We ended stumbling upon Des Tanneurs for lunch while we were at the Colmar Christmas market. You…read moresee, we made the mistake of delaying our lunch until after 2 pm, when most establishments were then closed until dinner - our dining options were very limited and Des Tanneurs was one of the only places still accepting diners.
Des Tanneurs serves traditional Alsatian fare in an environment with typical Alsatian decor. It's cite, and kitschy, and I love the warmth. It reminds me of my grandma's house.
It was packed when we arrived, and the service was what you might expect at European restaurants. Unfussy, but they get the job done.
This was my first time trying Alsatian choucroute -- what I received was a massive ham hawk served atop sauerkraut and some steamed potatoes on the side. Side note- I hail from a region in the U.S. where sauerkraut is also very common, and I had more the my fair share growing up. But Alsatian sauerkraut is less sour with a more complex flavor, which I attribute, in part, to the juniper berries. Anyway, I loved the whole, stick to your ribs, massive portion of choucrute I received. There was so much ham, I could not eat it all. The dish was so tasty and surprisingly less salty than I was expecting.
My husband went with a melted Munster cheese dish served with roasted potatoes, which he loved so much that he declared was even better than raclette.
Les Tanneurs was a lucky find for us, and it made an already fun day, even better with delicious food. I'd recommend when visiting Colmar.
