Welcome to Elmar's in the Valley

We dined here one weekend for a hearty lunch after a round of Super Golf with friends. The place was busy ....it’s a nice large looking Restaurant that offers the typical German fare and some nice beer, even a choice of home brewed if you prefer. The service was just fine and the food was tasty and filling. My husband had the Huge pork shank and I opted for the pastry encased smoked sausage. They also have a little section in the Restaurant where you can buy German small goods ect....but personally its better going to the Elmar's on Beaufort Street in Mt Lawley direct as the range is so much better at their butchers. All in all a pretty good experience.

First time we've tried Elmar's and we were quite happy overall. For starters, with them and the Duckstein being in such close proximity to each other, they both have to keep on their toes. The competition is more than healthy for the German cuisine of Perth.

It's typical German in atmosphere; noisy, friendly, and scent of pork. The beer garden is nice for a casual drink, and the grounds are quite expansive. Another bonus for Elmar's is that it has an abundance of parking.

The food was standard fare. Pork and potato. A tasting plate to start for us all. That had a good mix of sausage and other things. Nice to get things going.

The hock (schweinshaxe mit bratkartoffeln und sauerkraut) was tasty - more tender than you can imagine and very substantial. A personal thing for me is that I prefer my hock when it isn't crispy, but that's just me. Many people prefer it just the way Elmar's serve it. My only negative to my meal was that the potatoes were bland and greasy. Not the best bratkartoffeln I've had in my time.

Others at the table had a mixture; bratwurst, kassler, etc and they were all suitably impressed. However, they also had the same complaint about the potatoes as I did. Minor overall.

The thing that hurts Elmar's the most is service. Fair enough, you want a day out in the Valley. But you don't want a day out in a restaurant. We numbered 5. We ordered a tasting plate to start (along with beer) and a mains. We were in the restaurant slightly over 2 hours. And seriously, we could attract a waiter to save our lives.

In any case, we'll be heading to Elmar's again at some point no doubt. Give it a go.