Review Hophaus Bar - Melbourne

First visit back post-covid, booked seats on the balcony. The atmosphere was as we remembered, but have to say we were a little disappointed with the food. We decided to go with old favourites- veal and chicken schnitzels. The meat itself was well made and prepared but the sides were bland and not particularly plentiful. There is an extensive and interesting range of beers on offer as well. I have given four stars because l have visited several times and always enjoyed it, but this time something seemed a little lacking.

Hophaus is a German inspired bar and eatery situated at the mezzanine level of the Southgate Restaurant Precinct on Southbank Promenade. With a more contemporary take on European Beer Halls, it features a large outdoor heated terrace with views overlooking the Yarra River to the the city. The bar offers 14 draught taps with a rotation of some of Europe’s best beers – Czech, Spanish, German, Scottish, Irish and Dutch beers and of course a few Australian brews. The menu consists of a few sharing dishes including some German favourites and on Sundays you can enjoy their Rotisserie of the Day with all of the trimmings for $30. You can’t not start with a Bretzel, it was crunchy yet fluffy inside and just the right amount of salt. It came with regular butter instead of whipped which didn’t bother us. I didn’t get the cheese or the bacon flavour from the Croquettes but it was definitely nice and creamy. My favourite dish to order at a German restaurant has to be the simple Chicken Schnitzel. This one was satisfyingly crispy, served with a deep jus and fresh house slaw. The Pork Knuckle also had a super crisp outer with the meat moist and falling off the bone. Both dishes could have done with more flavour and seasoning - but neither were disappointing. For dessert we ordered the Apple Strudel, it was sadly served luke-warm and again lacked flavour, mostly tasting like plain stewed apples. They are currently experiencing some supplier issues and trying to find the best ones for their cuisine. Hophaus is a perfect spot for after work drinks or a casual dinner. A reliable spot for a simple feed with a view and friendly service. ⭐️ 3.3/5 (Good)

Great Pan-European inspired place. Love the fit out, Riverview and beers on tap. The food is great, though not 'authentic'. The feeling is "everyday premium" and anyone will find something they like. Great for a group boozy lunch or dinner.

Interesting place with a good selection of meals but not many were traditional German? Music was very loud for decent conversation. They had run out of non alcoholic beers which is not good practice these days. My salad was very bland and would have benefited from aoili or horseradish sauce

Planning our engagement party here was a dream. Event and venue manager Eloise and Vicky were great to work with and extremely prompt responding to email queries. This venue went above and beyond to help and work with us through all of our covid cancellations and last minute adjustments. Food was perfect and the night ran smoother than we could have imagined. Staff are all extremely patient and worked with us all throughout the night to cater for everyone’s needs. View of the water was great and the event organization was a 10/10.

The food is delicious, and the serving sizes are decent! The facility itself has a cozy, warm, and inviting atmosphere. The staff are extremely helpful, and their willingness to ensure that you have a great dining experience is something I haven't seen in a long time.

Went for the bottomless lunch, it was next level! The cocktails were so refreshing and the food was fab! Would definitely recommend 😍.

Located in Southbank so very central and convenient. The vegetarian burger was delicious and I did enjoy the fruit flavoured spritzes but they were not very sweet. The service was not great - staff often forgot about us but maybe thats because they were busy on a Friday night.

We are going back specially for the lamb koftas over European beers

Always a pleasure dinning and drinking here. Fun trivia nights

Third time I visited and it will also be the last. It used to be a venue where you could expect something a little different and special, but the restaurant clearly now trades on location and no longer deems it necessary to make an effort. The prices still suggest you are in for some fine dining but is mostly a very noisy drinking venue which also serves a bit of food, like most pubs. <br/><br/>The menu has changed from distinctly (and delicious) German food to what they call "European" and which wants to be all things to all people but fails to deliver; the food is uninspiring and uninspired.  <br/><br/>We had the 'Pork Rotisserie' consisting of an old tasting dry pork chop, some fat disguising as pork belly with (un)crackle as soft as baby's buttocks, some sausages and a chunk of liverwurst. Liverwurst is as any German will tell you, for all intents and purposes a spread but there was no bread or even a cracker to spread it on. At $60 for that serve I expected better. <br/><br/>We also had 'Smoked Eggplant' which turned out to be four tiny little, not yet ripe and not at all tasty green eggplants on a bed of couscous and a bit of yoghurt dip. Plain, too acidic and really not worth the money. <br/><br/>Add to that a salad being some greens with oil and Feta and a few croquettes, and two drinks. <br/><br/>At $150 we left feeling ripped off and very disappointed.

When I visited this place for the first time, I ordered Lamb Skewers served with yogurt and ash salt along with Crispy Chicken Wings. Must say the taste is incomparable as both were prepared quite uniquely and had their distinctive taste. <br/>I visited second time, however the menu changed just days after I went.However, the staff was kind enough to get me Chicken Wings on request and we ordered pressed pork terinne. Lovely location, great food and drinks.

Enjoyed a couple of drinks at the Hophaus today before going along to see a comedy show at the arts centre. A relaxed bar with great views from<br/>One level up out to the Yarra river, always a bonus. We loved the faux greenery and classic features of the bar. I had a pint of schofferhofer hefeweizen beer which was a tasty beer with a citrus twist. We were impressed with the gin menu and the option of having fever tree tonic to go with it and ended up trying a Bols Geneva Gin from Holland which was quite aniseed is taste. We didn’t know this gin and, had it been described in any level of detail on the menu, probably would have had something else.<br/><br/>We didn’t eat here on this occasion although I have been here for work drinks and snacks in the past and remember the meat heavy menu being a hit.

Venue is great with lot of room and spacious and table layout is great and outdoor seating is comfortable. Staff is attentive and friendly. But most disappointing thing us the food, it's not their strong point.

Great place for a gathering of family and/or friends! The indoor is tastefully decorated and there’s a balcony to enjoy sunnier and warmer days. <br/>Their selection of German beers is very good and affordable as well. And to top it off their food platters are delicious - I highly recommend the rotisserie platter!

Nice place to hang out after work, with great views across the river. Just be careful with happy hour... If you get your order in before 7pm then the bartender takes a few minutes getting your drink and the clock ticks over past 7pm, they will try to charge you full price!

We came to Hophaus today for a team lunch and enjoyed the lovely ambiance overlooking the water. It’s a big space and in nice weather when it’s buzzing with people it has an electric atmosphere. The staff did a pretty good job accommodating 40 or so of us although there were some inconsistencies in the food.<br/><br/>My entree dish was bitterballen which were beef brisket bećhamel croquettes. Mine were a little more burnt looking than those on some other plates but they were an enjoyable starter and I’m guessing quite a traditional dish which is always cool to try.<br/><br/>For main I got the sirloin with sweet potato mash and lemon horseradish butter. Mine seemed to be a lot more oily (or buttery perhaps) then everyone else’s. As you can see from the contrasting photos, mine is swimming in a yellow liquid. It tasted quite good however and I rather enjoyed the German potato salad side. I was also quite partial to the fried knödel which is another traditional side (effectively fried dough). <br/><br/>Overall a very pleasant discovery and feedback across the table on other dishes; particularly the scallop entree and the chicken main, was all very positive. We loved both the passion fruit and chocolate tarts for dessert too

Lovely service, average food. Came with partner on a Friday night. Place was buzzing and great outdoor area. Seated instantly. Ordered chips, chicken schnitzel, calamari. Meal tasted fine and hit the spot but schnitzel comes only with coleslaw and slightly overpriced for the whole dish. Make sure you order a side of chips with it.

For foodies, this is a particularly exciting time of the year at Hophaus. On the beer front Hophaus impresses with tap fest biers including Erdinger’s official fest bier, brewed just for Oktoberfest, Weihenstephaner’s award winning Vitus (Best Strong Wheat Beer), the amazing Weihenstephaner Sierra Nevada Braupakt collaboration and more. <br/><br/>Munich’s best fest biers will be on tap from 1-31 October, accompanied by a menu of German style cocktails such as the Apfel Strudel, featuring Applejack 86 brandy with cloudy apple, vanilla and chai, and Hophaus’ version of an espresso martini: the White Chocolate Espresso Martini with Bacardi fuego rum, real white chocolate and real hazelnut alongside the usual espresso and kalhua, created after lengthy experimentation and deliberation.<br/><br/>Alongside the drinks menu is some of the most considered Bavarian fare you’ll find in Melbourne. Hophaus’ new Head Chef Reid Hingston (Longrain, Merivale) will be serving up some fest specials for the month of October.

Have been here a few times and I hope no one thinks this is a real German restaurant, because the experience is far from the original. The food is not authentic (‘fusion’ ?!) and overpriced, the service is average and the atmosphere is steril. If you forget about the whole German thing then it’s a nice place to come to for drinks & some chips on a sunny day.

Looking for not 1 but 3 great places to check out the Progressive dinner at Southbank.<br/><br/>This was our third stop and I could not pass up on the Black Forrest Cake with the fluffy chocolate mousse along with the Wildberry sorbet this was so decadent.<br/>Now I could not pass up on the traditional Apfelstrudal with the sour cherry sauce and vanilla bean ice cream I actually demolished this whole meal!!<br/><br/>Along with a butterscotch and peach schnapps this was a great end to the evenings.<br/><br/>With a big space and great views highly recommend as a place to enjoy a night out by Southbank.

The food here is amazing and they dont skimp on the portion sizes. You are guaranteed to be well fed. The meat is nice and juicy. It wasnt dry. Packed full of flavour too. The service here is great and the friday night live band adds to the amazing atmosphere. I cant wait to come back and eat more!

Was an underwhelming and disappointing meal last night at Hophaus. 3 years ago I had one of the best chicken schnitzels ever from here, so it was an obvious choice to return! I'm not sure if this venue has changed hands or not, but I was very disappointed when my schnitzel arrived, already on appearance it wasn't what I remembered, was significantly smaller, sided with what seemed to be Coles coleslaw... for a $28 schnitzel, I'm sad to say it tasted like it came from a local pub, nothing special. Having said all that, the service and ambience was great, we had a very friendly and helpful waiter, he is the reason for my 2 stars, good job to you!

I had the pleasure of being able to have a Christmas in July lunch at Hophaus. I was very impressed with the Christmassy decorations and lights. There was also a live singer performing Christmas carols, though I do wish he had performed Christmas carols for a bit longer. I liked that the music wasn't too loud either.<br/><br/>Table presentation was beautiful. Each person got a gold or silver Christmas cracker. <br/><br/>For $50 per person we got a bretzel, shared entree, shared main, shared sides and our own selection of desserts each. This is incredible value! Everyone was surprised with how much food we got. Our mains was a generous sharing platter of meats. There was so much food we could hardly finish eating all of it. <br/><br/>The highlight for me was the desserts. Each person got a sweet mince pie, a brandy Christmas pudding and a warm eggnog. Amazing value once again. <br/><br/>We also had some dietary requirements which were covered well by Hophaus. My vegetarian friends really enjoyed their meals. They couldn't stop raving about the vegetarian patty. <br/><br/>Cocktails were also nice. <br/><br/>Too bad there wasn't much of a Christmas market as advertised... no fake snow... just one stall selling mulled wine so I am not sure what happened there but we still really had a good day.

If it’s a beer your after or perhaps a cocktail then the Hophaus is the place for you. There is a very generous drinks menu to choose from, with a huge selection of beer, gins & schnapps all on offer in a nice setting with great views of the Yarra. The menu appears inviting at first with a good selection of German dishes and some not so German to choose from. We thought we would try one of the chefs special options which was the Angus burger. Let me just say there was nothing special at all about our meals. So so so disappointing and lacked any flavour what so ever. Probably should have chosen a better option. Don’t recommend the burgers here at all.

Came late Sunday afternoon seated on the balcony enjoying my food and the view<br/><br/>Oyster - fresh and good start of my meal :)<br/><br/>Cheesy beef croquettes - nice golden coating very crunchy<br/><br/>Pig knuckle - I came late in the afternoon so my knuckle was bit dry and the crisp was too hard to eat...<br/><br/>Apfelstrudel - great for non sweet tooth :) warm fruit fillings wrapped in crispy pastry lovely with sour cherry sauce :)<br/>

Meat platter was nice for a light snack with a mate. Very well presented that was very good to eat on the balcony overlooking the yarra. Also great place to go when the oktoberfest is on

Location is really good - riverfront, central, and with a large terrace with plenty of tables. However if you didn't know it was here, you'd walk past without realising because you need to go inside the mall and up to the first level.<br/><br/>They have some good happy hour and weekday specials on so keep an eye out for that. Also a large range of beers available on tap, so might be worthwhile to try a sampling board. <br/><br/>The large pretzel was tasty - slightly warm, soft on the inside and really good with a bit of butter.<br/>Chunky chips were average though - not really crispy and dry on the inside.<br/>The schnitzel was freshly fried so it was crispy with a thin batter and still juicy on the inside.

Asked the barman if there is any vegan options or anything on the menu that can be made vegan. Was told that “we’re not that kind of place”. Headed to the Munich Brauhaus down the road instead who had great options. Haven’t had this problem in 4 years of eating out in Melbourne. Will not be returning.

Amazing German beer variety on tap. The wheat beer - Vitus has such special flavour... definitely one of a kind! The food is also full of flavour and generously sized. I’ve had dinner there on a Thursday night and the porterhouse steak special for $20 is a great deal - really well cooked steak with a delicious mash to go with and the sautéed greens with chilli garlic goes amazingly well in the combination. The bitterballen was my favourite as a snack to go with the beers. Overall great selection of unique beers and amazing food to go with it! Highly recommend.

Great place to experience Bavarian style beers and cuisine. The suckling pig is nice paired with the sauerkraut and pear and walnut salad. Raucous atmosphere that reminded me at times of the Hofbrauhaus in Munich, albeit in a much more modern and less traditional setting. Still the food is good, the beer selection is almost endless.

Absolutely disgraceful experience at hophaus this evening. <br/><br/>I have lived in Germany, and love German food and beer, so have been to Hophaus a quite few times. The food and drink is always nice, and the service is always atrocious. <br/><br/>Tonight took it to a whole other level - when I arrived my friend had already been waiting for 20 minutes, and had not been offered a drink. After I arrived, we waited another 15 minutes to even be acknowledged by a waitress. <br/><br/>After placing our food and drinks order, we then waited 20 minutes for our drinks to appear. During that time we watched the staff (it was not busy) stand around and chat. When our drinks finally arrived, the waitress told us that they had ‘had to change the beer keg’, which we knew wasn’t true. <br/><br/>Then our food arrived. When I looked at my ‘cheese kransky’ it was covered in sauerkraut - not red cabbage. When I told the waitress that the dish wasn’t what I ordered, she took it back to the kitchen and came back and told me that the kitchen had run out of red cabbage (not sure how a German restaurant can do this?) and they had just put the sauerkraut on top instead. This is totally appalling, considering how easy it is to communicate to the waitress and then to the customer about a necessary alteration to the dish. When I received a new kransky, sans sauerkraut on the top, I was totally disgusted to find sauerkraut in the bun - the kitchen had clearly just (poorly) attempted to scrape the sauerkraut off the sausage and put it upside down in the bun. This is unacceptable. <br/><br/>Will never return. The management need to take a good look at their operation and invest in staff who understand how to deliver decent customer service - so many other places do it so well, it isn’t that hard. <br/><br/>

Food here was pretty average although they came in generous serving sizes (as per your typical German meals?). Loved the central location and the modern comfortable venue. It was quite casual atmosphere-wise, not as ‘festive’ loud and fun as Hofbrauhaus.

A great spot for after work drinks and german tapas. Love their mac and cheese croquettes and potato balls, not a fan of the veg kebabs. Always a pack venue so dont expect to get a seat on a weekend arvo

I've been to the Hophaus at least 8 times this year, on Saturday my wife and i ordered the usual Wiener Schnitzel it was horrible it was burnt it was 2 little tiny pieces of meat with some sort of salad that tasted terrible . we where so disappointed couldn't believe how bad it was<br/>I took my wife there for her birthday what an embarrassment. <br/>Definitely not having my 50th there now.<br/> wish i took photos

1.Customer service-2/5<br/>We came to Hophaus on Sunday to have late lunch.The waitress met us and asked to wait until she finds an available table for us.We waited for 15 min to be set,even though it were more than 7-8 empty tables around(reserved ones).Then finally they found a table for us..We paid attention on the reservation notes on the table,most of them were reserved 2-3 hours in advance.Normal time for lunch takes approximately 1 hour or so,but the waitresses keep asking customers to wait and not serving..<br/>2.Food-3.5/5.The Pork Knuckle was nice,if ignore the fatty parts,the apple puree was a good match for such meat:)The Lamb Bbq Ribs wasn’t that good,the lamb was obviously not young ,so had a strong taste..Just not the right dish for german restaurant.Our favourite was Bretzel for entree,taste good,but the price is high for small dish like that.

I’ve been to Hophaus twice now and it’s a great bar with a relaxed casual atmospheric. The staff are always so friendly and happy to help - especially when it comes to choosing the right beer for you. When it’s busy, it’s like being at a real Octoberfest bar, lots of laughs and steins! The view of the yarra is lovely and it’s a great place to go on a hot day, for a few drinks with friends. They do lunch and dinner deals through out the week. This time we only had the bar menu, which was good for a snack but I’m sure the actual lunch/dinner menu would be better quality. On a side note: When I was looking through the menu, I noticed they do events and the food selection looks simply succulent, a WHOLE suckling pig and other delicious sides, including other coal pit meats. This is a place you must try, especially if you like your beer in a stein!

Hophaus, Southbank, cuisine- German food with a twist? 😊 Great location overlooking the Yarra! Great place for drinks on a summer eve for sure. Definitely not a place for a vegetarian - hardly any options. I had to order Mac and Cheese from the sides menu - though I must say it was delicious 😊😊 my cheat meal for this year (yes it was that bad on the hips!). @hophausbar #rating3 (only because not many vegetarian options) #rating5 for the mac and cheese 🧀 #trynewfood #trynewthingseveryday #vegetarianrocks #melbourneblogger #melbournebesteats #worklunches #teamlunch #70thbirthday #vegbourne #foodblogger #instablogger #foodielife #foodie #ilovemelbourne #southbank #hophaus #yarraviews #lovelysetting

Food pretty good, nice jaegerschnitzel and spatzle, kids selection ok, not remarkable but tasty enough. Brilliant selection of beers on tap. Unfortunately let down by poor service, inattentive attitude and an unwillingness to acknowledge those waiting at the bar. 3 times, personally waited longer than necessary for service with no one else waiting and no acknowledgement. 2 men came in, waited for service and no one even acknowledged they were waiting. They left, bought nothing. Attitude of staff when questioned about it was defensive and poor, apology and a smile would have sufficed. Unfortunately manager suffered a similar difficulty in apologising for delays, mistakes and service - appreciate you going in to bat for your staff but totally misread this one. Apologise first, then understand, then explain. Don't have a crack at the customer as your first option. <br/><br/>Disappointing as food was OK, ambience quite nice and beers great. Would have stayed for a couple more but voted with our feet. Other options for German food in future definitely. <br/><br/>Good luck all the same and thanks for the bits that worked well. <br/><br/>

Nice location , portion size a little small for the price. Was it authentic German flavour?? Not really.. was good and atmosphere great. Service was ok nothing exceptional. Did it have a German feel?? Not really. Would I go back ? Perhaps but no hurry

One of the more pricey schnitzels I have had, but 100% worth it. Chicken was crispy on the outside and very juicy on the inside. The mash and the cabbage complimented the schnitzel really well.

Nice hearty food but can't say the schnitzel is made in the authentic German style. Good atmosphere, but a bit over priced and not authentic German enough for me. Still a nice meal.

I visited for dinner on Wednesday -Chicken and Wiener schnitzel SPECIAL night. The price was $20 for either of the schnitzels plus a glass of house wine. We ordered some wines and had those prior to dinner. 2 of us then ordered the schnitzels. When I went to pay at the end my receipt showed I had been charged $28 and $29.00 for my schnitzels.<br/><br/>I said to the girl, sorry these are charged full price by mistake not the special. I was told that was correct yes, you didn't order 'house wine' so it's that way. And I said that's fine - happy to pay for the wines on top and pay for the schnitzel SPECIAL at $20.00 and not be served the inclusive wine.<br/><br/>She replied saying I'm sorry but can't do that's the way the button is on system so that's the way it is. <br/><br/>Be careful Yu don't get stung to pay more for less on their SPECIAL NIGHT! <br/><br/>So I went there specifically thinking of special night. Only to be charged $29.00 for just the schnitzel plus $9 for my wine. When I could have paid $20.00 for a wine AND a schnitzel PLUS my $9.00 wine. <br/><br/>What's the point in having a special if you

Very nice, quick and spacious restaurant! Staffs very good, friendly and attentive. Food wise; portion generous and very good. They also provide kids menu for children under 11 yo. These are some of the things that we ordered today

Great food, great atmosphere. Beautifully presented venue. It always makes the night more enjoyable when the staff are friendly. Our waitress was Eloise and she was lovely. Highly recommend this place.

Quite good, nothing really fancy but tasty. A bit over priced, but you are in southbank, so that's how it is. The atmosphere is nice and good view.

Came here to try their Monday dinner special - the 'Hamburg'er with angus beef, bier braised onions, cheddar, kaiserfleisch, smokey mayonnaise and 300ml bitburger. The burger was tasty, decent size and it came with chips. The beer was good. Great view for outdoor seating.

Went here tonight with the family. I ordered the Monday special- hamburger, fries and wine for $20. Great value and very tasty! The house wine was a nice one as well. The service wasn't too bad, although not the most friendly waiter I've had, and one of us ordered the lamb and it took ages to come out. Most of us were more than half way through our meals before they brought it out! They also messed up the orders of 2 people who ordered chips with their schnitzel instead of potato salad. Enjoyable meal but let down by service.

Truly awful. I wouldn't feed the food to my dog and the service is just awful. Staff were totally disinterested and when we finally did get served we wished we hadn't. Avoid this place like the plague, there is way better out there

Location...outstanding. Staff...fluctuated between gut und scheiße depending on which one of them deigned to tear themselves away from flirting with their coworkers to serve you. But the food, oh the food...that was 100% scheiße. Seriously, I know you're overheads must be astronomical considering the size and location of your venue, but a thick reconstituted chicken Schnitzel (it was akin to a McCains frozen schnitzel) just doesn't cut it. Especially at $28 for the privilege. And for a German Hophaus, I think you really need to pick up your game on the beer front too. I had very high hopes, but this place just didn't make the grade. A few changes in the kitchen and it could be an amazing restaurant.

Ok...I work in hospo, and understand the strains a packed restaurant can take on the staff and timely food service...but this was ridiculous! It wasn't even busy, and a waitstaff didn't even take our drink order until 10 minutes into the sitting. Because of this we placed our food order at the same time. We waited an hour for our food!! When we asked the waitress 40 mins in, where our food was and she was just as confused as us as to where our food was!! Sloppy, sloopy, sloopy!! Will never go back, except if they want advice as to how to make their service and food better...oh, and we had schnitzels, which literally takes 20 mins to make, and they were dry

A fairly decent spot. Lavish surrounds. The German venues around Melbourne in the past 10 years have increased from one, to about five. Hophaus has a different take on it all, which is a decent change-up from the other big Deutsch venues. The Dear Luncher opted for something a bit different, the Hophaus burger. Quite decent. The Dear Luncher will return one day when an opportunity presents itself.

Nice spot with a good view. Good selection of beers and Bavarian food (as you'd hope!). The pork knuckle was done beautifully and they had a nice, fresh take on a usually heavy, cheese-laden spaetzle. Service was OK, but took a while to get noticed and seated.

Hophaus has a great view on Southbank, and a fun and friendly atmosphere! I came here for a function, and was very impressed by the friendly service (shout out to our great bartender!), as well as the really nice food.<br/><br/>The seating areas were well spaced apart, and the air conditioner held up well against the hot Melbourne weather!

Came for dinner with a small group, and we sat outside on the patio, which is perfect for the hot summer weather. As the balcony is open and overlooks the Yarra river. Ordered a cider, a pretzel to share (which was soft,warm and delicious). And the special of pan fried trout. The service was okay, just noticed that the wait staff we had was a little bit confused (I think due to the language barrier as she was from overseas and had a strong accent), but she was very friendly, and tried her best to accommodate. The food came out quickly, and the pork came in what was a very large serving, with a side of saukeraut. The salmon was quite salty in itself and came with caper berries which made it even more saltier. It was nice but the saltiness of the dish was very over powering. I would gladly return as I found the atmosphere to be very nice but would opt to try another dish.

We walked along the Lara River and trying to find somewhere to have dinner. This is a second floor restaurant and we go ahead to take a window seat. The waiter is kind and recommend beer to us. We ordered beef as medium but it finally turned out as well done. The pork knuckle is well cooked. Overall, the meat tastes well but it is indeed heavy for a dinner.

I was with friends who decided to go for a meal after a concert in the city, and one of them insisted we go here. It is German cuisine, and of course, beer. Regrettably, as a vegetarian, there was very little on the menu that I could eat, apart from an item on the lunch menu that they would not serve after that time. Consequently I ended up with a bowl of chips in front of me, while my companions savoured their meals. It is not a place I will return to willingly, without a major overhaul of their menu, and an endeavour to accommodate people whose dietary needs do not include fatty German sausages and chicken schnitzel. The décor was stylish and modern, and the dining area was spacious, but I was in no frame of mind to appreciate my surroundings, being very disappointed in the menu options.

Honestly lovely location, cool atmosphere but I wouldn't bother getting food there or going back. Arrived at 4:30 and ordered 2 burgers, chips and cheese sticks. We also got two ciders which were delicious. Looking around at the other tables there was only 1 other person with a table number that ordered food. IT TOOK 40 MINUTES TO ARRIVE. We were on a break from work so our time was restricted. 5:14pm was when it hit the table. For such a long wait the burger was beyond average, slightly dry, one small piece of very thick ham hock and just no real flavour. Cost 22 dollar and we would have been better going to 8bit further down. To top it off the service was terrible. We watched as our food waited on the pass for 5 minutes as the bell rang 4 times and everyone ignored it. Around the 5pm Mark we went up and asked about our food Only to be told what looked like a manager didn't know and he'll find out. He didn't. He didn't even move or check. I work in hospo and this service is embarrassing to the industry.

Serving traditional German fare, this bar/restaurant has  a range of specialties featuring such items as pork knuckle, wurst (sausage), sauerkraut, schnitzel and the like. Being time sensitive, we tried the salads and they were freshly prepared and delicious. The red cabbage had cranberry, walnuts and apple cider dressing and the beetroot, smoked salmon, sour cream dressing and shaved fennel hit the spot equally well. German beers are a specialty and are well described and numerous, served in 500ml tankards (glass) or a larger stein on request but be careful as they can be up to 1 litre. Friendly wait staff was of German nationality to add to the experience and authenticity. Daily specials available (except Friday) to bundle food and beer for a special price. A nice place for a bite to eat.

Came here for lunch the other day; ordered burger from their lunch special. It comes with a pot of beer. The burger was average, nothing exciting but was huge and filling. I didn't quite enjoy the chips as it was a bit over fried for my liking. Over all it was a pleasant experience.

Average, service and food could be better. I take real issues with burgers you cannot pick up and eat as it turns into something deconstructed, but that's just me.

Enjoyed each experience here. Food servings are huge, definitely worth the price. Service is good, would highly recommend for functions and group events.

Had lunch here. Enjoyed the focus on quality European/German beers and food. Setting on the deck was pretty good with view of river etc.. prices weren't bad and food was tasty. Girls serving were definitely rookies that were struggling but they were harmless and nice

Good spot for an afternoon beer overlooking the river. They have a wide variety of German beers and nice decor. Will be back when I return to Melbourne next!

What I really liked about Hophaus was that the music wasn't too loud! You can still have a conversation over a drink without shouting. The location is great too, with nice views over the Yarra. I don't often go into the buildings along Southbank, so I think I would have trouble figuring out where this bar is located again (and it's not even one of melbournes hidden bars!) Also I enjoyed the decor. The drinks were reasonably priced, maybe a tad pricier than elsewhere.

Joined Hophaus for Oktoberfest. Good food, very generous portions and a large variety of beers.<br/><br/>Must try the bier tasting paddle and the schnitzel.<br/><br/>Find me on Instagram @melbourne_explorer or at MelbourneExplorer.com

Love the Snitzels here...had the veal with mushroom sauce. It came with a lovley potato salad and saukraut...yummm.Decking is Undercover so great for Melbourne weather. Will be back.

Visited Hophaus for lunch today and chose their Bratwurst (classic German sausage, sauerkraut, smoked cheese, curry ketchup, fried potato salat) at $19 for my first course and their Apfelstrudel (toffee apple, salted caramel, vanilla ice cream & quark crème) at $14 for dessert. Even though the meal was very nice and reasonably priced & I really did enjoy the German sausage, the overall meal left me with a feeling of "oh hum - just another lunch". Service provision however was excellent, the waiter Julian being very attentive and friendly. My only complaint was that the Apfelstrudel was served to me before I'd finished the Bratwurst and subsequently it was cold before I actually got to start eating it, I've always preferred my Apfelstrudel warm to hot, again being fair the waiter apologised for the kitchen staff's error.<br/><br/>The Juror's Verdict: Food 3/5, Service Provision 5/5, Will I return: Doubtful<br/><br/>Phill Jury (food critic & writer)

Really enjoyed Hophaus! Situated on 2nd level of Southgate (above Bear Brass I think). Lovely interior and bar area. Made an early booking before the ballet and without requesting it, they popped us on a table in the undercover balcony overlooking the water. Service was great and waiters attentive. Started with Calamari. Perfectly fried. Shared the Pork Knuckle and Weiner Schnitzel. Knuckle was great. Crackling on point and the meat, super tender. I wanted a bit more sauce/juice with it tho. Schnitzel was yummy. Potato salad on the side is always a good idea! Washed it all down with a couple of Peach Schnapps and lemonade. Tasty! And a shot of the Sour Apple Schnapps to end it all. Absolutely going back.

Really beautiful view of the river if you get the tables by the balcony. Price of the food is a bit expensive. We went as a group of 3 on a Thursday night, the place was not super busy and it was easy to get a table. The view is really lovely, food was alright - i enjoyed the crispy pork knuckle more than the meat tasting plate...

Went with a co-worker because the balcony is the perfect place for a sunny day (and he loves a good beer!). The food was delicious (the cheese stick were incredible), but most of all the staff were amazing. I unfortunately had a medical incident and I passed out in the middle of the restaurant and they were so amazing about it, helping me out and making sure I was okay, it was really wonderful and I'm so grateful.<br/>Will definitely be going back!

Very good place when you love meat and german food, beer! I went with my friends to this place, and Iam the only one who is vegetarian. For vegetarians is this place not really good ;) I had a salad which was in the end only leafs and one tomato.

Great venue and delicious food. Very busy. only thing is that you have to order your own food and drinks at the bar, which is a good and bad thing, depending on what type of service you are after. The Weiner schnitzel was massive and delicious

Slow service, bad atmosphere, lacks any form of authenticity. very disappointing. For proper German food in Melbourne check out Hofbrauhaus.

Unbeatable spot on the river, the entrance doesn't look much but the place really opens up get in. Service is friendly the beers are interesting, we tried the smoky beer on tap (Schlenkerla Fastenbier) and it was absolutely fantastic. The food was frankly pretty average, we tried the pork, chicken and the lamb from the charcoal bbq, none of them were really to write home about. <br/>All and all the place has an excellent vibe, reasonable prices, though its a pity the food doesn't keep up with the good variety of bavarian beers. <br/>P.S. my 2c worth, have a Friday lunch special.

I won a $200 voucher to dine here from an old Oktoberfest challenge and boy oh boy am I glad I didn't waste it! The meat platter was alright, my missus thought the pork knuckle was a bit dry but the house cider and desserts were AMAZING!

Looking for a modern German bar to hang out w mates on Friday night? Hophaus is quite a new, large and cheerful bar at Level 1 Southgate that offers a variety of beers (Happy Hour 4-7pm $7 a pint), modern German menu, with a breathtaking view. I liked the grilled lamb shoulder and the $20 lunch menu. Entertainment card member also receives 25% off the bill.

The burgers were a bit undercooked and quite pink inside. The small chopping boards on which the burgers were served were very impractical. However, the potato crisps were very addictive!

Few of folks drop by for a quick lunch .. We ordered angus beef burger, crispy calamari and baked pumpkin salad. Service was fast and food pretty good. Environment was good too since we were one of the early lunch crowd

Lively atmosphere a good place for a drink and meal on a Friday night. The meat in the burger was good quality and it included a decent side of chips.

Dissapointed with the pina colada inspired cocktail... I have no issues paying for quality but $18 for a 300ml glass, with 200ml ice, some pineapple juice, coconut flavor syrup, and about 60ml of beer.... We were sitting on table 10 aprox... 7.30pm... Entree was good, my main the 300gm sirloin was lucky to be 200gm at best... Won't be back!

We previously dined at Hophaus a year ago and the atmosphere and food was great, however we ventured out on the weekend and were extremely disappointed. <br/>1. The place was dead yet the wait time for drinks and food was horrendous <br/>2: No more beer buckets :( <br/>3. Soggy/ microwaved reheated food ( do t waste your money on pulled pork or schnitzel) <br/>4. Reheated apple strudel , we complained about this and the waitress although believed this was fresh once she asked the chef decided to dock our bill . <br/>5. Customer service hit and miss <br/>Overall poorly managed and sad representation of German food

The atmosphere was lively and quite nice, but the food wasn't great.<br/>I ordered the hamburger medium and it came well done and burnt.<br/>The chips were nice but unexpected, might be good to note that the potato salad side is actually potato crisps.

Managed to get a table on a very busy Friday night with three girlfriends. We shared the oysters, calamari and bavarian tasting platter which were all delicious. Highly recommend the oysters! The fried potato salad tasted like kettle chips. Then had the Berliner for dessert, the jam was quite overpowering but it was a sweet way to the end meal. Nice view and great ambience for after work drinks/food on a Friday night.

I love this venue. There are many drink options including a great selection of German beers, the food is great, the venue is big with a trendy modern take on a German bier hall and the view is lovely of the Yarra river and Flinders station.

Love this place, especially on their Schnitzel special days!<br/><br/>Their Schnitzels are amazing, which come with Sauerkraut and cold potato salad, seriously one of my favorite meals in the Southgate complex.<br/><br/>Service is always good, they have a great selection of beers as expected and I rate their tasting paddles very highly too!<br/><br/>Always look forward to going back.

This is a good place in Southbank to catch up with friends and enjoy a drink or two. Lovely place over looking the Yarra. I didn't experience outstanding customer service though but nonetheless it was an ok experience on both times I have been here.

Fit out is fantastic. Beers are great. Food is just ok only because the fit out and beers are great. Wiener schnitzel was salty oily cool. Potato side salad was nearly raw. Pork knuckle and bratwurst were dry. Food looks to be pre-prepared and then finished off when ordered. C’mon guys - you can do better than that!!!! Asked DJ to play some Bowie and he almost rolled his eyes - plse dont try too hard.

We trekked to Hophaus on a lazy weekend afternoon and the place was semi-busy. That makes a decent difference on the atmosphere because it's a pretty large space (and nicely fitted out, too).  We'd imagine this place to have a great vibe in the evenings once full of happy people and flowing beer. Speaking of beer...The beer paddle? Hubby bear says was good. The chips? Again good. Granted, we didn't eat a full meal here, but based on what we had and saw that day, there wasn't anything spectacular happening here, BUT it's worth a visit fo' sho'!

The food here is labelled as modern German cuisine, however it isn't very authentic. Would much prefer the Hopbrauhaus on Market lane for more tradional hearty german fare and atmosphere. The food is just ordinary pub food labelled as 'German', the schnitzel and potato salad is generic. The sauerkraut is cold, cripy and has no flavour. Would much prefer the slow cooked type that is hot and flavoured with spices and bacon. Pork knuckle is ok but not impressive- just regular roast pork- didn't look like it was slow roasted and seasoned. Expensive for ordinary food served.  Wouldn't go back.

We book our 2015 family Xmas lunch and sadly it was disappointing. We've had Xmas lunch in a different restsurant in previous years and had a great time. But not at Hophaus and because if that we won't be coming back for any reason.<br/><br/>Xmas day started off well even with the 30 degree weather. They seated us on the sheltered balcony and at the time the heat was bearable. This was the best of it.<br/><br/>Our drinks and entrée took 45 mins and we had to ask twice for our first round of drinks. The heat was too hot to bear so we asked if we can move inside where it was half empty. It then took 1.5 hour for our main meals and again we had to ask. No explanation what so ever. Once we finished our main we decided leave and not worry about our dessert. This was a poorly organized prepaid Xmas lunch at Hophaus. Thank you for a terrible Xmas experience.<br/><br/>Cheers

Atmosphere was nice... The starters we ordered were all fine... The pretzel was surprisingly good :)<br/><br/>But whatever you do, please do not order the whole suckling pig. It was completely ruined. The meat was DRY and stringy. The skin was rubbery on one end and completely rock hard on the other. Such a disappointing pig.. Seeing as though you need to preorder it 48hrs in advance. Such a hype! There was no crackling or remotely any crunch to the skin. Terribly upsetting for a foodie.

Bringing German cuisine to the Southbank side Hophaus is a welcome addition of variety on this part of town. Located within southgate, it's more friday night venue drinks vibe than focus on food in my opinion. I'd been here a couple times now (self, corporate functions etc) and everyone is here for a good time. Probably due to their extensive list of delicious beers. And Steins (goddamm theyre heavy). So no one goes unhappy.<br/>The food is alright, not fantastic but passable. My general experience with German meals is usually being defeated by the enormity of the pork knuckle or "share plate." Rule of thumb is you multiply the stated "for x number of people" by 1.5-2. What I'm trying to say is German meals, generally speaking, are massive and delicious. Hophaus German isnt quite there in terms of size and flavours but its still good. The pork knuckle was lacking a little punch of flavour (maybe attributed to us having a late dinner, and the not-so-good batch)? The schnitzel was ok as well.<br/>Its not on the level of pure German restaurants (within a 2km radius), however it still delivers for a drinking hole atmosphere, great bevvies, location, and good wholesome food on the Southbank side.

Have been here twice and received appalling service both times. The food is okay, but certainly nothing special. The location is nice, but overall this is a restaurant to avoid.

Went on a Saturday night with a group of 10+. Service was good, the beers list was extensive and reasonably priced. Had the beef brisket, smoky flavour was beautiful. It just melts in your mouth. Cant wait to go back for round two!

Went with group of 8 On Friday night. The beers were good as we stood around the bar area. Things went down hill once we got to the restaurant seats. The service was slow as very busy, took forever for meals to arrive from ordering and then the meals were average at best. Really would expect a good pigs knuckle from a restaurant looking to be German!<br/>It was dry, bland and really very average...

Great ambiance even though it can get crowded most of the time. Sundays are great too as you can dine out in the balcony area with some snacks (such as the #MacAndChesse photo) and beers! Great customer service too plus they have loyalty programs that will give you great discounts.

The sausage is better without the bread coz the bread is a little tough and dry. The spit pork is yummy. Deconstruction cheesecake is better than the apple strudel

We ran an Oktoberfest corporate event at the Hophaus recently and it was a huge success!  The staff were friendly and very accommodating, the venue location was perfect and the food and drink was awesome.  Would highly recommend for corporate functions.

As the heat wave abated, my desire to go for good eats returned. My last dinner of this trip was at Hophaus. We started with wine & beer with some lovely fried oysters – wunderbar. I had Wiener Schnitzel because my first choice of braised lamb neck was run out – lamb does run faster than pig. My other companions had Tuesday special which was pulled pork with a choice of beer tasting paddle, chicken Schnitzel & roasted beet salad – wieder fantastisch. Too bad, we finished our mains leaving no room for any desserts. I’ll return for its suckling pig which needs to be pre-ordered, 48 hours prior to the dinner on week-days. <br/>(Food - 4.5/5; Service - 4/5; Ambience - 4/5)

Came on a friday night for some dinner.<br/>Wasn't too busy so we were told a 3 min wait at the bar would be enough to get a table.<br/>We had a few drinks at the bar, and then checked on our table. We were advised we had been forgotten about, but taken straight to a table and given a complimentary drink each! Tick for great customer service, as we weren't too bothered.<br/>We had knodel, like a big gnocchi ball, quite nice..and fried oysters that were really nice and a lamb shoulder to share, which was ok but not as nice as the entrees.<br/>Desserts were amazing black forest cake and apple strudel.<br/>Would definetly return.

The beer was great. Beer. Beer. Beer.

Had a corporate function at Hophaus and as always services was great, food delicious and a great time was had by all.  Thank you again and we will be revisiting you for our next Corporate Function.Had a corporate function at Hophaus and as always services was great, food delicious and a great time was had by all.  Thank you again and we will be revisiting you for our next Corporate Function.

It was too good of a weekend in Melbourne to waste cooped up in the house, so on Saturday morning Reviewer Nikki and myself headed in to the city for some general wandering around in the sun. We were in the vicinity of Southbank when my stomach started to rumble, so we ventured to a spot in Melbourne I’ve been to quite a few times for beers – but rarely for a feed – Hophaus.

Had a family dinner here, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a little different to the other German restaurant you find in Melbourne. The food was delicious, beers were great, and the selection has something for everyone. Would recommend it. Also, keep a look out for their weekday deals, as they are very reasonable.

Loved the food. Good beer. Good ambience. Except for one girl no other staff seemed remotely interested in being there. Appreciate the fact that it is child friendly!

Had an exceptional lunch, food was 10/10, service 10/10, beer 10/10, view on balcony 10/10. It was the start of our day/night in Melbourne and couldn't have been better, will definitely be visiting this place a lot more. PS. the fried potato salad is mind blowingly good :)

My husband and I have visited Hophaus twice now.<br/>I'll start by saying the the decor and ambience is fantastic, so much more spacious, tasteful and tidy than Hofbrauhaus.<br/>On a Saturday night recently we ate dinner at 6pm after the football. The waiters were attentive and quick to order our meals. I had the Rotisserie Chicken Caesar, it was delicious and a decent size but unfortunately the slow cooked bacon was very hard and it wasn't to my taste (this may be what slow cooked bacon is like, I'm not sure). My husband had the Pork Weiner Schnitzel which came with sauerkraut and potato salad. I tried all of this and it was absolutely delicious. Schnitzel is definitely the meal to order at Hophaus. I had the Orange Flourless Cake for dessert, very yummy and tangy. Husband had the Black Forest Cake which is served in a dessert glass with Oreos, very delicious. <br/>Hophaus is great to visit for some dinners/drinks with friends or as a couple. I would recommend to book at the restaurant was fully seated by 6.30pm on a Sat night.<br/>We used our Entertainment Book 25% off voucher.