Let’s be honest: when was the last time you sat in a tavern that completely blew you away? One where the pork roast wasn’t just good, but perfect, and the wine list made you flip through pages in disbelief before leaving you utterly speechless? If nothing comes to mind, that’s no surprise—places like these are rare. Bavarian taverns have all but disappeared, either watered down or reduced to tourist traps with convenience cuisine. But then there’s Gasthaus Zum Vaas in Forstinning. It’s a downright manifesto for everything a tavern should be.
Max Kaindl, February 24, 2025
Reading time about 3 minutes
Zum Vaas – The Best Bavarian Tavern?
Food That Hits Like a Sledgehammer
The kitchen here isn’t about fusion or fuss, nor is it about overly elaborate “New Bavarian Cuisine” that serves schnitzel as an airy espuma. Here, the food packs a serious punch.
The pork roast? Better than your grandma’s—juicy meat with a crust that crackles louder than a shattered windowpane. The schnitzel? Thin, golden, buttery, and so light it practically dances on the plate. And then there are the ox cheeks… so tender you don’t cut them; you simply give them a sideways glance and they practically fall apart. Add in potato dumplings that even the most discerning Swabian would applaud—where else can you find that?
Wine List or Hidden Treasure Trove?
Now things get wild. Most taverns serve either bland supermarket wine or overpriced prestige bombshells. Not here. The wine list is a mix of a wet dream and sheer shock.
Klaus Peter Keller? Check.
DRC? Present.
Coche-Dury? Naturally.
Giacomo Conterno? Need I say more?
And then the prices—if you’ve ever paid triple the market rate for a bottle of Burgundy in Munich, you’ll quietly weep into your perfectly tempered glass here. This isn’t gimmickry or collector’s fluff—it’s genuine wine culture curated by someone who truly lives and breathes wine.
I ordered a 2018 Barbera d’Alba from Giacomo Conterno. If you know that name, you know that in a Michelin-starred restaurant in Munich, you’d be paying double for a bottle like that—here, not so much. A fair deal. No games. And then the glass arrived: earthy, nutty, with an electrifying acidity that jolts you awake. And paired with those ox cheeks—a combination so outrageously good it should be declared a heritage site in Bavaria.
A Tavern Like No Other – Why Aren’t There More?
Honestly, why isn’t this the standard? Why do most taverns serve only mediocre, mass-produced fare? Why must it take an unassuming tavern in Forstinning to show us how it’s really done?
Gasthaus Zum Vaas is an ode to Bavarian cuisine, a love letter to wine culture, and a bold counterpoint to the increasingly uniform world of gastronomy. Here, it’s not about being Instagram-worthy, but about genuine passion. If you love great food, appreciate fine wine at fair prices, and want to experience authentic tavern charm, this is the place to be.
Pictures: © The Art of Riesling – Maximilian Kaindl
