A Taste of Deutschland

Merianstraße 3 69117 Heidelberg

“Are you okay with the music?” asked the lone Syrian worker behind the counter as Arabic tunes echoed throughout the restaurant.  I nodded in approval as I enjoyed a sip of Arabic tea and a bite of my falafel wrap.  This is the scene at Falafel restaurant, where the ambiance is casual and the food is remarkable.

The menu board here is relatively small, which is not a bad thing at all.  You can choose an assortment of items to be stuffed in flatbread (mit Brot) or different types of entrées on plates (auf Teller).  They also have various salads and a few dessert items.  Drinks are rather inexpensive.  However, what makes this place unique is the free hot Arabic tea.  That’s right.  I said free!  There is a small table in the corner with glass cups, a large tea kettle, and sugar cubes to sweeten your drink as desired.  The tea is unusually addicting.

Falafels here at Falafel are, as expected, fantastic.  Although I have only eaten falafel once before, I was completely blown away by the taste and texture of the spiced chickpeas here. 

At 3,70 €, the Falafel with Halloumi cheese in flatbread is a definite hit.  Upon placing your order, the falafel is scooped into balls and deep fried.  Sticks of halloumi cheese, which has a high smoking point, are also put into the deep fryer.  Next, the cook smears red tomato sauce on a soft, thin sheet of flatbread, adds the falafel balls, presses down to spread them out, places a couple of tomato slices and a handful of shredded lettuce inside, scoops a generous amount of Tzatziki sauce on top, sprinkles some chopped parsley on top, folds the bread over like a wrap, and then places it inside a sandwich press.  The end result is a falafel sandwich wrap with eye catching grill marks. 

The combination of falafel, halloumi cheese, assorted vegetables, and yogurt sauce is undeniably delicious.  The wrap is reminiscent of a burrito – the falafel acts like ground beef, the red sauce spicy resembling salsa, cheese adding a flavor boost, and the vegetables granting a crunchy consistency.  Unlike ground beef, however, the falafel has a crunchy texture and a distinctive flavor that had my taste buds dancing in excitement.   

Order the 4,70 € chicken breast plate and you get a platter with a small portion of salad, Tzatziki sauce, hummus, chunks of tender chicken breast, and a thin piece of flatbread.  The salad consists of sliced carrots, thinly sliced cucumbers, chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and green onions with scattered pepper flakes, all tossed in a vinaigrette.  In terms of taste, there isn’t anything special about it.  The hummus with olive oil is decent.  Unfortunately, the cook was a bit too aggressive in sprinkling the cumin on top.  The chicken breast – tender and bursting with juice – is terrific, although you only get about twelve small chunks.  You only get one piece of bread, so you end up with an excess of dips without anything to eat it with.  How sad.

Nonetheless, Falafel restaurant definitely serves up some of the best falafels in Heidelberg.  Add in a cozy atmosphere, fresh ingredients, reasonable prices, and free tea and you have a winner in the heart of the Heidelberg Altstadt.  It’s a nice alternative to the Döner Kebabs in Germany.

Summary:

Falafel, located at the corner of Heugasse and Merianstraße in front of a large church, is an Arabic restaurant specializing in, you guessed it, falafel.  The prices here are extremely affordable.  Free tea!

Overall – 4.5 stars

• Falafel mit Halloumi (Falafel with Halloumi cheese, wrapped inside thin flatbread) – 5/5
• Hähnchenbrust auf Teller (Chunks of Chicken Breast on a plate with hummus and flatbread on the side) – 4/5
• Arabic Tea – 5/5
• Service – 5/5