Ratsgaststätte in Esens

It was a lovely evening. Everything went perfectly.

Very good food and large portions. We'll be back next year.

Top-quality food, super hot meals, and fresh, tender meat. Friendly service and a very cozy atmosphere for celebrating your anniversary. Sincerely, Jasmin Stresow and Dennis Frerichs

Very good food and friendly service

A long-established restaurant in the heart of Esens. Delicious food, good value for money.

Why don't you ask for the sour cream or the store-bought apple strudel? Or don't complain so much if you can't do anything yourself. Thanks (Grumpy) Peter

In September 2025, we went to dinner at the Ratsgaststätte in Esens with five people and one child (3 years old). We all ordered a main course and wanted a "Räuberplatte" (a plate of sauerkraut) for the child. The friendly waitress then told us she would have to charge €3.50 for the empty plate. We then ordered a side salad for the child. I think this is very unfamily-friendly. When I subsequently called the owner to get clarification, he was very uncooperative and ended the conversation. I think children are tomorrow's customers, so we should be a bit more generous.

Super delicious food and friendly service - they even found us a table even though the restaurant was actually fully booked.

Super delicious food, mega price-performance ratio, extremely friendly, attentive staff

We ate here today with our little one. The service was great and the food was delicious ☺️ They even prepared a special dish for our little one. We'll be back!

Always friendly, always very good food, and pleasant service. We enjoy coming here and feel at home.

Price-performance ratio is right.

Great food and excellent service. I'd be happy to come back!

Super delicious food, friendly service, and a pleasant atmosphere! Highly recommended!

My wife had fish and chips, and I had pepper rump steak. Both were delicious. The staff is very friendly. The highlight, of course, is Bubi the cat 😂

A total disaster. I had reserved a table for four people about a week earlier. I called the phone number on the website. They asked if we wanted to come at 5:00 PM or 7:00 PM. When we arrived there today, we were greeted arrogantly. They said they didn't know anything about a reservation. They said they knew where I had called and who I had spoken to. After some back and forth, they graciously gave us a table, even though there were other free tables. The almost hysterical young lady then explained to us about different phone numbers and what you can do wrong when reserving a table. And anyway, she didn't know her way around, since she'd "only" been working there since March. It's the end of August now! Well, then three of us were sitting at the table, and my husband joined us a few minutes later. The young lady came rushing over, completely outraged, and said, "Well, no, that's not going to work. There's still food for three people, but for four, no, that's not going to work." Those were her words, you might hardly believe it 🤪 That was enough. We left and had a wonderful meal right across the street, and the service was super friendly. We won't be returning to this place.

Yesterday, my partner and I were turned away for the second time in a week. The first time, at around 7:30 p.m., we were told, at least politely, that the kitchen would close at 7:45 p.m. and that the kitchen would be on hold. Yesterday, however, after we politely asked for a table for two, another employee immediately waved us away at 6:55 p.m., claiming that "everything was full" and they "couldn't keep up." The tables, however, were barely occupied. And all this despite the fact that the sign outside the restaurant explicitly states that "reservations are not required." If a restaurant turns me away as rudely before 7 p.m. for no apparent reason, as was the case yesterday, I will certainly not visit it again and cannot recommend it under any circumstances due to the lack of service.

We were there on August 14, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. Unfortunately, we were asked to leave because they allegedly didn't have enough food. I can't say whether that was the real reason. Therefore, only one star for everything.

I was turned away several times, most recently with flimsy excuses such as "kitchen closed" or "overcrowded," even though the seating was barely full. Therefore, I wouldn't recommend it, even though the sign outside the restaurant states that "reservations are not required."

We spontaneously went here for dinner in the evening. The service was very friendly and the food was also very good.

Superb schnitzels in many different variations, the best in the area! Portions are very generous! The food comes very quickly! Highly recommended!

Very good fish selection. Plenty and fresh.

Look at the pictures. They're simply fantastic. In all variations.

We came spontaneously without a reservation and were lucky. We sat at two separate tables at the bar. The two ladies behind the bar were very friendly. The food was delicious, even though a senior citizen's portion would have been enough ;-) It was really too much.

Great restaurant, very attentive staff.

An excellent restaurant in every respect, with exceptionally delicious dishes. The price-performance ratio is excellent, so we returned several times to try and enjoy different dishes. This was our first restaurant in Esens.

Unfortunately, we were told the kitchen was already closed, even though we arrived at/around 7:30 PM and were more or less "walked out." Hence only one star.

An empty plate for children should cost €3.50. Service generally unfriendly.

Most child-unfriendly restaurant we have ever experienced. We wanted to order two dishes and an extra plate for our 2-year-old child. The plate should cost 3.50 euros extra. Wow! An empty plate so that a toddler can have a few fries. We have never experienced anything like this. The service was still unfriendly and card payment (for the drinks that we had already ordered) was only possible from 15 euros. In other restaurants you can get painting supplies for your child, but here you have to pay for a plate. Incredible.

Delicious food Large portions Nice staff Unfortunately there was a long wait due to a lack of staff

Nice place! Not too big and the food we had "fish & mustard sauce" was excellent! We will come back!

Very nice service, quick service and very tasty schnitzels, fried in the pan, Fried potatoes like grandma's, we'll be happy to come back.

Portion steht nicht zum Preisverhältnis. Es ist TK-Ware nur aufgewärmt, sowie Fertig Soße aus der Tüte, dazu noch kalt. Die Reibekuchen teilweise verbrannt und die Seniorenportion ist kleiner als die Kinderportion, dafür nur 2,50 Euro weniger des Erwachsenpreises, d.h. doppelt so teuer als die Kinderpreise. Dann wird man noch unverschämt gefragt, ob das Kind wirklich unter 12 ist, lügt der Kunde zur Begrüßung?! Keine Weiterempfehlung.....

We are very happy to have found you. The service is friendly and the food is great. Too bad tomorrow last evening. But we'll be back in October. Many thanks to the Ratsgastätte team. Greetings from the Franco family

We ate here today, super tasty, very friendly staff, would love to come back on our next vacation

Stopped here by chance while strolling. Our schnitzels were great 😋👌 Great selection of dishes, friendly service, great ambience and you can also sit outside. We would love to come back 👏🤗

We had delicious food there two days in a row! The atmosphere is exactly my taste :-) The team is super nice and you immediately feel at home! The food was very tasty and prepared to perfection. The prices are reasonable. Many thanks to the team for 2 wonderful holiday evenings!

Today we visited Esens and had lunch here. We were able to sit down in the nice restaurant without prior reservation. Our four-legged friend was also welcome. The food was very good, the portions were also suitable for hungry guests and the prices were fair. Everything seemed clean and the service was friendly and very attentive. In short, a nice restaurant where you can eat very well.

Wir sind beim Stadtrungang auf dieses Restaurant gestoßen und haben außerhalb der Saison auch sofort einen Tisch bekommen. Die Begrüßung und der Service waren sehr freundlich und aufmerksam. Das Essen war hervorragend sowohl Haupt - als auch Nachspeise. Sehr gut auch die Beratung für das Dessert wg. Allergie. Gute Auswahl an Weinen, Uns hat es so gut gefallen, dass wir auch für den letzten Tag der Urlaubswoche reserviert haben. Auch der zweite Besuch hat unseren sehr guten Eindruck bestätigt.

On a cold evening there were four of us in the council restaurant. When the order finally arrived, we hoped the freezing would stop because the large radiator next to us was freezing cold. The three different fish dishes were very tasty, the (buttery) schnitzel was quite oversalted. It was nice that at least the friendly service radiated cheerfulness and warmth!

If you want to eat very well, this is the first place to go. Guys, try the pancakes... top notch. We have no criticism and could give 10 stars. A culinary delight!!!

Absolutely recommended! We happened to be here as it was open for lunch. The friendly service immediately got along really well with our son. The menu is large, there are so many dishes that sound delicious and are something different than just “normal” dishes. I had the "Schniffelstück", my husband had chicken with spinach and our son had rice pudding. Everything tasted great across the board and was well coordinated. The wait wasn't long and the price was very fair too! We would definitely come again!

delicious food at reasonable prices, attentive service.... and our little wire-haired dachshund was also welcome!

We were there for a family dinner with 10 people. The food was very tasty and was served without long waiting times and the waitresses were very friendly!

Very friendly staff 👍 very nice cozy atmosphere. And the food was great 😋. To be honest, I have never had such a brilliant garlic cream sauce and I can only recommend it.

Very tasty food, large portions, very friendly service, recommended

We've been eating there for three years in a row now. The first time was amazing, the service was great, and the food was great too. The second time we were there, and I got the wrong food. I ordered the Plaice Corden Bleu and got a plain plaice. When I pointed this out, she replied: "There's cheese on it. I can see that from here." When I cut into the plaice, she looked a bit suspicious because, to her surprise, there was no cheese on it. She said she would bring me the right thing. My husband and mother had finished eating long ago, and after about 45 minutes, I finally got my proper food and ate it alone. Okay, we thought. It was great the first time, so we'll try again. Today we were there and waited 20 minutes until the drinks finally arrived. We ordered two Alster 0.5l and one Alster 0.4l, and what came were 1x0.5l and 2x0.4l. When we mentioned it, the waiter said, "Yes, but it's billed like that." I then took the 0.4l. We waited more than 1.25 hours for our food. When we got the bill, what did it say?! Oh, surprise, 2x0.5l and 1x0.4l, as if it was billed like that. Our conclusion now: Even though the food is really delicious, the service simply isn't up to the standard. So, this was our last visit to the Ratsgaststätte Esens.

We got a table the same day. The food and service were excellent. We'd love to come back

There at lunchtime. The food wasn't bad at all. The fish fried very well. Unfortunately things often go wrong in the world. A young man at the counter, great. A relatively young woman in service, very friendly. A slightly older lady in service...complete disaster, that's not how you treat guests. I think this wonderful place lives from tourists. I suspect it was a senior manager. Someone else would get fired the same day. Nevertheless, I wish you all the best for the future and that the fish continues to be cooked so well. All love.

Very good food price ratio good medium measure very nice staff you can stay there well. Would go there again at any time.

Excellent food, friendly and quick service.

We actually ended up here by chance, but we had an excellent lunch. The lamb was delicious, as was the schnitzel. The hospitality was exemplary, even our dog was warmly welcomed.

Very good food...friendly service...

Kale was delicious! Other dishes were also convincing! Service also very nice!

It was really nice and super tasty. Helloween in Esens we'll be back 👍

Very centrally located in Esens, right on the market square. Good, home-style cuisine, very tasty. Also regional dishes (kale, pears with beans). Priced in the middle segment, everything is good. Highly recommended.

Very nice welcome, friendly service and delicious dishes

Highly recommended. Delicious steaks and also a large selection of fish. Would love to come back

Delicious food in this small place.⁷

Friendly and fast service, clean location. Always very happy.

No. 28 eaten schnitzel + side dishes. Second dish, tortellini...and that was awesome. We've never had such a good slice before.. we'll definitely eat there again. Thumbs up 5 times. Very clean and super nice as if we had always gone there. Can only be recommended.

The menu, which was reduced due to illness, revealed further gaps when ordering (around 6 p.m. ("... it's out!")! When it came to the dishes, the schnitzels were either “beaten evenly” or ready-made. After a subtle hint, the soggy vegetable side dishes from the vegetable pancake led to another gap on the menu! The service was friendly and offered a coffee as a small apology.

The food wasn't really good. I had a fish platter with 3 fish fillets. Unfortunately one of them was inedible. And the fried potatoes were cold.

Very tasty food. Extremely friendly staff despite staff shortages. Quality completely fine.

Been there twice. The first time the food was passable. The fried potatoes were greasy instead of crispy, probably half-finished. The pepper cream sauce was only vaguely reminiscent of one. We gave the restaurant a second chance. The waitress managed to forget our drink order during the estimated 10 meters from our table to the counter. When asked about this after about 10 minutes, she told us we were unfriendly. Then not. Bye.

We already dined there in August. Even though it took a little longer due to a lack of staff and absences due to illness, my wife was still very satisfied. I think all guests should have some understanding due to the current situation in the catering industry 😉

Very good food at reasonable prices. The service was very friendly. We can recommend the restaurant and would eat here again at any time.

Only to a limited extent, the menu on the Internet does not match the much smaller menu in the restaurant. Likewise the opening times. Already at 8:15 p.m. a gentleman came with the bill, he said in a very bitter tone "just so you know, we close at 8:30 p.m." We assume he wanted to watch the international soccer match. We still had half a bottle of wine. We actually left the restaurant at 8:30 p.m.... This is not how you treat guests. Of course, we didn't visit the restaurant again during our stay.

We were pleasantly surprised that there are still really good, down-to-earth restaurants with friendly, committed staff and great cuisine. The "small menu" (due to staff shortages) has plenty to offer for every taste and desire and, in our opinion, would be completely sufficient (possibly include a salad plate) - no one needs overloaded menus with 30-40 dishes these days. We were on vacation and ate there several times - always fresh, always great and really good for our taste. In addition to the menu, there are dishes that are written on a blackboard and are particularly recommended. Payment in cash or by card. Plenty of outdoor seating.

Friendly service. Delicious food. We just sat outside. The weather was too nice to be indoors. To recommend. It was always very good, even after countless visits.

Delicious food, friendly service

Very friendly welcome and very tasty food. Currently only a small menu due to a lack of staff but good quality ingredients. Price performance is definitely right and the service is very good.

Despite the reduced menu due to illness, the food tasted great, the Ratsgaststätte is definitely a recommendation for anyone who is hungry

I had the pleasure of visiting the Ratsgaststätte and I can only say positive things! The atmosphere is inviting and cozy, perfect for a relaxing evening with friends or family. The staff was extremely friendly and attentive, which made the visit even more pleasant. The menu offers a great selection of regional dishes that are freshly prepared and delicious. The homemade mayor schnitzel is particularly recommended – it was simply heavenly! The selection of drinks is also impressive. The service was quick and efficient, so we never had to wait long for our orders. Overall, my visit to the Ratsgaststätte was a completely positive experience. I can only recommend it to anyone who is looking for good food and a pleasant atmosphere. I'm already looking forward to my next visit!

Food was ok, Because our impaired child was supposedly too loud, my wife was expelled from the restaurant and had to sit outside with the child. Other guests showed understanding for the child but not the owner. Will never enter this store again.

Delicious ! We'll come back when we're nearby 😉

Super nice to eat! Great service, super friendly and the price performance is also super tasty!

Wer in Ostfriesland Urlaub macht und Esens besucht MUSS UNBEDINGT der Ratsgaststätte einen Besuch abstatten. Das Essen dort ist unglaublich lecker, die Portionen vollkommen ausreichend und der Preis ist vollkommen in Ordnung. Unserer Bedienung Sarah möchten wir hiermit nochmals herzlich Danke sagen. Sehr Aufmerksam und freundlich...... Wenn wir wieder hier oben sind ist der Ratskeller auf jeden Fall eingeplant. Liebe Grüße, die vier Düsseldorfer

Great local. Nice service who took great care of the children. We catered to every extra request. Food was absolutely top notch. Children's plates are also great. I recommend it to anyone traveling in Esens.

Very tasty food and friendly service!

Friendly, familiar and the food was great

Das Restaurant ist ansprechend eingerichtet, wirkt sauber und die Bedienung war sehr freundlich. Das Essen (Schnitzel) gut und reichlich.

Cozy atmosphere, delicious food, very friendly staff. Definitely worth a visit.

Good food at a reasonable price

We and my family received a very warm welcome. The service was very courteous and attentive. The ambience was surprisingly very artistic and modern, which you wouldn't have guessed given the name. All in all very beautiful and lovingly designed. The dishes were delicious and more than reasonable in terms of price/performance 😊 We would be happy to come back at any time..

Nice and modern atmosphere, very friendly service and really delicious food. We were very satisfied and found the price-performance ratio to be reasonable.

Very pleasant atmosphere. Food Very good. Staff very friendly.

Super tasty and moderate prices. Service super friendly. gladly again. If you like garlic, the sniffing piece is highly recommended.

It is freshly cooked. The schnitzels were really great, as were the side dishes and salad. Kitchen offers fish, meat and vegetarian dishes. It is good, middle-class and modern. The service was very friendly and loving in dealing with our daughter. The food came quickly despite the large group on the upper floor. The price-performance ratio is also right. The overall grade should be much better. A reservation is recommended.

Sehr nettes Restaurant, mit außen Gastronomie, liegt gut gelegen in der Innenstadt! Innen auch sehr gemütlich und sehr netter Service! Essen war auch sehr lecker und preis Leistungsverhältnis angemessen, kommen gerne wieder

We have eaten here several times as a family. The schnitzels are always great, the service is quick and friendly. The restaurant is definitely child friendly. Children's special requests are met without any problems. Happy to come back!

We had a very tasty meal... thank you

We felt very well looked after in the restaurant, the food was really good and the service gave us a very friendly welcome and polite service A bright, nicely decorated restaurant ....I can recommend it!! ...that's it, stay healthy and happy. Greetings Veit

Such really nice staff, very accommodating. Was a lot of fun. And a really great meal. Always my pleasure.

We ate very well after our bike tour and were served in a friendly and humorous manner. Thank you for the lovely evening.

We were looking for a restaurant for lunch on Good Friday. We weren't disappointed. Food and service very good. We'd love to come back!!!

Centrally located in Esens on the market square, you will find this restaurant with comfortable seating on the ground floor. Good home cooking with lots of fish and meat dishes. There is also vegetarian options. Friendly service.

Sehr nettes Personal. Das Essen wurde gut und sehr schmackhaft und frisch zubereitet. Die Portionen sind reichlich.Sehr zu empfehlen.

A restaurant where you can eat really well. The different schnitzel variations are highly recommended.

Very pretty restaurant, inviting from the outside. Friendly, friendly service and there's nothing wrong with the food... We'd love to come back...