Today we’re visiting Heidelberg Restaurant in NYC’s Upper East Side for some Old World German goodies.
Sausage-filled storefronts and strudel-scented bakeries lined the streets of the “upper upper east side” of Manhattan in the early 1900s. The neighborhood known today as Yorkville was once home to one of the largest German populations outside of Europe. Germans and many Eastern European immigrants, originally settling in what’s now known as Alphabet City, found themselves inching up the East River from the late 1800s into the 1940s.
One of its most famed eateries, Heidelberg Restaurant, is one of the oldest family-owned German restaurants in the United States. After 100 years, it sits perched near the corner of 86th Street and 2nd Avenue staying true to its authentic recipes and paying homage to its past German-populated neighborhood; gone but not forgotten.
Food + Drink
First, what I’ll say I like most about Heidelberg is that they care where their meat comes from – so much so, they have their own farm in the Catskills. Their meat is free of antibiotics, hormones, by products and meat tenderizers. Their animals are grass and grain fed. I don’t often find myself in meat-centeric restaurants, but when I do, I like supporting places that know what they’re giving you. I like supporting places that give a damn.
On to the beer!
Start with a chilly German lager. It’s most fun to visit Heidelberg in September, since it’s warm enough to sit outside AND their Oktoberfest beer offering is in full swing. Just to ready my palette for a German feast, but not get too full, I love starting with a light beer and here it’s Hofbrau’s original lager – plain and simple. Then, for meal time, I move on to a darker dunkel.
Potato Pancakes
You’ve never had potato pancakes like these before. I didn’t even have potato pancakes that were ANYTHING like these while traveling through Germany. Almost an entire inch thick, these latkes are crispy on the outside with a surprisingly airy mixture of grated potato, onion and garlic. They’re served with apple sauce, but I always ask for a side of sour cream too. I like switching between sweet and savory. I learned the hard way NOT to order these for appetizer and think I’ll still have room for dinner. But we always order some for the table and it’s more than enough for a group of 5 to nosh on throughout the rest of their meal.
Spätzle
They offer a few different takes on the traditional German noodle, but my favorite is their Käsespätzle, which is mixed with cheese, garlic and onions. I’d love a little truffle oil on it, but we’re not in Italy at Heidelberg – we’re in Germany!
Sausage Platters
It seems many come here in search of some authentic German wieners. And you’ve come to the right place, they’re offering is plentiful. If you arrive in a group, and everyone’s a meat lover, consider ordering their largest platter, the “Stammtisch” an offering of different sausages, beef tongue, with sides of potato pancakes, cabbage, etc. for $163.
Wiener Schnitzel
Traditionally pork or veal schnitzel, most German restaurants – in America anyway – offer chicken too. Pictured is the chicken, complimented by a fresh lemon wedge and tart lingonberry jam. The combination of the tart lingonberry and lemon acidity cuts through what would otherwise be a heavy fried meal.
They also offer a Jägerschniztel which is their traditional wiener schnitzel topped with onions, mushrooms, garlic and a white wine cream reduction sauce which is STELLAR.
Setting at Heidelberg
Inside Heidelberg
Stepping off the sophisticated high-rise-dotted avenue into Heidelberg is like stepping through a threshold into the Old World. Here, it’s all about appreciating the atmosphere. This isn’t another trendy German restaurant boasting its modern twist on a complicated history. It’s just a moment in time that’s been frozen for long enough that we get to experience in a modern age. And I wouldn’t change a thing. And they haven’t.
Heidelberg is dimly lit, just like I like it, with the soft sound of accordion-forward music complimenting the hum of lager-induced conversation. The indoor dining room’s dark wood floors are flanked by dark wood tables and dark wood beams that lead up to decorative chandeliers. Their art is muted tones, making the colorful sausage platters and deep red lingonberry sauce the real focal point.
The bar is cozy and the crowd is friendly.
Outside Heidelberg
In warm weather, there are tables set out on 2nd Avenue, a great way to drink beer and people watch.
But the real treat is the SECERT BIERGARTEN, down the stairs and through the kitchen. Say hi to the kitchen staff on your way through!
Filled with strings of bubble lights and picnic benches – it’s the perfect place for a group of friends who plan to drink out of one of their massive glass beer boots (for which they take a hefty deposit in case you break it!). But, it’s completely worth it. When in Rome, right? Or this case, NYC’s version of old school Germany.
You might not hear the majority of customers speaking German in Yorkville anymore, but you’re still able to step back in time at Heidelberg.
Heidelberg Restaurant
1648 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10028
Check out some of my other favorite spots in NYC.