenly became angry. Without any explanation or reasonable cause, he then told us we were no longer welcome. A very unpleasant experience. A shame, because the food that came looked good. Afterwards, we saw that there were several reviews in which people described similar experiences with the owner's behavior. We therefore do not recommend this restaurant!

We had a reservation outside. The manager spoke to customers in a manner that was completely unacceptable. It looked like rain. Unfortunately, I've experienced that again. But the food was good and the service very friendly. Nevertheless, I won't be going there again.

A beautiful, small, rustic restaurant with a beautifully decorated interior in Esslingen's old town. The wine and beer selection is regional, as is the menu: Swabian classics. The "Trauben Schnitzel" is cut from fillet and fried in lard with a special coating. The service is very friendly and attentive!

Definitely one of the top three restaurants I've ever been to. The best schnitzel! Nothing more to say than top notch - perfect!

Nice place to sit, simple Swabian menu.

Very nice here with friendly staff and delicious food.

My favorite restaurant in Esslingen, and maybe even in the Stuttgart area. I always get the Träuberle schnitzel and can only recommend it. The service is also extremely good.

very tasty schnitzel in the house style 🤤

Very nice room, quiet location. I highly recommend the Träuberle schnitzel. Excellent service!

Super great cozy Swabian restaurant with delicious food 🥘 We always like to come back

Best schnitzel ever Super friendly staff, everything tastes wonderful, and the portions are generous. Good, regional products, of course.

Truly great food, plentiful and delicious. The service is amazing. Every lady is super friendly and flexible! Thank you for something like this.

Great restaurant in Esslingen city center… we were thrilled on our first visit… the service, ambiance, and food all impressed us…

Whenever I'm looking for a restaurant in Esslingen, I always come across the little Traube. I'd love to eat there sometime, but cheese spaetzle as the only vegetarian option is simply outdated. Perhaps that will change in the future? I really hope so!

Super delicious pork fillet schnitzel. The apple cakes are great.

Really bad. 34 degrees outside. 2-3 tables occupied inside. The outside was similar. Almost all tables were reserved from 6 p.m., but at 4:15 p.m., they only wanted to offer us a table in the sun. That was apparently the only free table. When we asked, we received no explanation, just the unfriendly response that the table in the sun was the only one available. Unfortunately, they weren't at all service-oriented, so they wouldn't recommend it if they treat (potential) guests like that.

authentic Swabian cuisine, super delicious

The very friendly manager didn't leave me out in the cold, in the truest sense of the word. I was able to take a seat well before business hours and order a drink. The lentil dish I chose was excellent and plentiful. The ambiance was upscale, and the service was also excellent throughout.

The “Gaststube” is very cozy in keeping with the historic old town. The food is good, traditional Swabian. Fine, manageable menu with everything you should know from Swabian cuisine. Always a good selection of daily meals in addition to the fixed menu. This brings the right variety to the offering. The quality and taste of the food is high, the price is reasonable, not expensive. The amount is just right. Special requests are handled professionally. The staff is friendly. No matter what you order for dinner, you can't go wrong - everything is excellently prepared. Advance reservation is advisable.

Everything was very good, highly recommended. Generous, high-quality portions. ONLY CASH

A nice little restaurant with a good atmosphere in Esslingen. The menu offers a good selection. Unfortunately, my meal was completely oversalted. The server wasn't particularly interested in any feedback, despite returning my half-full plate.

A very special, top-class restaurant. A chef who knows what he's doing and a caring staff who make it happen. Always happy to come back... even if you sometimes can't get a seat. Unfortunately, good things have become very rare. It's great that you exist.

We visited the "Kleine Traube" again. The food was, as always, very good, and the service was friendly. We'd be happy to come back.

Yes, I can highly recommend it again. The food is always authentic Swabian. The service staff is very customer-oriented.

Nice restaurants, I forgot what I am eating there 😁

Best place to have Schnitzel in Esslingen

As always Amazing! Can’t help but come back here again and again 💕 There is no place better for traditional local cuisine) Recommend everyone to try

schnitzel is out of this world, service was excellent. Very cute café on the outside as well. The Spaetzle was amazing and the brown gravy we requested was perfect.

We hadden niet gereserveerd maar er werd toch geprobeerd een tafel voor ons vrij te maken. Alleraardigste en efficiënte bediening, heerlijk eten, gezellige sfeer. Goede verhouding prijs-kwaliteit. Een aanrader!

Very tasty food. Cash only. There's actually a sticker outside, but it's easy to miss. A note on the menu might prevent later "discussions."

Best penne with salmon I've ever had! Green asparagus and shrimp were among the daily specials for my second visit, and that was also wonderful!

Absolut zufrieden. Essen sehr schmackhaft. Service schnell,freundlich und höflich. Preis-Leistung stimmt. Wir kommen wieder

The roast beef with onions is perfect! Highly recommended! I'll be happy to come back!

Very rustic, cozy restaurant with excellent regional cuisine

Ich gebe die volle Punktzahl, weil dieses Lokal das, was es verspricht, perfekt erfüllt. Natürlich geht es rustikal zu, aber die Speisen sind von handwerklich höchster Qualität. Besonders hervorheben möchte ich die Soßen, die perfekt reduziert und offensichtlich ohne Zusatzstoffe zubereitet sind. Ich hatte Kalbsherz und habe es sehr genossen. Auch die anderen am Tisch waren äußerst zufrieden. Für Freundinnen und Freunde der einfachen und qualitätvollen Hausmannsküche eine eindeutige Empfehlung.

Delicious! I can't find anything wrong with this restaurant! It's just great 👍 highly recommend!

Unreservedly recommended. Very good Swabian food; good portions and worth the price. Ambiance is also nice: quaint and rustic. However, we had reserved in advance.

Die Kleine Traube ist ein gemütliches kleines Lokal. Hier sollte man unbedingt reservieren, da es schnell voll werden kann. Habe die Nierle mit Bratkartoffeln bestellt und geschmacklich einfach ein Erlebnis. Die Portion sehr groß und damit ein kaum schlagbares Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis. Freundlicher Service und die nette Einrichtung mit Holzvertäfelung lädt zu weiteren Besuchen ein. Absolute Empfehlung und ein kleiner Geheimtipp für Leute, die nicht aus Esslingen kommen.

Das Essen ist im kleinen Traeuble super lecker. Das Personal ist auch sehr freundlich. Leider ist der Chef extrem arrogant und hat es wohl nicht noetig. Es gab wegen einer Reservierung Ungereimtheiten leider war der Chef so arrogant und hochnaessig dass er die Situation nicht professionell gelöst hat. Sollte vielleicht mal an einer Schulung teilnehmen wie man mit Problemen professionell umgeht. Aber wie gesagt er hat es wohl nicht noetig. Sehr schade fuer die Gaststätte und das leckere Essen. Wohne ca 10 min Fussweg von der Gaststätte entfernt und war schon oefter da. Der Chef ist mir schon mehrfach unangenehm aufgefallen aber so unverschämt wie dieses Mal war er noch nie.

Pretty village with very pretty houses, worth the detour

I haven't eaten so well in a long time. I wouldn't know where to start and where to stop because of all the praise. Only one drawback: you are too far away from where we live.

A bit rustic, the seating is very tight and the guests are kept busy. After eating, you can't just sit comfortably but are then asked to pay because the next guests are already waiting in the aisle. You can eat well in a traditional way.