Visited with a couple of friends on Friday night. The food is heartwarminly reminiscent of home cooking.
We started with the onion tart with smoked salmon and the herring. The herring came well presented with a generous side of sour cream. If pickled herring is your sort of thing - this was quite good. The onion tart was very tasty with a crispy crust and paired well with the salmon.
Two at our table went for the "double meat special", in other words, the Schnitzel & Bratwurst Platter and quite enjoyed the combination. On the plate were also the white and red cabbage and deliciously crispy potatoes (with, I believe, a bit of paprika on them). Both parties gave the combination platter two thumbs up. I ordered the Jager Schnitzel in veal and thought it was absolutely perfect. There were good-sized pieces of veal, fairly thin but more than enough. The mushroom gravy had big pieces of mushroom in it and the spatzel was not overly greasy (just the right amount!). I have included a poor quality picture. My friend had the Ungarishes Schnitzel in veal and said it was good. I tried a piece and enjoyed the combination of the meat with the peppers. The Ungarishes Schnitzel is also pictured, although I must apologize about the horrendous quality.
Decor is somewhat warn but welcoming and roomy. We were treated kindly by the waitress and I would rank the service as very good.
Almost forgot about the beer - really great. I tried the hacker pschorr hefe weisse and my husband had the Aventinus. We all appreciated the quality of choices available and this was definitely a highlight to the evening.
Overall a good experience, laid back and delicious.
Jagerfest, the German festival that celebrates the start of the local hunt each autumn, comes to Preston Street. Beginning Nov. 5, Lindenhof restaurant — which just celebrated its 36th anniversary — offers a rotating game menu all the month.
“Germans like to hunt and they like game meats,” says Alison Geehan, who took over the Lindenhof from the previous owners six years ago. Geehan began working at the restaurant when she was 15 years old as the pantry girl. “I like the food and I like the customers,”
she says. Apparently her regular customers eagerly anticipate the annual event. She says the shoulder roast of wild boar is particularly popular, but there will be everything from venison ragout and buffalo ossobuco, to rabbit stew and elk roast. At lunchtime, game sausage will be on the menu, evenings there will be three game items, and on weekend there will be up to five specials.
This is hearty, traditional full-flavoured fare, to be sure. Game meat tends to be lean so it is often marinated with wine to keep it tender. Nearby Bearbrook and Mariposa farms will provide some of the key ingredients.
Great German Restaurant. My Girlfriend took me here for my Birthday.
I had wiener Schnitzel meal and it was fantastic. They have all kind of schnitzel to choose from alone with Spatzle, Ham Hocks - and all sorts of other yummi German things.
The Schnitzel I received was a huge piece of meat, which came with braised red cabbage, and if I'm not mistaken mashed potatoes with natural gravy on top. Included in the price of the main meal was a wonderful German garden salad with carrots and tomatoes and cucumbers with a nice vinaigrette. It also came with a delicious soup - that night it was potato and bacon. Every thing was freshly made and it tasted homemade. It was presented very nicely and the ambiance of the place was pleasing (dim lights, classical music playing, and old woodcuttings, paintings, flags and other kitsch from Germany.
My only complaint was about the server, who was nice, and did a decent job however, there was a bit of communication issues as she was German. The owner however, may have been German but spoke with a North American accent and clarified everything lickidy split.
The place isn't cheep tho, considering that German food is essentially comfort food. however the good German beer they serve is at a very reasonable price, and considering the meal comes with the starters, the $20+ per person price tag is not too bad.
This is not a cafeteria type place, nor is it a greasy spoon, it's a sit down restaurant which does what it does very well. It is very very small, with maybe only 10 to 15 tables, so I would advise making a reservation.
This place is great. Provided that you like German food, which is rather heavy with a lot of meat and offal, you will really enjoy it. The beer is also fantastic. Excellent value as well.
I drove past the Lindenhof this weekend to discover if they had CLOSED up shop on Forest Street... and indeed they have.
They have a banner posted outside their Forest Street location announcing that they will be relocating "soon" to their new digs on Preston (268 Preston). Which is the former spot that Four Cuisines Bistro - Four Cuisines Bistro
occupied.
According to Lindenhof's Website www.thelindenhof.com they OPEN on Preston Street TODAY - September 1, 2009
Hopefully, Preston Street will serve them well... as they've certainly been out-of-their-element since moving from their longtime location on Richmond Road a couple of years ago.
I am currently experiencing the meat-sweats. The portions here are pretty large, the spatzle, well, is amazing. The rotkohl (red cabbage) is also damned tasty. Hacker Pschorr Weiss on tap makes me a happy guy. The fact that I'm walking distance makes me even happier. I think I'll frequent this place for an after work beer & pick away at the appetizer menu. All plates can be served at a smaller portion at a lower price. The server was really nice and definitely German. The apple fritter for dessert was pretty amazing as well.
NEWS: They are moving to a Preston St. location near Preston & Gladstone in a couple of months, their existing building is being torn down. I look forward to their new digs and wish them the best of luck at the new location.
They've got every imaginable kind of Schnitzle and I've had a few of these over the years and they've all been fantastic. Go during their annual game specials where you can get deer schnitzle and that sort of thing. Go anytime, they are all great. I always order them with Spaetzle because I love theirs so much.
Agree that the ham hocks at Lindenholf are very good. They are just hugh, in size and taste. And so was everything else german at this place. I went with a frauline and she said the spatzel was outstanding and so was the brat.
I used to go only for the weiner schnitzel, but have since learned to make it at home... pretty good.
But the ham hocks were stupendous. It was so large I had to take some home, and it tastes great as leftovers, as well.
I do however have a preference for fatty meats, foie gras and other decandent things... no, I actually don't eat a lot of chocolates.
Whenever I meet a german in ottawa I ask them where they eat. All have said Lindenholf. (I once asked the senior Mr Mrak of mark motors where he eats when he eats out. He says he doesn't eat out a lot, but when he does this is where he'd go.) It is also the oldest and first german rstaurant in ottawa. Think it's been through new owners though.
OSoloMeal
That was my fave shnitzel in O-town. :(