The Hof Downtown

The Hof Downtown injects Docklands with a dose of European vitality by serving up a wonderful selection of beers, cocktails and contemporary Australian cuisine with a hearty German flair.

To start, we the Pilz Schupfnudeln– an absolutely stunning dish of light German gnocchi tossed with German gnocchi, mushrooms, onions, garlic, Alpine cheese. Just yum! 

The grilled octopus was similarly delicious. Perfectly cooked so it was tender but retained a good “bite”, the octopus was served with pickled green tomatoes, Smoked kassler, squid ink and Black garlic hummus. It was a well-balanced and utterly delicious.

The Pilz Flammkuchen was yet another highlight. Sort of like a German pizza (although the menu cheekily states that it shouldn’t be called a pizza!), this was a delicious dish of super thin flatbread topped with cream fraiche, mushrooms, onions, chives and Alpine cheese. Highly addictive and perfect to share. 

For mains the Eye Fillet (Jägerfleisch) served with bone marrow, market greens, mash potato, Bier glaze and fresh horseradish was outstanding. Displaying a mastery in the manner the steak was cooked, our inch thick cut of steak was cooked perfectly from end to end. A light searing ensured that it was lined with a thin crisp layer packed with caramelised beef flavour. Simply sensational. 

We also loved the Braised Lamb shoulder on smoked eggplant tahini topped with carrots, red onion marmalade, greens, chickpeas and jus. An excellent elevated homely dish, the lamb fell away easily with the weight of our forks. Coated with an earthy braising sauce, it was most enjoyable when eaten with the decadent and well-seasoned smoked eggplant tahini.

On the drinks front, the offering of ten imported Bavarian boutique beers on tap and seven by the bottle will have beer lovers flocking, and cider drinkers will be quenched with Hof’s apple cider on tap. For cocktail enthusiasts, The Hof offers a delicious range of cocktails including a cucumber martini, a Negroni with Austrian blue gin and classics such as the Old Fashioned and espresso martinis.

A duo of desserts concluded our evening on a sweet high. Think a Black Forrest Tarte which boasted the flavours of a traditional black forest cake in the form of a delicious rich chocolate tart as well as hearty cheesecake with the most crumbly, buttery base. It’s all good.  

Location: 737 Bourke St, Docklands

Phone: (03) 96707389 

Link: https://thehof.com/