On July 7th a new restaurant opened just 5 minutes north of Gangelt in the little village of Hastenrath. On the main road just as you’re leaving town, it’s pretty hard to miss.
FlammerieDie neue Ess-KlasseHoferstrasse 30
Hastenrath, DE
Tel: 02454-937844
Open: Tues-Sun 0830-2200
Closed: Mondays
First Impressions: Wow! The building is new and beautiful and the decor inside contributes to a very warm ambiance. Everything is very clean – a place that you could take visitors to.
The Outside: With plenty of outdoor seating, a small wooden play structure for children, and a small yard where some farm animals play, Flammerie would be a very nice stop on a nice day with children as they would be pretty entertained outside. For adults as well, the setting is pretty for an outdoor visit.
The Inside: The decor in warm earth tones feels very nice and is set up well. The grill area of the kitchen is open, so you can easily see the action. In one wall there are two large windows looking out into a table area where a goat, a pony, two large rabbits, and a couple chickens are kept. So, even in the modern atmosphere, you can casually look over to see a chicken in window or the backside of a horse. It isn’t filthy or smelly, nor does it distract from the atmosphere, but it is unique. Children will be content sitting there.
The food: With a motto like “the new food class” one would expect something different, so at least that’s their goal. There is the salad bar with salad prices ranging from 3.50E to 12. Meals of meat or fish range from 5.50 to 19.80. The waiter told me that they are getting a completely new menu next week, so apparently the choices change occasionally.
The food was very good, and very flavorful. I had the “haehnchenbruest auf melone-sahne sauce dazu reis” which came with a salad from their small, but tasty salad bar. A friend got the Flammerie – a “specially” flavored bratwurst with delicious potatoes on the side. The dessert menu looked great, but we were not able to try any.
The kids meals are reasonable with a few special kid choices for 2.80 or any meal from the menu in a child’s portion for 3.50.
The Hours: Breakfast is served from 0830 until 12. The breakfast buffet is served on weekends and holidays for between 6 and 9 Euros. It seems that from 0830 until 1430, you can have cake and coffee and other beverages and then meal time begins at 1430.
Prices: Moderate to High. The food is good, but the prices seem a bit high for the portion size. You will leave comfortably full and not stuffed.
My first impressions on price: This is a place where you are paying for ambiance and may be the “new food class,” and not for a full stomach. The house bratwurst was the least expensive at 5.50 which wasn’t horrible, but the chicken special that I got was 12.50 – extremely high for the small chicken breast and tiny pile of flavorless rice (in the photo). That coupled with the fact that there was no dessert option left me feeling a bit taken.
Kid friendly: Yes… with playground outside and the animals inside, the place is nice for children. A large group came while I was there with 4 children. The staff were all very friendly and courteous, though it was unusually challenging to get their attention when I was ready to go. The cook, seeing that my daughter didn’t order anything, did bring over a delicious grilled chicken breast for her free of charge which was a very nice gesture.
To go again: I tried this place when it was brand new and still working out some kinks, so there were a few things that did not impress me; however, I think I will have to try it again. About 5 different people have not only mentioned it to me, but have RAVED about it, so apparently it’s improved and is turning into quite the place to be. It does large groups and parties very well and with their outdoor area will be a huge hit when the warmer and dryer weather arrive.
Recommended by a Reader…
