There is one word to describe the Dorfstuben restaurant in the Bareiss Hotel - gemutlich. This word means and mixture of agreeable, cheerful, homely and friendly, and that is exactly the feeling that this very traditionally styled room conveys.
Intricately carved wooden chairs and settles are placed around round tables, with plump gingham cushion to ease the weary diner, who has probably been Happy Wandering most of the day. Oil paintings, crisp white curtains, cuckoo clocks and wreaths of greenery around the chandeliers complete the cozy Bavarian picture.
The menu is short and interesting. We started with a glass of Philip Gonet Rose Grand Crus, Edition Bareiss, and toasted the days to come.
“Gemutlich surroundings, food with flair.”
I selected fried ravioli stuffed with venison, accompanied by chantrelles and cranberry sauce. My partner was intrigued by salmon trout fillet encased in pancake strips, served with cucumbers sour cream and dill. The ravioli was an explosion of hearty yet precise flavours, in particular I liked the cranberry sauce with the strong flavour of the venison.
The salmon trout was sweet and moist, the cumbers, dill and sour cream a classic and appropriate accompaniment. I wasn’t entirely certain what the pancake strips contributed, but they were nice enough. My main course choice was braised shoulder of lamb with beans, pearl onions and wild garlic dumplings. I thought I had died and gone to heaven, and only allowed my partner the smallest morsel. She in her turn was fairly fiercely guarding a roulade of local beef, braised in Pinot Noir and served with buttery home made noodles, a suitably hearty selection which went well with the winter evening and the warm surroundings.
We drank conservatively, selecting a fine claret to take us through the entire meal, fish or no fish. Again, desert was not really needed, we settled for fine coffee and an early night.
The Bill: £56 per head
