Zirbelstube

What you would expect from a 1 star Michelin restaurant. Extremely good service (both in German and English). Flow of courses coming went fine until the fish course which took close to 20 min. Saw other tables having to wait as well (those who also had the taster menu) so not only us. The waiting staff seemed to bebstressing a tad over it, but no harm done. Will come back for sure…

If you’re in Freiburg and consider yourself a fan of fine dining, you simply can’t miss the Zirbelstube at the Colombi-Hotel. Yesterday, my mother and I decided to indulge in a dinner here, and it was an evening well worth remembering. We were greeted warmly and promptly escorted to our table, where we dove into the 6-course menu, complete with expertly paired wines. The evening kicked off with an amuse-bouche—a delicate beef tartare paired with freshly baked bread, nut butter, and Fleur de Sel. A delightful start, but things only got better. The first course, Breton lobster, was a high point, but the star of the evening had to be the turbot. It was melt-in-your-mouth perfect, served with understated elegance, true to the French tradition—no excessive frills, just pure culinary harmony. The veal cheek ravioli with sweetbreads and mushrooms was an intriguing dish, rich in flavor, but the duck with turnip sauce, while perfectly cooked, didn’t quite deliver the “wow” factor we were hoping for in the main course. That said, the dessert, a tropical fusion of Tahitian vanilla, passionfruit, and mango, brought the meal to a brilliant close, alongside the exquisite petit fours—lemon tart, Black Forest cherry cakes, and pralines. The cheese cart was impressive, offering a variety for every palate. And the wine pairings? Simply sublime, with a standout Riesling and Bordeaux to complement the courses. The sweet wine selection with dessert was particularly stunning, truly the cherry on top. The restaurant itself is classically elegant, oozing French fine dining vibes. However, we were slightly surprised not to be offered an aperitif—perhaps a glass of champagne to kick off the evening—and we would have enjoyed some soft background music, as the room was quite still, making neighboring conversations a little too audible. All in all, it was a fantastic evening. A big thank you to the team, especially the impeccable service. We’re already looking forward to coming back when we’re in the area!

What a great experience in this one star restaurant. We came here by chance as we stayed at the Colombi. Excellent service, the food was really outstanding, super classical French, focused on amazing sauces and refined flavors. Loved the langostino and the slow cooked pigeon was on point. Had the rhubarb desert and some cheese from the huge selection. Pairing was great. Really worth a visit at the end of a fabulous Freiburg Old Town stroll.

We went for dinner and ordered the four course menu with the wine pairing. The monk fish was incredible and the meat was tender. The wine pairing was German local wine and paired well with each dish. The atmosphere was fantastic and the dim lighting created more of an authentic Black Forest feel.

Fantastic from start to end. One of the best in town if you like gourmet food and enjoy a great wine cellar. Special thanks to the great service team.

The new menu is really good. Fantastic. From service to desert Perfect:)

Very traditional old style gourmet restaurant. The quality of food is excellent, even if every course had some bit delusional aspects like a boring rabbit terrine, an undefined vegetables bed under the superb fish or a tasteless frozen cream mousse on the dessert dish (the ice cream was awesome though). Big minus is the service, despite the efforts of the young members of the crew, the senior ones lack completely of customer attention and friendliness, not even a single smile during the whole dinner. Moreover they started to setup the room for the next morning breakfast while half of the tables where still occupied with guests. In conclusion the food is good, wines are well matched but overall not a memorable experience.

Very long time to wait!!! But super tasty 🤤

This review deals with the Colombi restaurant. The Colombi restaurant is probably Freiburg's best dining venue, and it has defended its Michelin star for years now. The restaurant is located on the ground floor of the Colombi hotel and is decorated in the traditional Southern German style. It divides into several different smaller, interconnected rooms that are named after their distinctive decoration items ("Falkenstube", "Arvenstube", "Thomastube"). The place itself is quite spacious, and especially in winter times, having a spot next to one of the tile stoves makes the experience all the more rememberable). Food is inspired by the French cuisine, and the kitchen often uses traditional regional Badenese ingredients and serves them in a more refined way. The menu contains lunchtime offers priced between 30 and 50 EUR, and the tasting menu comes to about 100 EUR. The wine list is quite extensive and contains a great variety of German wines (Freiburg itself is located in the Kaiserstuhl wine region). Personnel is sometimes a bit uptight, and the local staff seems to have been told to hide their local accent which seems a bit pretentious (like wearing dinner suits for serving at lunchtime). However, they are always very friendly and knowledgeable. I have been to the Colombi restaurant on many occasions during the last years and have never been disappointed. If you like a refined approach to local Southern German cuisine, then this is a place I would highly recommend. Although you will also find the classic dishes that are expected to be served in Michelin-starred restaurants (foie gras, dishes using exotic fish or lobster, beef fillet), this restaurant is at its best when using local produce. And it is even great value for money !

Quite possibly the worst dining experience. I don't know what happened to the chef that cooked for all the people giving praises to this place (was he out today?) but most hospital cafeterias have way better food than this horror show. Salad was totally inedible with so much vinegar poured on that you would cry. Steak was some rubbery substance with noodles. They never asked how I wanted steak done (!) and it would have been medium, judging by color, except it didn't really taste like meat. Shockingly bad

The Colombi catered my good friend's wedding in Oberrotweil. It was one of the best meals I have ever had--and I've had some!! Hat's off.

Food was very, very good. Service was slow and it was stuffier than an old Englishman sitting you down to tell you a story about a bridge. The chefs expertise is being stifled by the ambience.